Using a discrete choice experiment to estimate societal health state utility values

In this study we explore a novel application of the Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) that resembles the Time Trade Off (TTO) task to estimate values on the health utility scale for the EQ-5D. The DCE is tested in a survey alongside the TTO in respondents largely representative of the Canadian general population. The study finds that the DCE is able to derive logical and consistent values for health states valued on the full health – dead scale. The DCE overcame some issues identified in the version of TTO currently used to value EQ-5D, notably whether to exclude respondents who fail to understand the task and incorporating values considered worse than dead without transformation. This has important implications for providing values that represent the preferences of all respondents.