ABSTRACT
The social metric will be derived from methods of determining social preference or value priorities and of pooling the preferences for input into the collective decision-making process. This chapter focuses on methods for constructing social metrics rather than the complicated question of value aggregation, a topic treated in detail by economists and decision theorists. Some general indicators of health status have been utilized without explicit attention to the social metric problem. Morbidity indexes, derived from quantified variables, approach degree of wellness in the living through classification systems based on disability, dysfunction, discomfort, or some other clinical, subjective, or behavioral categories. A basic need exists, for a health metric that adequately represents society’s preference for well-being such that collective decisions concerning the equality and social minimum of health can be made. The task of constructing social metrics for health is one of applying normative social theory to empirical research such that the theory guides research design and analysis of results.
