Application of discrete choice experiments to estimate value of life: a national study protocol in Iran

Abstract Background Global concerns regarding the significant burden of non-communicable diseases and injuries (NCDIs) exist from both public health and economic perspectives. Our research focuses on the reduction of fatal risks due to NCDIs and the citizens’ preferences about health programs and intervention to reduce premature death due to NCDIs. Governments and health authorities need reliable evidence and information to prioritize the interests of their citizens. One crucial piece of evidence to justify the resources spent on NCDIs is the value derived from the interventions on prevention and NCDIs control. This concept is usually called “Value of Statistical Life” (VSL), meaning the monetary value that individuals place on changes in the risk levels of life- threatening events. To the best of our knowledge, for the first time, our study will estimate the statistical value of life for selected interventions for the prevention and control of NCDIs at both national and sub-national levels in the context of Iran. This paper reports the development of a national protocol through Discrete Choice Experiments (DCEs) method. Methods and designs Our study comprises several stages: (a) a literature review to identify the attributes and levels of the prevention programs and Willingness to Pay (WTP) for reducing the NCDI’s fatal risks; (b) experimental design to assessing, prioritizing, and finalizing the identified attributes and levels; (c) instrumental design to conduct face-to-face structured survey interviews of 3180 respondents aged 18–69 across the entire country; (d) statistical analysis to estimate the results through the Mixed Multinomial logit (MMNL) model. Discussion We anticipate that our findings will help build a stronger empirical basis for monetizing the value of small changes in selected fatality risks. It paves the way for other national or vast VSL estimates for NCDIs, as well as other major causes of morbidity and mortality in the context of Iran, and perhaps other low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

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Exploring Relative Preferences for HIV Service Features Using Discrete Choice Experiments: a Synthetic Review

Current HIV/AIDS Reports ◽

10.1007/s11904-020-00520-3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (5) ◽

pp. 467-477

Author(s):

I Eshun-Wilson ◽

H-Y Kim ◽

S Schwartz ◽

M Conte ◽

D V Glidden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Discrete Choice ◽

Patient Preferences ◽

Waiting Times ◽

Choice Experiments ◽

Hiv Treatment ◽

Travel Distance ◽

Discrete Choice Experiments ◽

Patient Centered ◽

Middle Income ◽

Treatment Services

Abstract Purpose of Review Aligning HIV treatment services with patient preferences can promote long-term engagement. A rising number of studies solicit such preferences using discrete choice experiments, but have not been systematically reviewed to seek generalizable insights. Using a systematic search, we identified eleven choice experiments evaluating preferences for HIV treatment services published between 2004 and 2020. Recent Findings Across settings, the strongest preference was for nice, patient-centered providers, for which participants were willing to trade considerable amounts of time, money, and travel distance. In low- and middle-income countries, participants also preferred collecting antiretroviral therapy (ART) less frequently than 1 monthly, but showed no strong preference for 3-compared with 6-month refill frequency. Facility waiting times and travel distances were also important but were frequently outranked by stronger preferences. Health facility–based services were preferred to community- or home-based services, but this preference varied by setting. In high-income countries, the availability of unscheduled appointments was highly valued. Stigma was rarely explored and costs were a ubiquitous driver of preferences. Summary While present improvement efforts have focused on designs to enhance access (reduced waiting time, travel distance, and ART refill frequency), few initiatives focus on the patient-provider interaction, which represents a promising critical area for inquiry and investment. If HIV programs hope to truly deliver patient-centered care, they will need to incorporate patient preferences into service delivery strategies. Discrete choice experiments can not only inform such strategies but also contribute to prioritization efforts for policy-making decisions.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Ordering effect and price sensitivity in discrete choice experiments: need we worry?

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.1061834.513772 ◽

2007 ◽

Author(s):

Eric Nauenberg

Keyword(s):

Discrete Choice ◽

Choice Experiments ◽

Discrete Choice Experiments ◽

Price Sensitivity

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A Systematic and Critical Review of Discrete Choice Experiments in Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

The Patient: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research ◽

10.1007/s40271-021-00536-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hannah Collacott ◽

Dian Zhang ◽

Sebastian Heidenreich ◽

Tommi Tervonen

Keyword(s):

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽

Pulmonary Disease ◽

Discrete Choice ◽

Critical Review ◽

Choice Experiments ◽

Discrete Choice Experiments ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

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The Impact of Environmental Sustainability Labels on Willingness-to-Pay for Foods: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Discrete Choice Experiments

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13082677 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 2677

Author(s):

Anastasios Bastounis ◽

John Buckell ◽

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce ◽

Brian Cook ◽

Sarah King ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Willingness To Pay ◽

Discrete Choice ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Purchasing Power Parity ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Choice Experiments ◽

Discrete Choice Experiments ◽

Environmental Damage ◽

Environmentally Sustainable ◽

The Impact

Food production is a major contributor to environmental damage. More environmentally sustainable foods could incur higher costs for consumers. In this review, we explore whether consumers are willing to pay (WTP) more for foods with environmental sustainability labels (‘ecolabels’). Six electronic databases were searched for experiments on consumers’ willingness to pay for ecolabelled food. Monetary values were converted to Purchasing Power Parity dollars and adjusted for country-specific inflation. Studies were meta-analysed and effect sizes with confidence intervals were calculated for the whole sample and for pre-specified subgroups defined as meat-dairy, seafood, and fruits-vegetables-nuts. Meta-regressions tested the role of label attributes and demographic characteristics on participants’ WTP. Forty-three discrete choice experiments (DCEs) with 41,777 participants were eligible for inclusion. Thirty-five DCEs (n = 35,725) had usable data for the meta-analysis. Participants were willing to pay a premium of 3.79 PPP$/kg (95%CI 2.7, 4.89, p ≤ 0.001) for ecolabelled foods. WTP was higher for organic labels compared to other labels. Women and people with lower levels of education expressed higher WTP. Ecolabels may increase consumers’ willingness to pay more for environmentally sustainable products and could be part of a strategy to encourage a transition to more sustainable diets.

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