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Using Conjoint Analysis and Choice Experiments to Estimate QALY Values

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Abstract

There is increasing interest in using ranking tasks, discrete choice experiments and best-worst scaling studies to estimate QALY values for use in cost-utility analysis. The research frontier in choice modelling is moving rapidly, with a number of issues being explored across several disciplines. These issues include the estimation of discount factors, proper modelling of the variance scale factor and the estimation of individual-level utility functions. Some of these issues are particularly acute when discrete choice tasks are used to facilitate extra-welfarist analyses that rely on populationbased values. There are also potential problems in implementing such tasks that have received little interest in the non-health discrete choice literature because they are specific to the QALY framework. This article details these issues and offers recommendations on the conduct of 21st century QALY valuation exercises that propose to use any tasks that rely on discrete choices.

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Acknowledgements

No sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this article. The author has no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for the Study of Choice (CenSoC), University of Technology, Sydney, Ultimo, PO Box 123, Broadway, New South Wales, 2007, Australia

    Terry N. Flynn

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  1. Terry N. Flynn
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Correspondence to Terry N. Flynn.

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Flynn, T.N. Using Conjoint Analysis and Choice Experiments to Estimate QALY Values. Pharmacoeconomics 28, 711–722 (2010). https://doi.org/10.2165/11535660-000000000-00000

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