title: Do women and providers value the same features of contraceptive products? Results of a best-worst stated preference experiment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine how women and physicians rate individual characteristics of contraceptives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Discrete choice experiments are used in health economics to elicit preferences for healthcare products. A choice experiment uses hypothetical scenarios to determine which individual factors influence choice. Women and general practitioners (GPs) were shown individual characteristics of contraceptives, not always matching existing methods, and chose the best and worst features.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred women, mean age 36, 71% using contraception, were presented with descriptions of 16 possible methods and asked to indicate their preference for individual characteristics. One hundred and sixty-two GPs, mostly women, also completed 16 descriptions. Longer duration of action was most favoured by both, followed by lighter periods with less pain or amenorrhoea. The least attractive features for women were heavier and more painful periods, high cost, irregular periods, low efficacy (10% failure) and weight gain of 3 kg. GPs ranked a 10% pregnancy rate as least attractive followed by heavy painful periods and a 5% failure rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women and GPs differed in their ranking of contraceptive characteristics. Long duration of use, high efficacy, minimal or no bleeding without pain, were preferred by both. Very undesirable were heavy periods especially with pain, and low efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Sydney Centre for Reproductive Health Research, Family Planning NSW, Ashfield NSW 2131, Australia. edithw@fpnsw.org.au
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weisberg
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bateson
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knox
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: Rosalie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Viney
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Street
authors.forename: Denzil
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fiebig
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003267:Contraception / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003270:Contraceptive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D057240:Patient Preference; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003270:Contraceptive Agents