Discrete Choice Experiments in Health Economics: What can they do for you?
12 September 2019
Edmonton, Alberta
In health economics the use of discrete choice experiments (DCEs) to elicit patient, physician, and public preferences is increasing. If you can define your research/policy questions in terms of attributes or characteristics of a healthcare good or service, then DCEs may be able to help you. Are you interested in what factors (attributes) are important in the delivery of health services and policies; how individuals trade across these attributes (how much of one attribute are they willing to give up to have improvements in other attributes); what is the probability of uptake of a new service with defined attribute levels?
In this panel session, DCE experts shared their knowledge on how the DCE method can be used, what policy questions it can help inform, and what policy relevant information can be generated from such studies. They drew on studies using the DCE method to explore: risk benefit trade-offs to inform regulatory decision-making for drugs and treatments; physician preferences to address workforce planning and recruitment and retention challenges; and the application of DCEs in the development of decision aid tools to promote shared decision-making and person centered care. Panel members concluded with a reflection on the validity of preference data generated from DCEs, and provided guidance on study design and analysis to ensure valid responses.
Discrete Choice Experiments in Health Economics: What can they do for you?
Presenters
Dr. Deborah Marshall is a Professor at University of Calgary, who is actively engaged in advancing the methods and applying stated preferences research. She is a member of the Stated Preferences Methods Task Forces of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research to develop good research practice methods for discrete choice experiments in health applications.
Dr. Mandy Ryan is the Director of the Health Economics Research Unit at the University of Aberdeen. Her research interests centre around ensuring health economic valuation methods take a person centred approach. She has expertise in the development and application of discrete choice experiments in health economics.
Dr. Verity Watson leads the Methods of Benefit Valuation theme in the Health Economics Research Unit at the University of Aberdeen. Her research interests focus on the valuation of non-market goods such as healthcare, and the understanding how people respond to hypothetical valuation tasks.
Dr. Luis Enrique Loria is a Research Fellow at the Health Economics Research Unit at the University of Aberdeen. His research is focused in the application of discrete choice experiments (DCE) as decision aid tools for patients. He also has a research interest in the use of reference dependent choice models.