Generic health status measure with 5 dimensions and 5 levels each plus visual analog scale. ≈ 2 min to complete. Free with attribution.
EQ-5D-5L (EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess generic health status measure with 5 dimensions and 5 levels each plus visual analog scale.. It is most often used for generic health status measure with 5 dimensions and 5 levels each plus visual analog scale.. The instrument contains 5 items. Typical administration time is ≈ 2 min.
Source / attribution: Free for academic use; license for commercial use
Generic health status measure with 5 dimensions and 5 levels each plus visual analog scale. EQ-5D-5L is part of standard practice in this setting because it provides a structured, replicable assessment that can be tracked over time and compared across patients or visits.
Like all screening or assessment instruments, EQ-5D-5L is a structured aid — not a diagnostic test in isolation. Results should be interpreted alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Where a score crosses an actionable threshold, the next step is typically a more detailed clinical evaluation rather than a definitive diagnosis.
Answer all 5 items below to see your EQ-5D-5L score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 5-point scale (1–5). Your score updates live as you answer.
All scoring runs in your browser. No data is sent anywhere — close the tab and the answers are gone.
Five dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression) each scored 1-5 plus VAS 0-100.
Scoring notes: Five dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression) each scored 1-5 plus VAS 0-100.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 11111–11111 | Full health | None |
| 55555–55555 | Worst health | Consider intervention |
This is an illustrative walkthrough, not a real patient. Follow the same four steps with your own answers — or use the live calculator at the top of this page.
Read each question and choose the response that best fits. Each response has a number next to it — that number is the item's score. The example below uses illustrative answers.
| # | Item | Example response | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mobility | I am unable to walk about | 5 |
| 2 | Self-care | I am unable to wash or dress myself | 5 |
| 3 | Usual activities (e.g. work, study, housework, family or leisure activities) | I am unable to do my usual activities | 5 |
| 4 | Pain / Discomfort | I have extreme pain or discomfort | 5 |
| 5 | Anxiety / Depression | I am extremely anxious or depressed | 5 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 25
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 25 → Worst health
Worst health. Consider intervention
A score is one input alongside history and examination. EQ-5D-5L supports clinical judgment — it does not replace it.
Psychometric figures are drawn from the validation literature and may vary across clinical populations and translations.
If EQ-5D-5L doesn't fit your context, related instruments in quality of life include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWLS | 5-item global measure of life satisfaction based on cognitive judgment. | 5 | ≈ 1 min |
| SF-12 | Brief 12-item version of SF-36 for large surveys and routine monitoring. | 12 | ≈ 3 min |
| PHQ-9 | Severity of depression | 9 | ≈ 3 minutes |
| GAD-7 | Severity of generalized anxiety | 7 | ≈ 2 minutes |
| AUDIT | 10-item WHO screening tool for hazardous alcohol consumption and dependence. | 10 | ≈ 3 min |
| CHA2DS2-VASc | Annual stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation | 8 | — |
| Glasgow Coma Scale | Level of consciousness after head injury | 3 | — |
| MELD-Na | 3-month mortality in advanced liver disease; transplant prioritization | 5 | — |
EQ-5D-5L (EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level) is a validated instrument that assesses generic health status measure with 5 dimensions and 5 levels each plus visual analog scale. It is designed for clinicians, medical students, evidence-synthesis researchers. It takes about 2 min to complete, and the 5 items are summed to produce a total score.
EQ-5D-5L typically takes about 2 min to administer. The exact duration varies a little depending on whether it is self-administered or completed with a clinician. Its brief format is part of what makes it practical for routine clinical use and for repeat administration when tracking change over time.
EQ-5D-5L contains 5 items. Item scores are summed to produce the total. Scores run from 11111 to 55555, grouped into 2 interpretation bands from ‘Full health’ up to ‘Worst health’.
On the EQ-5D-5L (total score 11111–55555), scores of 55555 fall in the ‘Worst health’ band — interpreted as: Consider intervention. The full ladder is: 11111 — Full health: None.; 55555 — Worst health: Consider intervention. A higher score reflects a more severe presentation, and crossing a cutoff is a prompt to step up assessment or care — but these bands are screening thresholds, not diagnoses.
Scores of 11111 fall in the ‘Full health’ band: None. A low score is reassuring but does not by itself rule out the underlying condition — if symptoms or clinical suspicion persist, reassess over time or use a complementary evaluation rather than relying on the number alone.
EQ-5D-5L has reported Cronbach's α of 0.86 in validation samples and test–retest reliability of 0.78. Widely used in health economics and clinical trials. In practical terms, a Cronbach’s α around 0.86 indicates good internal consistency (the items hang together well), and a test–retest reliability of 0.78 means scores are well when the scale is repeated without real clinical change.
EQ-5D-5L is free to use with attribution — clinical, educational, and research use is permitted provided the original source is credited. If you publish results or reproduce the scale, include the citation to the source paper.
EuroQol Group. (2011). EQ-5D-5L User Guide. EuroQol Office. This is the original publication for the EQ-5D-5L — the reference to cite when reporting results.
No. EQ-5D-5L is a structured assessment aid, not a diagnostic test. Its proper role is clinical assessment of generic health status measure with 5 dimensions and 5 levels each plus visual analog scale — it standardizes assessment and flags who needs closer evaluation, but the result must be weighed alongside history, examination, and clinical context. When a score conflicts with your clinical impression, clinical judgment takes precedence; treatment decisions should never rest on a screening score alone.
EQ-5D-5L is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: