Biomedical subjects

M van der Pol

Publications and source records attributed to M van der Pol.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Estimating time preferences for health using discrete choice experiments.

This study is the first to use discrete choice experiments to elicit inter-temporal preferences for health. Inter-temporal preferences with respect to one's own future health are compared with inter-temporal preferences with respect to others' future health. Discrete choice experiments are used to measure the relative importance of the duration of ill-health and how far in the future the ill-health occurs. Data were collected by postal questionnaire in the UK. The median implied rates of discount range from 0.055 to 0.091 for own health, depending on the period of delay, and from 0.078 to 0.147 for others' health. The implied discount rate varies with respect to age, self-rated health, and version of the questionnaire. The implied discount rates are broadly comparable with other published estimates using closed-ended methods. One concern is the large percentage of respondents with dominant preferences. This issue needs to be explored before adopting the approach of discrete choice experiments to elicit inter-temporal preferences.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Assessing the resource implications of extending routine invitation to breast screening to women aged 65-67 years.

UK breast screening policy currently restricts routine 3-yearly invitation to screening to 50-64 year olds. However, it is likely that routine invitation will be extended to 65-67 year olds in 2001. This paper first predicts the additional demand for breast screening as a result of this new policy by modelling the response to the 1998 invitation of women eligible for screening in 2001. The independent variables include (i) the woman's characteristics: her screening history; the deprivation score of the area she lives in; and (ii) the characteristics of the screening: whether the screening took place in a mobile van or at a static site; and time of the year. The modelling of attendance is quite successful in that most hypothesised variables have the expected sign. It is estimated that an additional 10829 women will be screened per annum. The additional invitation, screening and assessment costs are expected to be approximately pound350000 in 2001.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2000

The efficient organization of blood donation: what determines the number of donors and donations?

This study investigates the influence of socio-economic characteristics on the number of donors in geographical areas in the North of Scotland as well as the influence of panel-specific characteristics on the number of donations obtained from each panel in the North of Scotland. Econometric models are applied to establish the relationship between these variables. The main findings were that there was no scope for identifying new areas in which to locate new panels or extend the activities of existing panels because the number of donors in an area was closely correlated with population. There was therefore little scope for recruitment of donors by focusing on any particular area. It was found that annual donations per panel are significantly influenced by the number of donors invited, the number of opportunities to donate and the average length of sessions. Combined with cost information, increasing the length of the session appears to be the most cost-effective means of collecting higher volumes.

Blood Banks↗

PubMed1998

Establishing patient preferences for blood transfusion support: an application of conjoint analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a method of determining the relative importance of waiting time and location of care for patients with haematological disorders requiring red cell transfusion. Such information is particularly relevant when evaluating interventions that affect patient well-being (e.g. by changing waiting time and location) but do not affect health outcomes. METHODS: Conjoint analysis is used to assess the relative importance of waiting time and location with respect to pre-transfusion testing and red cell transfusion. Compensation is also included as an attribute in order to estimate the monetary value of changes in waiting time and location. RESULTS: Waiting time and location are important attributes in the provision of pre-transfusion testing and red cell transfusion. Compensation is not an important attribute. On average patients are willing to wait an additional 45 minutes in order to have pre-transfusion testing in their own home and an additional 35 minutes in order to receive red cell transfusions in their preferred location. CONCLUSION: The relative importance of waiting time and location of care was established. However, it was not possible to assign monetary values since compensation was not an important attribute for these respondents. The paper highlights the scope for using conjoint analysis to analyse the non-health benefits that may result from changes in the delivery of care.

Appointments and Schedules↗

PubMed1997

Constant and decreasing timing aversion for saving lives.

The traditional model of time preferences employed by economists is characterised by constant timing aversion. The available evidence suggests that this is not an appropriate assumption. This paper examines evidence for constant and decreasing timing aversion with respect to saving lives. Three discounting models are considered: the constant discounting model; the proportional discounting model; and the hyperbolic discounting model. Data collected from the general public are used to test the constant timing aversion model. Overall, the findings suggest that there is substantial evidence for decreasing timing aversion and against the constant timing aversion hypothesis.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Feasibility of mobile provision of health services: a study of child monitoring centres in The Netherlands.

In the Netherlands children up to the age of 4 years are regularly monitored. Several demographic and economic developments have led to the idea of using mobile child monitoring centres. Mobile units are expected to be flexible, effective and efficient but little information is available about the implications for the organization, the clients and other third parties involved. This paper outlines an approach for assessing the feasibility of mobile child monitoring centres. The focus is on the area Midden-Gelderland in the Netherlands and the implications of alternative options are compared on the basis of feasibility criteria or performance measures. The implementation of mobile units for child monitoring appears to be feasible with respect to most performance measures but there are also disadvantages. The approach taken proved to be a valuable exercise since it provided detailed information on all implications. It was decided that the mobile units would not be purchased but that some child monitoring centres could be closed without replacing them.

Benchmarking↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Do people value their own future health differently from others' future health?

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether time preferences for own health are the same as time preferences for others' health. A random sample of the general public was sent a postal questionnaire containing six choices between ill health in the near future and ill health in the further future. They were asked to indicate the maximum duration of more distant ill health they would be willing to accept in return for a specified delay in the onset of the period of ill health. For half of the sample the questions were set in the context of their own health and for the other half in terms of others' health. The median implied discount rates were not statistically different, 0.061 for own health and 0.062 for others' health. A multilevel analysis of the determinants of these implied discount rates provided additional evidence of the similarity of time preferences for own health and others' health.

Adult↗