Keeping value sets up to date

Introduction

New EQ-5D value sets are published regularly. The eq5dsuite package includes a built-in update system that allows you to install new value sets without waiting for a CRAN package update.

How the update system works

When you load the package, it checks the date of the last value set update. If more than two months have passed, you will see a reminder:

eq5dsuite: Value sets were last checked more than
2 months ago.
Run eq5dsuite::update_value_sets() to check for
new value sets.

Checking for updates

Run update_value_sets() to check for new value sets:

update_value_sets()

If new value sets are available, you will see:

eq5dsuite: Checking EQ-5D-3L value sets...

eq5dsuite: New EQ-5D-3L value sets available:
  - China 2026 (CN_2026) doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx

1 new value set(s) available. Install now?
Enter [y] to install or [n] to cancel:

Checking specific instruments

# Check only EQ-5D-5L value sets
update_value_sets(versions = "5L")

# Check 3L and Y3L only
update_value_sets(versions = c("3L", "Y3L"))

Non-interactive updates

For use in scripts or automated workflows:

# Install without asking for confirmation
update_value_sets(ask = FALSE)

Automatic migrations

When value set codes change across the package ecosystem (for example, when a country publishes a second value set and the original code is disambiguated), update_value_sets() automatically applies the necessary renames before checking for new value sets. This ensures your installed value sets remain consistent with the online repository without requiring manual intervention.

Value sets repository

All available value sets are maintained in the eq5dsuite-value-sets repository. You can browse the available value sets and their metadata there directly.