State-of-the-art measurement of informal care costs
The CIIQ
The Caregiver Indirect and Informal Care Cost Assessment Questionnaire
Discover the intricacies of the Caregiver Indirect and Informal Care Cost Assessment Questionnaire (CIIQ), a standardized research questionnaire designed for the measurement, valuation, and estimation of costs of informal care.
Tailored specifically for cost-of-illness studies, the CIIQ captures all data elements required to estimate indirect (productivity) and informal care costs as separate mutually exclusive subsets of total costs.
The CIIQ was published in 2018 in Applied Health Economics and Health Policy (Springer Nature) (link).
Learn more below
Informal care
costs
The CIIQ
Long-term, day-to-day care of disabled or chronically ill patients is predominately provided at home by untrained, unpaid family members.
Informal caregiving is associated with substantial costs from the perspective of society, as parents, partners, friends, and other relatives reduce their working hours, stop working completely, and/or devote a significant proportion of their leisure time to provide informal care.
Yet, costs associated with the provision of informal care is seldom included in cost-of-illness studies, or economic evaluations of new health technologies.
Estimating informal care costs from the perspective of society can be challenging, as the analysis comprises a wide range of data elements. Additionally, to simultaneously estimate caregiver indirect (productivity) and informal care costs, particular care is required to avoid double counting.
Published in 2018 [1], the Caregiver Indirect and Informal Care Cost Assessment Questionnaire (CIIQ) is a standardized questionnaire designed to measure caregiver indirect (productivity) and informal care costs in cost-of-illness research.
The CIIQ records all data elements required to estimate costs of caregiver indirect and informal care costs as separate, mutually exclusive subsets of total costs, irrespective of the disease or condition of the patient, or geographical setting.
The tool successfully accommodates analysis of caregivers with widely different work statuses and caregiving roles, including varied levels of absenteeism from work, lost productivity while working, and unpaid and paid informal care.
The CIIQ includes ready-to-use step-by-step analysis procedures (in Stata, SAS, and R) for resource valuation and cost estimation based on the opportunity cost and/or proxy good method.
The tool encompasses a total of 13 questions regarding caregiver current and previous work status, productivity, and the provision of informal care (stratified by time devoted to household activities, personal care, practical support, and emotional support).
The CIIQ is available in English, German, French, and Swedish.
Frequently
asked
questions
What is the purpose of the CIIQ?
The Caregiver Indirect and Informal Care Cost Assessment Questionnaire (CIIQ) is a standardized questionnaire designed to measure caregiver indirect (productivity) and informal care costs in cost-of-illness research. The tool records all data elements required to estimate costs of caregiver indirect and informal care costs as separate, mutually exclusive subsets of total costs, and also includes ready-to-use step-by-step analysis procedures (in Stata, SAS, and R) for resource valuation and cost estimation based on the opportunity cost and/or proxy good method.
How is the CIIQ administrated?
The CIIQ is suitable for electronic and/or paper-and-pencil administration, as well as completion using interview formats.
What data are recorded by the CIIQ?
The CIIQ encompasses a total of 13 questions regarding caregiver current and previous work status, productivity, and the provision of informal care (stratified by time devoted to household activities, personal care, practical support, and emotional support).
How are caregiver indirect (productivity) costs estimated using the CIIQ?
The CIIQ is designed to measure, value, and estimate caregiver indirect (productivity) costs according to the human-capital approach. The tool records data on all relevant aspects of previous and current work status (including employment status, work hours, absenteeism, and productivity while working) to measure the total loss of work hours.
How are caregiver informal care costs estimated using the CIIQ?
The CIIQ is designed to measure, value, and estimate informal care costs according to the proxy good and/or opportunity cost method. The tool records data on the number of hours of leisure time (i.e., non-working hours) devoted to informal care using the recall method. Four different categories of informal care activities and tasks are considered: (1) household activities, (2) personal care, (3) practical support, and (4) emotional support. In addition, the CIIQ is formulated to also record data concerning paid informal care, that is, the time (if any) that the caregiver is financially compensated (e.g., by the state) to care for the patient.
In which languages is the CIIQ available?
The CIIQ is currently available in English, German, French, and Swedish.
Is there a fee associated with licensing
the CIIQ?
The CIIQ is free to use for academic, non-commercial purposes. For non-academic, commercial use, the license fee for using the CIIQ is dependent on the number and frequency of administrations, duration of the study, and number of language versions required. Read more about licensing the CIIQ here.
Where can I download the scientific article describing the CIIQ?
The CIIQ was published in 2018 in Applied Health Economics and Health Policy (Springer Nature). The article can be downloaded here.
What is the scientific citation for the CIIQ?
Landfeldt E, et al. Standardized Questionnaire for the Measurement, Valuation, and Estimation of Costs of Informal Care Based on the Opportunity Cost and Proxy Good Method. Appl Health Econ Health Policy 2019 Feb;17(1):15-24. doi: 10.1007/s40258-018-0418-2. PMID: 30105745; PMCID: PMC6346077.