We found a continuing trend towards conducting DCEs across a broader range of countries .
However , the trend towards including fewer attributes was reversed , whilst the trend towards interview-based DCEs reversed because of increased computer administration .
The trend towards using more flexible econometric models , including mixed logit and latent class , has also continued .
Reporting of monetary values has fallen compared with earlier periods , but the proportion of studies estimating trade-offs between health outcomes and experience factors , or valuing outcomes in terms of utility scores , has increased , although use of odds ratios and probabilities has declined .
The reassuring trend towards the use of more flexible and appropriate DCE design s and econometric methods has been reinforced by the increased use of qualitative methods to inform DCE processes and results .
However , qualitative research methods are being used less often to inform attribute selection , which may make DCEs more susceptible to omitted variable bias if the decision framework is not known prior to the research project .
Background Discrete choice experiments ( DCEs ) are increasingly used in health economics to address a wide range of health policy-related concerns .
Objective Broadly adopting the methodology of an earlier systematic review of health-related DCEs , which covered the period 2001–2008 , we report whether earlier trends continued during 2009–2012 .
The effect of information on preferences stated in a choice-based conjoint analysis.
OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of a priori information on preferences for treatment elicited in a discrete choice experiment . METHODS A convenience sample of 100 subjects was r and omly split into two groups . The groups received minimal or extensive information on the treatment  of ankle and foot impairment in stroke . Then , they participated in a discrete choice experiment . Possible treatment was described using eight decision criteria with two to four levels each . Part-worth utility coefficients for the criteria levels , criteria importance and overall treatment preference were estimated . It was tested whether the amount of information that was received influenced the outcome of the discrete choice experiment . RESULTS In the extensively informed group fewer reversals in the expected order of part-worth utilities were found . Criteria importance for four of the eight criteria and criteria importance ranking between the minimally and extensively informed subject groups were significantly different . The difference in part-worth utility of the levels had a minor effect on the predicted utility of the available treatments . CONCLUSION The lower number of level rank reversals in the extensively informed subjects indicates a better underst and ing of outcome desirability and thus a better underst and ing of the decision task . The effect of more extensive information on predicted treatment preference was minimal . PRACTICE IMPLICATION S While interpreting the results of a discrete choice experiment , the effect of prior knowledge on the decision problem has to be taken into account . Although information seems to increase the underst and ing of the decision task , outcomes valuation can also be directed by information and more extensive information increases the cognitive burden which is placed on the subjects . Future research should focus on the exact nature and size of the effects and the results of this study should be clinical ly vali date
We found a continuing trend towards conducting DCEs across a broader range of countries .
However , the trend towards including fewer attributes was reversed , whilst the trend towards interview-based DCEs reversed because of increased computer administration .
The trend towards using more flexible econometric models , including mixed logit and latent class , has also continued .
Reporting of monetary values has fallen compared with earlier periods , but the proportion of studies estimating trade-offs between health outcomes and experience factors , or valuing outcomes in terms of utility scores , has increased , although use of odds ratios and probabilities has declined .
The reassuring trend towards the use of more flexible and appropriate DCE design s and econometric methods has been reinforced by the increased use of qualitative methods to inform DCE processes and results .
However , qualitative research methods are being used less often to inform attribute selection , which may make DCEs more susceptible to omitted variable bias if the decision framework is not known prior to the research project .
Background Discrete choice experiments ( DCEs ) are increasingly used in health economics to address a wide range of health policy-related concerns .
Objective Broadly adopting the methodology of an earlier systematic review of health-related DCEs , which covered the period 2001–2008 , we report whether earlier trends continued during 2009–2012 .