scholarly journals The Value of Social Interactions and Incentives on the Use of a Digital Contact Tracing Tool Post COVID-19 Lockdown in Singapore

Author(s):  
Zhilian Huang ◽  
Huiling Guo ◽  
Hannah YeeFen Lim ◽  
Kia Nam Ho ◽  
Evonne Tay ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundWe assessed the preferences and trade-offs for social interactions, incentives, and being traced by a digital contact tracing (DCT) tool post lockdown in Singapore.MethodsWe conducted a discrete choice experiment (DCE) among visitors of a large public hospital in Singapore between July 2020 – February 2021. Respondents were sampled proportionately by gender and four age categories (21 – 80 years). The DCE questionnaire had three attributes (1. Social interactions, 2. Being traced by a DCT tool, 3. Incentives to use a DCT tool) and two levels each. The final dataset comprised 3839 respondents after dropping 53 with “irrational” responses. Panel fixed conditional logit model was used to analyze the data.ResultsRespondents were more willing to trade being traced by a DCT tool for social interactions than incentives and unwilling to trade social interactions for incentives. The proportion of respondents preferring no incentives and could only be influenced by their family members increases with age. Among proponents of monetary incentives, the preferred median value for a month’s usage of DCT tools amounted to S$10 (USD7.25) and S$50 (USD36.20) for subsidies and lucky draw.ConclusionsDCE can be used to elicit profile-specific preferences to optimize the uptake of DCT tools during a pandemic. Social interactions are highly valued by the population, who are willing to trade them for being traced by a DCT tool during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although a small amount of incentive is sufficient to increase the satisfaction of using a DCT tool, incentives alone may not increase DCT tool uptake.

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1569-1585
Author(s):  
Mohammad Younus Bhat ◽  
M.S. Bhatt ◽  
Arfat Ahmad Sofi

PurposeBiodiversity loss has become widespread since current rates are potentially catastrophic for species and habitat integrity, and the Dachigam National Park in Jammu and Kashmir (India) is not a distinctive case. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to elicit the willingness to pay (WTP) for biodiversity conservation of the Park.Design/methodology/approachA survey-based choice experiment method was carried out at the Dachigam National Park, an area that is threatened by several anthropogenic pressures. Attributes selected for analysis through choice experiments were endangered species, national park area, research and education opportunities the park withholds. To estimate WTP, a monetary variable involving an increase in entry fee was also incorporated. To obtain the estimates, the authors use the augmented conditional logit model.FindingsWTP for the selected attributes per visitor turned out to be ₹302.07 for enhancing the population of endangered species, ₹121.91 for improvement in the park area and ₹171.64 for increasing research and education opportunities the park withholds.Research limitations/implicationsThough the study uncovers very important aspects of evaluating the biological resources, albeit with some limitations. The study estimates WTP for biodiversity conservation using a conditional logit model, which is based on a specific area and population sample. It would be better if a broader sample is considered to trace out the findings for meaningful generalization. Besides, the results can be replicated for similar kinds of samples.Practical implicationsWith the use of benefits transfer method, this study aims to provide policymakers with useful information to manage biodiversity attributes across the Himalayan region.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this study is to provide a critical understanding of the valuation to facilitate the concerned body for better planning and management of biological resources. The findings of the present study can be used as an indicator of the inherent economic importance of biological resources across the Himalayan range for their better management and conservation that can help in ensuring sustainable utilization of these resources.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9825
Author(s):  
Chi Thao Dinh ◽  
Takuro Uehara ◽  
Takahiro Tsuge

As consumption behavior is one of the key human activities destabilizing the Earth system, green consumption is expected to increase. However, although consumers often show interest in green consumption, they tend to choose non-green alternatives. Presuming that one of the reasons for their inconsistency lies in the trade-offs between green attributes and other attributes (e.g., brand, performance, and price), this study adopted a discrete choice experiment to understand how green attributes play a role in consumers’ purchase decisions. To obtain a deeper understanding, the study conducted a cross-country (young Japanese [n = 370] and Vietnamese [n = 403] consumers) and product (water bottles and T-shirts) comparative analysis. The findings showed that for both products, Japanese respondents were less appreciative of green attributes in both relative and absolute terms than Vietnamese respondents. Furthermore, the marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for a low environmental impact was the highest among the other attributes in both products for Vietnamese respondents, while this was not the case for Japanese respondents. Utilizing the findings obtained from the conditional logit models and MWTP, this study proposes several policy implications for the promotion of green purchases suitable for each country’s unique situation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Yukichika Kawata ◽  
Syed Ahmed Salman

The Halal is one of the most essential concepts for Muslims and many associations worldwide issue Halal certificates of their own. We investigated in what ways Muslims treat different Halal certificates using instant coffee as an example. We can regard that if Muslims perceive different values for different Halal certificates, they regard Halal certificate more like a commercial certificate while if they perceive almost the same value, they regard the certificate as the religious certificate. We conducted a choice experiment to gather data in Malaysia and applied a conditional logit model. We supposed that there were packed instant coffees from the same company produced in 6 different countries (with/without Halal certificate logo of the produced country) and we compared their valuation for each Halal certificate. Our results showed that although Malaysian Muslims were not familiar with Halal certification logos other than Malaysia, they perceived almost the same values for Halal certificates from 6 different countries, indicating that they regarded different Halal certificates in the same way. This result implied that Muslims found the Halal concept as a religious concept and not as a commercial one.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katy Tobin ◽  
Sinead Maguire ◽  
Bernie Corr ◽  
Charles Normand ◽  
Orla Hardiman ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition with a mean life expectancy of 3 years from first symptom. Understanding the factors that are important to both patients and their caregivers has the potential to enhance service delivery and engagement, and improve efficiency. The Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) is a stated preferences method which asks service users to make trade-offs for various attributes of health services. This method is used to quantify preferences and shows the relative importance of the attributes in the experiment, to the service user. Methods A DCE with nine choice sets was developed to measure the preferences for health services of ALS patients and their caregivers and the relative importance of various aspects of care, such as timing of care, availability of services, and decision making. The DCE was presented to patients with ALS, and their caregivers, recruited from a national multidisciplinary clinic. A random effects probit model was applied to estimate the impact of each attribute on a participant’s choice. Results Patients demonstrated the strongest preferences about timing of receiving information about ALS. A strong preference was also placed on seeing the hospice care team later rather than early on in the illness. Patients also indicated their willingness to consider the use of communication devices. Grouping by stage of disease, patients who were in earlier stages of disease showed a strong preference for receipt of extensive information about ALS at the time of diagnosis. Caregivers showed a strong preference for engagement with healthcare professionals, an attribute that was not prioritised by patients. Conclusions The DCE method can be useful in uncovering priorities of patients and caregivers with ALS. Patients and caregivers have different priorities relating to health services and the provision of care in ALS, and patient preferences differ based on the stage and duration of their illness. Multidisciplinary teams must calibrate the delivery of care in the context of the differing expectations, needs and priorities of the patient/caregiver dyad.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e043477
Author(s):  
Mesfin G Genie ◽  
Luis Enrique Loría-Rebolledo ◽  
Shantini Paranjothy ◽  
Daniel Powell ◽  
Mandy Ryan ◽  
...  

IntroductionSocial distancing and lockdown measures are among the main government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures aim to limit the COVID-19 infection rate and reduce the mortality rate of COVID-19. Given we are likely to see local lockdowns until a treatment or vaccine for COVID-19 is available, and their effectiveness depends on public acceptability, it is important to understand public preference for government responses.Methods and analysisUsing a discrete choice experiment (DCE), this study will investigate the public’s preferences for pandemic responses in the UK. Attributes (and levels) are based on: (1) lockdown measures described in policy documents; (2) literature on preferences for lockdown measures and (3) a social media analysis. Attributes include: lockdown type; lockdown length; postponement of usual non-urgent medical care; number of excess deaths; number of infections; impact on household spending and job losses. We will prepilot the DCE using virtual think aloud interviews with respondents recruited via Facebook. We will collect preference data using an online survey of 4000 individuals from across the four UK countries (1000 per country). We will estimate the relative importance of the attributes, and the trade-offs individuals are willing to make between attributes. We will test if respondents’ preferences differ based on moral attitudes (using the Moral Foundation Questionnaire), socioeconomic circumstances (age, education, economic insecurity, health status), country of residence and experience of COVID-19.Ethics and disseminationThe University of Aberdeen’s College Ethics Research Board (CERB) has approved the study (reference: CERB/2020/6/1974). We will seek CERB approval for major changes from the developmental and pilot work. Peer-reviewed papers will be submitted, and results will be presented at public health and health economic conferences nationally and internationally. A lay summary will be published on the Health Economics Research Unit blog.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0258945
Author(s):  
Jemima A. Frimpong ◽  
Stéphane Helleringer

Exposure notification apps have been developed to assist in notifying individuals of recent exposures to SARS-CoV-2. However, in several countries, such apps have had limited uptake. We assessed whether strategies to increase downloads of exposure notification apps should emphasize improving the accuracy of the apps in recording contacts and exposures, strengthening privacy protections and/or offering financial incentives to potential users. In a discrete choice experiment with potential app users in the US, financial incentives were more than twice as important in decision-making about app downloads, than privacy protections, and app accuracy. The probability that a potential user would download an exposure notification app increased by 40% when offered a $100 reward to download (relative to a reference scenario in which the app is free). Financial incentives might help exposure notification apps reach uptake levels that improve the effectiveness of contact tracing programs and ultimately enhance efforts to control SARS-CoV-2. Rapid, pragmatic trials of financial incentives for app downloads in real-life settings are warranted.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothy Szinay ◽  
Rory Cameron ◽  
Felix Naughton ◽  
Jennifer A. Whitty ◽  
Jamie Brown ◽  
...  

UNSTRUCTURED Understanding the preferences of potential users of digital health products is beneficial for digital health policy and planning. Stated preference methods could help elicit individuals’ preferences in the absence of observational data. A discrete choice experiment (DCE) is a commonly used stated preference method; a quantitative methodology that argues that individuals make trade-offs when engaging in a decision by choosing an alternative of a product or service that offers the greatest utility, or benefit. This methodology is widely used in health economics in situations where revealed preferences are difficult to collect but is much less used in the field of digital health. This article outlines the stages involved in developing a discrete choice experiment. As a case study, it uses the application of a DCE for revealing preferences in targeting the uptake of smoking cessation apps. It describes the establishment of attributes, the construction of choice tasks of two or more alternatives, and the development of the experimental design. This tutorial offers a guide for researchers with no prior knowledge of this research technique.


1988 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel H. Steckel ◽  
Wilfried R. Vanhonacker

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S287-S287
Author(s):  
N Wickramasekera ◽  
P Shackley ◽  
E Coates ◽  
A Barr ◽  
M Lee ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The optimum treatment for steroid resistant ulcerative colitis (SRUC) is not clear and a range of options can be considered. The aim of this study was to quantify the relative importance of different treatment characteristics to clinicians and understand their preferences for benefit-risk trade-offs. Methods A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted in the UK via online survey of clinicians with expertise in inflammatory bowel disease. This involved 12 tasks where respondents selected a preferred treatment option when presented with two competing, hypothetical treatment profiles for a SRUC scenario. Profiles described five treatment characteristics focusing on clinical outcomes and safety, identified from qualitative interviews with clinicians and evidence from systematic reviews. DCE responses were analysed using conditional logistic regressions. Regression coefficients were used to calculate benefit-risk trade-offs, to find the rate at which clinicians are willing to trade levels of risks in exchange for the preferred levels of clinical outcomes. Regression coefficients were also used to predict uptake rates for selected drugs currently prescribed to patients with SRUC. Results 116 clinicians completed the survey (age 46y; female 42%; consultant 60%; nurse 26%; mean experience 11y). Figure 1 shows the treatment characteristics that make respondents more likely (positive coefficient) or less likely (negative coefficient) to choose a treatment. One unit increase in both lymphoma risk and serious infection risk were strongly considered when clinicians were choosing a treatment compared to one unit increase in the symptom improvement characteristics. Clinicians would accept a higher lymphoma risk of 5 per 10,000 patient years for a 10% improvement in remission rate compared to 4 and 2 cases per 10,000 patient years for 10% better rates of clinical response and mucosal healing respectively. Clinicians at secondary hospitals accepted a lymphoma risk of 4 cases per 10,000 patient years for a 10% improvement in remission vs 7 per 10,000 patient years at tertiary centres. Similar trade-off results were found for serious infection risks. Predicted uptake comparing preferred characteristics to existing treatments was infliximab (62%), tofacitinib (18%), vedolizumab (15%) and adalimumab (5%). Conclusion Clinicians are willing to make difficult trade-offs and tolerate elevated safety risks in exchange for therapeutic benefits. Risk tolerance was highest if the treatment improved long term remission rate, lowest for mucosal healing and higher in clinicians at tertiary centres. The results help to better understand treatment decisions and identify outcomes that might be considered in choosing agents to evaluate in clinical trials.


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