Title
Calculating Preference Weights for the Labor and Delivery Index: A Discrete Choice Experiment on Women’s Birth Experiences
Author
Gärtner, F.R.
de Bekker-Grob, E.W.
Stiggelbout, A.M.
Rijnders, M.E.
Freeman, L.M.
Middeldorp, J.M.
Bloemenkamp, K.W.
de Miranda, E.
van den Akker-van Marle, M.E.
Publication year
2015
Abstract
Objective The aim of this study was to calculate preference weights for the Labor and Delivery Index (LADY-X) to make it suitable as a utility measure for perinatal care studies. Methods In an online discrete choice experiment, 18 pairs of hypothetical scenarios were presented to respondents, from which they had to choose a preferred option. The scenarios describe the birth experience in terms of the seven LADY-X attributes. A D-efficient discrete choice experiment design with priors based on a small sample (N = 110) was applied. Two samples were gathered, women who had recently given birth and subjects from the general population. Both samples were analyzed separately using a panel mixed logit (MMNL) model. Using the panel mixed multinomial logit (MMNL) model results and accounting for preference heterogeneity, we calculated the average preference weights for LADY-X attribute levels. These were transformed to represent a utility score between 0 and 1, with 0 representing the worst and 1 representing the best birth experience. Results In total, 1097 women who had recently given birth and 367 subjects from the general population participated. Greater value was placed on differences between bottom and middle attribute levels than on differences between middle and top levels. The attributes that resulted in larger utility increases than the other attributes were “feeling of safety” in the sample of women who had recently given birth and “feeling of safety” and “availability of professionals” in the general population sample. Conclusions By using the derived preference weights, LADY-X has the potential to be used as a utility measure for perinatal (cost-) effectiveness studies.
Subject
Life
CH - Child Health
ELSS - Earth, Life and Social Sciences
Healthy for Life
Health
Healthy Living
Birth experience
Preferences
Tariff
Utility
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:edcfd965-e509-4c57-a4fc-10ad5ad7ae88
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2015.07.005
TNO identifier
528831
Source
Value Health, 18 (6), 856-864
Document type
article