Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Discrete choice experiments in health economics

Distinguishing between the method and its application

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
The European Journal of Health Economics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Bryan and Dolan have offered a critique of the use of discrete choice experiments in health economics. Their call for more open debate on “the relative strengths and limitations of the DCE method, particularly when applied in health settings” is warranted. However, their paper has only added to part of this debate in that it focuses on the application of choice experiments in the health sector but says little on the strengths and limitations of the DCE method in general. We argue that while the criticisms posed by Bryan and Dolan rightly challenge the manner in which DCEs have been applied in health economics, such criticism does not challenge the theoretical/methodological basis of DCEs per se.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bryan S, Dolan P (2004) Discrete choice experiments in health economics. For better or for worse? Eur J Health Econ 5:199–202

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Viney R, Lancsar E, Louviere J (2002) Discrete choice experiments to measure consumer preferences for health and healthcare. Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res 2:319–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Lancsar E, Savage E (2004) Deriving welfare measures from discrete choice experiments: inconsistency between current methods and random utility and welfare theory. Health Econ Lett 13:901–907

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Lancsar E, Savage E (2004) Deriving welfare measures from discrete choice experiments: a response to Ryan and Santos Silva. Health Econ Lett 13:919–924

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Olsen JA, Donaldson C (1998) Helicopters, hearts and hips: using willingness to pay to set priorities for public sector health care programmes. Soc Sci Med 46:1–12

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Gyrd-Hansen D (2004) Investigating the social value of health changes. J Health Econ 23:1101–1116

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Viney R, Savage E, Louviere J (2005) Empirical investigation of experimental design properties of discrete choice experiments in health care. Health Econ (in press)

  8. Hall J, Kenny P, King M, Louviere J, Viney R, Yeoh A (2002) Using stated preference discrete choice modelling to evaluate the introduction of varicella vaccination. Health Econ 11:457–465

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Lancsar E (2002) Deriving welfare measures from stated preference discrete choice modelling experiments. CHERE discussion paper no 48. Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation, University of Technology: Sydney

  10. Scott A, Watson MS, Ross S (2003) Eliciting preferences of the community for out of hours care provided by general practitioners: a stated preference discrete choice experiment. Soc Sci Med 56:803–814

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Jan S, Mooney G, Ryan M, Bruggemann K, Alexander K (2000) The use of conjoint analysis to elicit community preferences in public health research: a case study of hospital services in South Australia. Aust NZ J Public Health 24:64–70

    Google Scholar 

  12. Ryan M, McIntosh E, Dean T, Old P (2000) Trade-offs between location and waiting times in the provision of health care: the case of elective surgery on the Isle of Wight. J Public Health Med 22:202–210

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Lancsar E, Hall J, King M, Kenny P, Louviere J, Fiebig D et al (2003) Repeated discrete choice experiments nested within a randomised cross-over trial: investigating patient preferences for preventive asthma medication. Presented at the 4th World Congress of the International Health Economics Association. San Francisco

  14. De Abreu Lourenco R, Hall J, Viney R, Haas M, King M, Kenny P (2000) Economic evaluation of genetic screening using choice modelling. In: Bridges J (ed) Health and economics: 2001. Proceedings of the 22rd Australian Conference of Health Economists. ASHSA: Brisbane

  15. Louviere J, Burgess l, Street D, Marley A (2004) Modeling the choices of single individuals by combining efficient choice experiment designs with extra preference information. Centre for the Study of Choice (CenSoc) Working Paper No. 04-005, University of Technology, Sydney

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Burgess L, Street DJ (2005) Optimal designs for choice experiments with asymmetric attributes. J Stat Planning Inference (in press)

  17. Swait J (2001) A non-compensatory choice model incorporating attribute cutoffs. Transportation Res B Methodolog 35:903–928

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Louviere J, Street D, Carson R, Ainslie A, Deshazo JR, Cameron T et al (2002) Dissecting the random component of utility. Marketing Lett 13:177–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Mooney G (1994) Key issues in health economics. Harvester Wheatsheaf: London

    Google Scholar 

  20. Donaldson C, Shackley P (1997) Does “process utility” exist? A case study of willingness to pay for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Soc Sci Med 44:699–707

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. McFadden D (1973) Conditional logit analysis of qualitative choice behavior. In: Zarembka P (ed) Frontiers of econometrics. Academic: New York, pp 105–142

  22. Lancaster K (1966) A new approach to consumer theory. J Political Econ 74:132–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Interessenkonflikt:

Keine Angaben

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emily Lancsar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lancsar, E., Donaldson, C. Discrete choice experiments in health economics. Eur J Health Econ 6, 314–316 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-005-0304-3

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-005-0304-3

Keywords

Navigation