How Are Debriefing Questions Used in Health Discrete Choice Experiments? An Online Survey

Pearce, A; Mulhern, B; Watson, V; Viney, R

How Are Debriefing Questions Used in Health Discrete Choice Experiments? An Online Survey

Pearce, A Mulhern, B

Watson, V Viney, R

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Publisher:: Elsevier
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Value in Health, 2020, 23, (3), pp. 287-293
Issue Date:: 2020

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Pearce, A
dc.contributor.author	Mulhern, B https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3656-8063
dc.contributor.author	Watson, V
dc.contributor.author	Viney, R https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0039-9635
dc.date.accessioned	2020-10-03T00:49:47Z
dc.date.available	2019-10-02
dc.date.available	2020-10-03T00:49:47Z
dc.date.issued	2020
dc.identifier.citation	Value in Health, 2020, 23, (3), pp. 287-293
dc.identifier.issn	1098-3015
dc.identifier.issn	1524-4733
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/143044
dc.description.abstract	OBJECTIVES:Debriefing questions can assess if respondents understand discrete choice experiments (DCEs) and are answering in a way consistent with theories of decision making and utility maximization. Nevertheless, there is limited literature about how often debriefing questions are included or how the results are used in health economics. The aim of this study was to conduct a survey of the frequency, type, and analysis of debriefing questions in health DCEs. METHODS:We conducted an online survey of authors of published health DCEs, asking about their use of debriefing questions, including frequency, type, and analysis. We descriptively analyzed the sample characteristics and responses. Free-text questions were analyzed with qualitative thematic analysis. RESULTS:We received 70 responses (43% response rate), of which 50% reported using debriefing questions. They were most commonly designed to assess difficulty (91%), understanding (49%), and attribute nonattendance (31%) rather than learning effects (3%) or monotonicity (11%). On average, 37% of debriefing questions were analyzed (range, 0% to 69%), and the results were used <50% of the time, usually to exclude respondents or interpret overall results. Researcher experience or confidence with DCEs did not affect their use of debriefing questions. CONCLUSIONS:These results suggest that although half of researchers conducting health DCEs use debriefing questions, many do not analyze, use, or report the responses. Given the additional respondent burden, there is a need for reliable and valid debriefing questions. In the meantime, the inclusion, analysis, and reporting of debriefing questions should be carefully considered before DCE implementation.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Elsevier
dc.relation	EuroQol Research Foundation
dc.relation.ispartof	Value in Health
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.jval.2019.10.001
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1117 Public Health and Health Services, 1402 Applied Economics
dc.subject.classification	Health Policy & Services
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Reproducibility of Results
dc.subject.mesh	Comprehension
dc.subject.mesh	Choice Behavior
dc.subject.mesh	Decision Theory
dc.subject.mesh	Qualitative Research
dc.subject.mesh	Research Design
dc.subject.mesh	Patient Preference
dc.subject.mesh	Surveys and Questionnaires
dc.subject.mesh	Choice Behavior
dc.subject.mesh	Comprehension
dc.subject.mesh	Decision Theory
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Patient Preference
dc.subject.mesh	Qualitative Research
dc.subject.mesh	Reproducibility of Results
dc.subject.mesh	Research Design
dc.subject.mesh	Surveys and Questionnaires
dc.title	How Are Debriefing Questions Used in Health Discrete Choice Experiments? An Online Survey
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	23
utslib.location.activity	United States
utslib.for	1402 Applied Economics
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services
utslib.for	1402 Applied Economics
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHERE - Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	true
dc.date.updated	2020-10-03T00:49:18Z
pubs.issue	3
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	23
utslib.start-page	287
utslib.citation.issue	3

Abstract:

OBJECTIVES:Debriefing questions can assess if respondents understand discrete choice experiments (DCEs) and are answering in a way consistent with theories of decision making and utility maximization. Nevertheless, there is limited literature about how often debriefing questions are included or how the results are used in health economics. The aim of this study was to conduct a survey of the frequency, type, and analysis of debriefing questions in health DCEs. METHODS:We conducted an online survey of authors of published health DCEs, asking about their use of debriefing questions, including frequency, type, and analysis. We descriptively analyzed the sample characteristics and responses. Free-text questions were analyzed with qualitative thematic analysis. RESULTS:We received 70 responses (43% response rate), of which 50% reported using debriefing questions. They were most commonly designed to assess difficulty (91%), understanding (49%), and attribute nonattendance (31%) rather than learning effects (3%) or monotonicity (11%). On average, 37% of debriefing questions were analyzed (range, 0% to 69%), and the results were used <50% of the time, usually to exclude respondents or interpret overall results. Researcher experience or confidence with DCEs did not affect their use of debriefing questions. CONCLUSIONS:These results suggest that although half of researchers conducting health DCEs use debriefing questions, many do not analyze, use, or report the responses. Given the additional respondent burden, there is a need for reliable and valid debriefing questions. In the meantime, the inclusion, analysis, and reporting of debriefing questions should be carefully considered before DCE implementation.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/143044