Exploring how individuals complete the choice tasks in a discrete choice experiment: an interview study

ObjectiveTo understand the importance of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) product attributes to adult consumers in the USA by age and gender.DesignCross-sectional survey with a discrete choice experiment (best–worst, case 2, scaling) of 19 choice tasks in which participants answered what would make them most want to use and least want to use an ENDS product.Setting and participantsA national sample of adults (aged 18+ years) in the USA who had tried an ENDS product at least once.MeasuresWe included 9 ENDS attributes with levels that varied across 19 choice tasks. We performed a multinomial logistic regression to obtain overall importance scores, attribute-level part-worth utilities and most important attribute.ResultsOf 660 participants, 81% were white, 51% women and 37% had at least a 4-year college degree with an average age of 42.0 years (SD ±19.4). The attributes had the following importance: harms of use 17.6%; general effects 14.1%; cessation aid 12.6%; purchase price 12.1%; monthly cost 12.0%; nicotine content 11.4%; flavour availability 8.4%; device design 7.2%; modifiability 4.6%. Harms of use was the most important attribute for all ages and genders (p<0.05); variation in other important attributes existed by age though not by gender.ConclusionThis study identified the importance of nine ENDS attributes. Perceived harms of use of ENDS use appeared most important, and modifiability was least important. Variation by consumer group existed, which may allow for targeted interventions to modify ENDS use.

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The Value of Preventative Dental Care: A Discrete-Choice Experiment

Journal of Dental Research ◽

10.1177/0022034521989943 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 002203452198994

Author(s):

D. Boyers ◽

M. van der Pol ◽

V. Watson ◽

T. Lamont ◽

B. Goulao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Discrete Choice Experiment ◽

Discrete Choice ◽

Dental Care ◽

Choice Experiment ◽

Service Providers ◽

Care Service ◽

User Preferences ◽

Care Services ◽

Choice Tasks

Scale and polish (SP) and oral hygiene advice (OHA) are commonly provided in primary care dental practice to help prevent periodontal disease. These services are widely consumed by service users, incurring substantial cost, without any clear evidence of clinical benefit. This article aims to elicit general population preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for preventative dental care services and outcomes. An online discrete-choice experiment (DCE) was completed by a nationally representative sample of the UK general population. Respondents each answered 10 choice tasks that varied in terms of service attributes (SP, OHA, and provider of care), outcomes (bleeding gums and aesthetics), and cost. Choice tasks were selected using a pivoted segmented experimental design to improve task realism. An error components panel logit model was used to analyze the data. Marginal WTP (mWTP) for each attribute and level was calculated. In total, 667 respondents completed the DCE. Respondents valued more frequent SP, care provided by a dentist, and personalized OHA. Respondents were willing to pay for dental packages that generated less frequent (“never” or “hardly ever”) bleeding on brushing and teeth that look and feel at least “moderately clean.” Respondents were willing to pay more (+£145/y) for improvements in an aesthetic outcome from “very unclean” (−£85/y) to “very clean” (+£60/y) than they were for reduced bleeding frequency (+£100/y) from “very often” (−£54/y) to “never” (+£36/y). The general population value routinely provided SP, even in the absence of reductions in bleeding on brushing. Dental care service providers must consider service user preferences, including preferences for both health and nonhealth outcomes, as a key factor in any service redesign. Furthermore, the results provide mWTP estimates that can be used in cost-benefit analysis of these dental care services.

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Preferences for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among men who have sex with men and transgender women at risk of HIV infection: a multicentre protocol for a discrete choice experiment in Brazil

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-049011 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. e049011

Author(s):

Claudia Cristina de Aguiar Pereira ◽

Thiago Silva Torres ◽

Paula Mendes Luz ◽

Brenda Hoagland ◽

Alessandro Farias ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Discrete Choice Experiment ◽

Discrete Choice ◽

Choice Experiment ◽

Risk Behaviour ◽

Transgender Women ◽

Second Phase ◽

Qualitative Approaches ◽

Sex With Men ◽

Exposure Prophylaxis ◽

Choice Tasks

IntroductionPre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an important and well-established prevention strategy for sexual acquisition of HIV. In Brazil, transgender women (TGW) and men who have sex with men (MSM) bear the largest burden among key populations. Little is known about preferences for PrEP characteristics in these vulnerable populations in Latin America. The goal of this study is to investigate preferences of TGW and MSM with respect to PrEP characteristics, whether current user or not, and to assess any attributes and levels that may improve the decision to start using PrEP (uptake) and optimal continuity of use (adherence), which are important dimensions for PrEP success.Methods and analysisWe hereby outline the protocol of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to be conducted among TGW and MSM in Brazil. The study will be carried out in two phases. The first phase involves literature review and qualitative approaches including in-depth interviews to inform the development of the DCE (attributes and levels). The second phase entails the DCE survey and supporting questions pertaining to sociodemographic and risk behaviour information. The survey is aimed at current PrEP users and non-users, consisting of two modes of administration: face to face in five Brazilian capitals (Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Manaus, Porto Alegre and Salvador) and online targeting the entire country. A D-efficient zero-prior blocked experimental design will be used to select 60 paired-profile DCE choice tasks, in which participants will be randomly assigned to one of four groups and presented with a set of 15 choice tasks. The planned sample size is 1000 volunteers.Ethics, timeline and disseminationThe study was approved by Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa—Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas—INI/FIOCRUZ, CEP/INI, CAAE 28416220.2.1001.5262, approval number 3.979.759 in accordance with the Comissão Nacional de Ética em Pesquisa (CONEP—Brazilian National Board of Research Ethics). The study will be conducted between 2020 and 2021. The results will be disseminated to the scientific community and to the public in general through publications in published in peer-reviewed journals and in scientific conferences.

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Discrete Choice Experiment Attribute Selection Using a Multinational Interview Study: Treatment Features Important to Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The Patient: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research ◽

10.1007/s40271-017-0225-0 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 475-487 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Anna Rydén ◽

Stephanie Chen ◽

Emuella Flood ◽

Beverly Romero ◽

Susan Grandy

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Discrete Choice Experiment ◽

Discrete Choice ◽

Choice Experiment ◽

Interview Study ◽

Attribute Selection

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Experimental Design

Environmental Valuation with Discrete Choice Experiments - SpringerBriefs in Economics ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-62669-3_3 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 37-49

Author(s):

Petr Mariel ◽

David Hoyos ◽

Jürgen Meyerhoff ◽

Mikolaj Czajkowski ◽

Thijs Dekker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Experimental Design ◽

Discrete Choice Experiment ◽

Discrete Choice ◽

Choice Experiment ◽

Statistical Technique ◽

Statistical Techniques ◽

The Core ◽

Pros And Cons ◽

Attribute Levels ◽

Choice Tasks

AbstractThis chapter covers various issues related to the experimental design, a statistical technique at the core of a discrete choice experiment. Specifically, it focuses on the dimensionality of a choice experiment and the statistical techniques used to allocate attribute levels to choice tasks. Among others, the pros and cons of orthogonal designs, optimal orthogonal in the differences designs as well as efficient designs are addressed. The last section shows how a simulation exercise can help to test the appropriateness of the experimental design.

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Enhancing Public Health Messaging: Discrete-Choice Experiment Evidence on the Design of HIV Testing Messages in China

Medical Decision Making ◽

10.1177/0272989x19859344 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 39 (5) ◽

pp. 568-582

Author(s):

Maya Durvasula ◽

Stephen W. Pan ◽

Jason J. Ong ◽

Weiming Tang ◽

Bolin Cao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Social Media ◽

Hiv Testing ◽

Discrete Choice Experiment ◽

Discrete Choice ◽

Choice Experiment ◽

Underserved Populations ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

Choice Tasks ◽

Health Messaging

Introduction. While a growing literature documents the effectiveness of public health messaging on social media, our understanding of the factors that encourage individuals to engage with and share messages is limited. In the context of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China, rising incidence and low testing rates despite decades of interventions suggest the need for effective, targeted messaging to reach underserved populations. Social media platforms and sex-seeking apps present a promising avenue, as web-based strategies can take advantage of existing trust within dense social networks. Methods. We conducted an online discrete-choice experiment in January 2017 with MSM from across China. Participants were presented with 6 choice tasks, each composed of 2 messages about HIV testing, and were asked in which scenario they were more likely to share the content. Participants were given information about the source of the HIV testing message, the social media sharing platform, and the recipients with whom they would share the message. They were given the option of sharing 1 message or neither. Multinomial and mixed logit models were used to model preferences within 4 subgroups. Results. In total, 885 MSM joined the survey, completing 4387 choice tasks. The most important attribute for 3 of the 4 subgroups was social media sharing platform. Men were more willing to share messages on sex-seeking mobile applications and less willing to share materials on generic (non-MSM) social media platforms. We found that men with more active online presences were less willing to share HIV testing messages on generic social media platforms. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that sex-seeking platforms represent a targeted, efficient method of actively engaging MSM in public health interventions.

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