title: Novel application of a discrete choice experiment to identify preferences for a national healthcare-associated infection surveillance programme: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: To identify key stakeholder preferences and priorities when considering a national healthcare-associated infection (HAI) surveillance programme through the use of a discrete choice experiment (DCE).
  
  
  
  Australia does not have a national HAI surveillance programme. An online web-based DCE was developed and made available to participants in Australia.
  
  
  
  A sample of 184 purposively selected healthcare workers based on their senior leadership role in infection prevention in Australia.
  
  
  
  A DCE requiring respondents to select 1 HAI surveillance programme over another based on 5 different characteristics (or attributes) in repeated hypothetical scenarios. Data were analysed using a mixed logit model to evaluate preferences and identify the relative importance of each attribute.
  
  
  
  A total of 122 participants completed the survey (response rate 66%) over a 5-week period. Excluding 22 who mismatched a duplicate choice scenario, analysis was conducted on 100 responses. The key findings included: 72% of stakeholders exhibited a preference for a surveillance programme with continuous mandatory core components (mean coefficient 0.640 (p<0.01)), 65% for a standard surveillance protocol where patient-level data are collected on infected and non-infected patients (mean coefficient 0.641 (p<0.01)), and 92% for hospital-level data that are publicly reported on a website and not associated with financial penalties (mean coefficient 1.663 (p<0.01)).
  
  
  
  The use of the DCE has provided a unique insight to key stakeholder priorities when considering a national HAI surveillance programme. The application of a DCE offers a meaningful method to explore and quantify preferences in this setting.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, School of Public Health and Welfare, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Philip L
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3822-0554
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: Flinders Health Economics Group, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Infection Prevention and Healthcare Epidemiology Unit, Monash University, Alfred Health, Prahran, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Allen C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, School of Public Health and Welfare, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.affiliation: Flinders Health Economics Group, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ratcliffe
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, School of Public Health and Welfare, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D009313:National Health Programs; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015397:Program Evaluation
keywords: discrete choice experiment; healthcare associated infection; surveillance