Relationship between utility values and willingness to pay in patients undergoing orthognathic treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To determine utility and willingness to pay (WTP) values for patients undergoing orthognathic treatment in a National Health Service hospital in the United Kingdom and to establish whether WTP values can be used as a measure of strength of preference.


METHODS
Forty patients who were about to start orthognathic treatment were recruited over a 10-month period between January and October 1998.


METHODS
Utility values were obtained using the standard gamble method and WTP values were determined using a payment card method. The relationship between the two was assessed.


RESULTS
The mean utility value was 0.73 and the mean WTP was 6,833 pounds. The correlation between these two measures was -0.46 (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The correlation between the utility and WTP values was in the expected direction thus suggesting that WTP may be used as a measure of strength of preference. Therefore, willingness to pay may be a useful technique to combine with cost utility analysis.
Cunningham
S J
SJ
Orthodontic Department, Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, UK. S.Cunningham@eastman.ucl.ac.uk
Hunt
N P
NP
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years