Methodological Research
Our methodological research combines several approaches including surveys, field experiments, laboratory experiments, eye-tracking and qualitative research methods to better understand individuals preferences for health and care and how these can be measured using stated preference tasks.
Current Projects
| The effects of online deliberation on altruistic preferences and moral reasoning |
| HERU contact: Mandy Ryan |
| The project is investigating the effect of online deliberation on subjects participating in a discrete choice experiment (DCE). A shift towards more altruistic preferences for charitable donations following online deliberation is explored. We are also investigating the effect of deliberation on the prevalence of self-interested moral reasoning and other-regarding moral reasoning. The combination of online deliberation and DCEs has the potential to broaden the evaluative space of DCEs and presents an exciting opportunity to collect qualitative data on the reasons for participant choices in DCEs. |
| Improving the patient-pharmacist interaction: a new approach to help patients make informed decisions |
| HERU contact: Mandy Ryan |
| The project aims to develop a Decision Aid Tool (DAT) to facilitate shared decision making (SDM) between pharmacists and patients. As patient-facing roles for pharmacists increase there is a need to ensure that patients are well-informed about options, able to evaluate benefits versus risks and integrate these with their values. The study focuses on pharmacy services for chronic pain and the DAT will include multimedia information about chronic pain and a personalised discrete choice experiment (DCE) component. A pilot randomised trial will assess the acceptability of the DAT, recruitment and retention rates, and patient satisfaction with the pharmacist-patient interaction, and test outcome measures. |
| Using eye-tracking to inform the design and analysis of discrete choice experiments |
| HERU contact: Mandy Ryan |
| Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) are widely applied in economics to study choice behaviour. Current research is limited in terms of understanding how individuals process information and make choices. We explore how novel eye-tracking methods can provide insight into decision-making processes underlying choices, as well as the implications for choice data analysis. |
| Using induced experiments to infer decision making strategies in discrete choice experiments |
| HERU contact: Verity Watson |
| This study investigates the decision-making strategies used by respondents when completing a discrete choice experiment (DCE). We address this question using an experimental economics technique: an induced value experiment. Our results indicate that a large proportion of respondents do not make pay-off (utility) maximising choices. We investigate the presence of satisficing behaviour and other non-utility maximising decision rules in both hypothetical and incentivised choices. |