PIH6 PREFERENCES AND WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF ENDOMETRIOSIS TO REDUCE THE ADVERSE RISK OUTCOMES: A DISCRETE CHOICE EXPERIMENT

Abstract

Endometriosis is a gynecological disease that mainly affects women of reproductive age worldwide. It imposes clinical and economic burden on patients, their families and the society as a whole. Patients’ perspectives are increasingly used in healthcare decision making. In this study, we aim to evaluate women’s preferences and willingness to pay regarding early diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis. A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was designed and administered to elicit women’s preferences and WTP for early diagnosis of endometriosis. Women ages 18 and older were selected to participate in the study. The attributes (and levels) considered were diagnosis (immediate/postponed), chance of advanced endometriosis and more serious illness (low/high), time away from daily living activities (8 days, 15 days, 22 days and 30 days), and out-of-pocket costs ($0, $15, $60 and $210). Data were summarized. A mixed logit model was used to analyze the effects of the individual attributes on elicited preferences and estimate the WTP. The effects of participants’ characteristics on the preference for early diagnosis were modeled using a Tobit model. A total of 66 women with (2) or at-risk (64) of endometriosis completed the experiment. The age range of women participated were 19-69 years. Respondents preferred scenarios with lower risk and out of pocket costs. They also preferred to spend less time away from work, education, and other daily living activities. While respondents preferred lower out of pocket costs, they were willing to give up some out-of-pocket costs in order to avoid the risk of adverse outcomes. The respondents’ age and insurance statuses significantly influenced their preference or choice for early diagnosis. The results suggest that preferences for treatment attributes for endometriosis vary widely. This highlights the importance of accounting for individual preferences in order to improve decision-making for the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.