Health profile preferences of hepatitis C patients.
The side effects of interferon-alpha for chronic hepatitis C are well-known. Patients may differ with respect to their tolerance of these side effects and also with respect to their individual preferences. We administered a brief questionnaire to 67 outpatients with hepatitis C virus infection. Patients were asked to make hypothetical choices between six-month profiles of health. The results were as follows: (1) patients preferred to expedite rather than postpone intervals of poor health; (2) preferences of patients with low quality-of-life were quite similar to preferences of healthier patients; (3) patients' choices satisfied transitivity; (4) patients' choices satisfied preferential independence; and (5) patients gave a variety of reasons for their choices. These results corroborate other investigations of health preferences, and serve to introduce the field of preference elicitation to gastroenterologists.
Treadwell
J R
JR
Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA.
Kearney
D
D
Davila
M
M
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha