Using discrete choice experiments to value health care programmes: current practice and future research reflections

There has been growing interest in discrete choice experiments (DCEs) in health economics over the last few years. This paper identifies and describes applications conducted during 1990-2000. From this basis some important areas for future research are reflected upon. These include: having a better understanding of how respondents interpret price, risk and time attributes; strengthening designs and analysis; investigating decision making heuristics employed when completing DCEs, and the extent these are related to the complexity of the task, external validity, reliability and generalisability. Collaborative work with statistical design experts, psychologists, sociologists and qualitative researchers will prove useful when investigating these issues. It is also critical to link, more generally, the research agenda to work being carried out in marketing, transport and environmental economics and health economics benefit assessment.