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Maximising health versus sharing: Measuring preferences for the allocation of the health budget

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  • Richardson, Jeff
  • Sinha, Kompal
  • Iezzi, Angelo
  • Maxwell, Aimee

Abstract

Empirical evidence indicates that people consider sharing health resources to be important even in the absence of the attributes usually associated with equity (age, social class, ethnicity, disease severity or geographic location). If government is to take account of these preferences then survey methods are needed which allow their measurement. The present paper presents a new technique for measuring these preferences and reports the results of a representative survey of 626 Australians which employed the technique. The online and postal survey did not include any of the attributes usually associated with equity but was designed to quantify the respective importance of sharing life years (outcome egalitarianism), resource sharing per se and the changing importance of total health as other attributes varied. Results indicate respondents were primarily concerned with outcome egalitarianism, and that cost per life year had a relatively small effect upon their allocative decisions.

Suggested Citation

  • Richardson, Jeff & Sinha, Kompal & Iezzi, Angelo & Maxwell, Aimee, 2012. "Maximising health versus sharing: Measuring preferences for the allocation of the health budget," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(8), pages 1351-1361.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:75:y:2012:i:8:p:1351-1361
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.05.036
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Shah, Koonal K. & Tsuchiya, Aki & Wailoo, Allan J., 2018. "Valuing health at the end of life: A review of stated preference studies in the social sciences literature," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 39-50.
    5. Collewet, Marion & Koster, Paul, 2023. "Preference estimation from point allocation experiments," Journal of choice modelling, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    6. Ariel Beresniak & Antonieta Medina-Lara & Jean Auray & Alain Wever & Jean-Claude Praet & Rosanna Tarricone & Aleksandra Torbica & Danielle Dupont & Michel Lamure & Gerard Duru, 2015. "Validation of the Underlying Assumptions of the Quality-Adjusted Life-Years Outcome: Results from the ECHOUTCOME European Project," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 61-69, January.
    7. Lane, Haylee & Sarkies, Mitchell & Martin, Jennifer & Haines, Terry, 2017. "Equity in healthcare resource allocation decision making: A systematic review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 11-27.
    8. Jeff Richardson & Angelo Iezzi & Gang Chen & Aimee Maxwell, 2017. "Communal Sharing and the Provision of Low-Volume High-Cost Health Services: Results of a Survey," PharmacoEconomics - Open, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 13-23, March.

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