What criteria guide national entrepreneurs’ policy decisions on user fee removal for maternal health care services? Use of a best–worst scaling choice experiment in West Africa

Torbica, Aleksandra; Allegri, Manuela De; Belemsaga, Danielle Yugbaré; Medina-Lara, Antonieta; Ridde, Valéry

doi:10.1177/1355819614533519

Cited by 15 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…(2) [41]Netherlands201415535NR6100014 Torbica et al. [42]West Africa20148911116101114 van Til et al. [43]Netherlands, Canada20141514124110103 Yuan et al.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Best–Worst Scaling to Investigate Preferences in Health Care

et al. 2016

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IntroductionBest–worst scaling (BWS) is becoming increasingly popular to elicit preferences in health care. However, little is known about current practice and trends in the use of BWS in health care. This study aimed to identify, review and critically appraise BWS in health care, and to identify trends over time in key aspects of BWS.MethodsA systematic review was conducted, using Medline (via Pubmed) and EMBASE to identify all English-language BWS studies published up until April 2016. Using a predefined extraction form, two reviewers independently selected articles and critically appraised the study quality, using the Purpose, Respondents, Explanation, Findings, Significance (PREFS) checklist. Trends over time periods (≤2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015) were assessed further.ResultsA total of 62 BWS studies were identified, of which 26 were BWS object case studies, 29 were BWS profile case studies and seven were BWS multi-profile case studies. About two thirds of the studies were performed in the last 2 years. Decreasing sample sizes and decreasing numbers of factors in BWS object case studies, as well as use of less complicated analytical methods, were observed in recent studies. The quality of the BWS studies was generally acceptable according to the PREFS checklist, except that most studies did not indicate whether the responders were similar to the non-responders.ConclusionUse of BWS object case and BWS profile case has drastically increased in health care, especially in the last 2 years. In contrast with previous discrete-choice experiment reviews, there is increasing use of less sophisticated analytical methods.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s40273-016-0429-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…(2) [41]Netherlands201415535NR6100014 Torbica et al. [42]West Africa20148911116101114 van Til et al. [43]Netherlands, Canada20141514124110103 Yuan et al.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Best–Worst Scaling to Investigate Preferences in Health Care

et al. 2016

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“…Among these was the fact that during the pre-testing and subsequent administration of the survey questionnaire, respondents from both the health and non-health sectors were mainly technical staff, involved in providing policy advice, but not necessarily in making the final policy decisions themselves. A similar situation where interviews have not included political figures like ministers and presidents, who are sometimes the ones who directly make policy in certain African countries, has recently been described in a study investigating factors influencing health policy entrepreneurs in West Africa [ 29 ]. Nevertheless, the West African study importantly noted that the inputs of government officials who are charged with giving technical advice significantly influence the final decision-making.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing malaria control policy-making in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania

Mutero

Kramer

Paul

et al. 2014

Malar J

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BackgroundPolicy decisions for malaria control are often difficult to make as decision-makers have to carefully consider an array of options and respond to the needs of a large number of stakeholders. This study assessed the factors and specific objectives that influence malaria control policy decisions, as a crucial first step towards developing an inclusive malaria decision analysis support tool (MDAST).MethodsCountry-specific stakeholder engagement activities using structured questionnaires were carried out in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The survey respondents were drawn from a non-random purposeful sample of stakeholders, targeting individuals in ministries and non-governmental organizations whose policy decisions and actions are likely to have an impact on the status of malaria. Summary statistics across the three countries are presented in aggregate.ResultsImportant findings aggregated across countries included a belief that donor preferences and agendas were exerting too much influence on malaria policies in the countries. Respondents on average also thought that some relevant objectives such as engaging members of parliament by the agency responsible for malaria control in a particular country were not being given enough consideration in malaria decision-making. Factors found to influence decisions regarding specific malaria control strategies included donor agendas, costs, effectiveness of interventions, health and environmental impacts, compliance and/acceptance, financial sustainability, and vector resistance to insecticides.ConclusionMalaria control decision-makers in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania take into account health and environmental impacts as well as cost implications of different intervention strategies. Further engagement of government legislators and other policy makers is needed in order to increase funding from domestic sources, reduce donor dependence, sustain interventions and consolidate current gains in malaria.

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“…BWS was further categorised into three types according to the nature of objects: the object item (case 1), the attribute item or profile case (case 2), and the multi-profile case (case 3) [ 14 ]. Since 2005, Best-Worst Scaling has gradually become more popular in health economics and health policy decision making because the formal mathematical proof of the Best-Worst probabilistic model underpinning the method was published at that time [ 15 , 16 ]. In this study, we have conducted a case 1 BWS to measure how graduating medical students in China assess the value of medical specialties.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The specialty choice of medical students in China: a stated preference experiment

Tang

2016

BMC Med Educ

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BackgroundPrimary Care Providers (PCPs), such as internists and general practitioners, have been deemed a way of delivering cost-effective care in an equitable way because PCPs are responsible for providing accessible basic medical care for the general population. This study aims to examine medical students’ preferences for PCP-based specialty choices in the context of an ageing population in China.MethodsWe implemented a Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) experiment, a recently developed preference elicitation method based on random utility theory. Three hundred and fifty graduating medical students from three medical colleges were randomly recruited to evaluate 11 common medical specialties in China. A counting approach, a conditional logit model, and K-means clustering have been used to analyse the relative importance of items and preference heterogeneity among medical students.ResultsOne hundred and ninety of 350 students completed valid questionnaires. General surgery was identified as the most preferred specialty among the overall sample, yet internal medicine shares the same importance as surgery. Both geriatric medicine and psychiatric medicine were found to be the least selected specialties. Finally, the K-means clustering further suggested there was preference heterogeneity across our sample.ConclusionsTwo aims were fulfilled in this study. First, through our experimental approach the results provide a better understanding of the career desires of medical students in China. Second, the results of this study indicate that despite the fact a non-PCP-based specialty is the most popular among the sampled students; a PCP-based specialty is still an important alternative choice.

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What criteria guide national entrepreneurs’ policy decisions on user fee removal for maternal health care services? Use of a best–worst scaling choice experiment in West Africa

Abstract: It is feasible to apply BWS experiments in low-income countries, although whether the technique can be adjusted to elicit preferences among non-literate respondents in these settings is unclear.

Cited by 15 publications

References 25 publications

Using Best–Worst Scaling to Investigate Preferences in Health Care

Using Best–Worst Scaling to Investigate Preferences in Health Care

Factors influencing malaria control policy-making in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania

The specialty choice of medical students in China: a stated preference experiment

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