Do women and providers value the same features of contraceptive products? Results of a best-worst stated preference experiment

ABSTRACT

Objectives 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.

Conclusion 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.

Keywords:

• General practitioners
• Women
• Contraception
• Preferences

Declaration of interest: Edith Weisberg has provided expert opinion for MSD and Bayer Healthcare, and has obtained research funding for investigator-initiated research from both companies. Deborah Bateson has provided expert opinion for MSD, Bayer Healthcare and Pfizer as part of her role as Medical Director at Family Planning NSW, and has been supported to attend conferences by MSD and Bayer Healthcare. Family Planning NSW provides Implanon NXT training for MSD and has received an educational grant from Bayer Healthcare to set up an IUD insertion training programme. The authors alone are responsfible for the content and the writing of the paper.