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Short Course on Conjoint Analysis

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Measuring the preferences of patients and other stakeholders in healthcare using conjoint analysis

PURPOSE: The participants of this series of workshop developed a sound understanding of the benefits of using theory driven conjoint analysis as a means of studying the preferences of patients and other stakeholders in healthcare.  Participants gained practical experience of using this method, and developed a better understanding of the value of measuring patient preferences for health care interventions. 

DESCRIPTION: Both in the practice and regulation of medicine stakeholders are becoming increasingly concerned with patient preferences.  Some of the methods developed in economics and management to study preferences are not commonly understood or utilized in academic medicine.  This workshop will demonstrate conjoint analysis, a tool that has a sound theoretical foundation in economics, that is rapidly gaining attention as an important tool in outcomes research.  During a series of four workshops, participants will be introduced to conjoint analysis methods, and then participants will be involved in designing, piloting, conducting and analyzing a simple conjoint analysis.  This will be a hands on experience that will allow participants to better understand the stages involved in a conjoint analysis and the economic concepts that underpin it.  The final workshop will present a checklist for publishing conjoint analysis in medicine:

Keywords: Conjoint analysis, Patient preferences, Economics, Decision making

Course Outline and Readings (Download PDF)

Workshop 1: Introduction to stated preferences and conjoint analysis
In this workshop we introduce the basic concepts behind the measurement of stated preferences, specifically focusing on conjoint analysis.  We will compare conjoint analysis to other economic evaluation method and present some applications of conjoint analysis in the literature.
Duration: 2 hours

Readings:

• Bridges J. Stated-preference methods in health care evaluation: an emerging methodological paradigm in health economics. Applied Health Economics and Health Policy 2003;2:213-24.
• Bridges J, Onukwugha E, Johnson FR, Hauber AB (2007) “Patient Preference Methods – A Patient Centered Evaluation Paradigm”, ISPOR Connections, Vol 13, No 6, pp4-7.
• Bridges, J and Jones C (2007) Patient based health technology assessment: A vision of what might one day be possible, International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care. 23(1) pp30-35.
• Bridges, J, Kinter, E, Kidane, L, Heinzen, R, and McCormick, C (2008) “Things are looking up since we started listening to patients: Recent trends in the application of conjoint analysis in health 1970-2007” The Patient – Patient Centered Outcomes Research, 1(2) Forthcoming.*

Workshop 2: Designing a conjoint analysis
During the workshop we will discuss important stages of designing a conjoint analysis, pay special attention to 1) the types of research questions that conjoint analysis can answer, 2) the optimal choice of attributes and attribute level, 3) experimental design, and 4) survey design and presentation of scenarios.  During the workshop, each participant will develop their own conjoint analysis.  We will also discuss software available that can facilitate conjoint design, including Sawtooth.
Duration: 2 hours

Readings:

• Johnson, F. R (2008) Measuring Conjoint Stated Preferences for Pharmaceuticals: A Brief Introduction, RTI Health Solutions: Research Triangle Park, NC.
• Viney R., Lanscar E., Louviere J. Discrete choice experiments to measure consumer preferences for health and healthcare. Expert Rev Pharmacoeconomics Outcomes Res 2002;2:89-96.
• Ryan M,.Farrar S. Using conjoint analysis to elicit preferences for health care. BMJ 2000;320:1530-3.
• Carson, R., J. Louviere, D. Anderson, P. Arabie, D. Bunch, D. Hensher, R. Johnson, W. Huhfeld, D. Steinberg, J. Swait, H. Timmermans, J. Wiley, 1994, “Experimental Analysis of Choice,” Marketing Letters, 5, 351-67.

Workshop 3: Analyzing results from a conjoint analysis
This workshop will be devoted to issues of analysis of conjoint analysis, including 1) estimation of regression models, 2) estimating strength of preference, 3) estimating welfare measures including willingness to pay and marginal rates of substitute, 4) cluster analysis and 5) policy simulation.  Participants will continue to analyze the results of their own conjoint analysis. 
Duration: 2 hours

Reading:

• Train, T, Discrete Choice Methods with Simulation, Cambridge University Press, 2003.  Chapters 1 & 2.

Workshop 4: Checklist for conducting and publishing conjoint analyses in health
This workshop will present the findings of the ISPOR Patient Reported Outcomes Special Interest Group’s “Patient Preference Methods – Conjoint Analysis Working Group” study.  This project focused on developing a checklist for outcome researchers who want to measure health preferences using these methods.  The group’s findings and participants will be invited to comment on our conclusions.
Duration: 2 hours

Reading:

• Bridges, J, Johnson, FR, Hauber B, Lloyd, A, Prosser, LA, Regier, DA, Mauskopf, J. On behalf of the ISPOR Patient Reported Outcomes Special Interest Group, Patient Preference Methods – Conjoint Analysis Working Group, Good Research Practices for Stated Preference Methods in Outcomes Research – A Checklist Guide for Conjoint Analysis, Draft report.* (http://www.ispor.org/sigs/PRO_PPMl.asp)

* Circulated during class.