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. 2018 Nov;11(8):408–417.

Table 3.

Choice-Based Conjoint Utilities Importancea

  Medicare beneficiaries Commercially insured patients
Medication attributes and levels Average utility, utils (SD) Average importance score (SD) Average utility, utils (SD) Average importance score (SD)
Route of administrationb
 Oral 65.2 (63.3) 31.1 (14.8) 57.7 (47.0) 23.0 (11.3)
 Self-injection 46.4 (54.7) 18.3 (49.2)
 Infusion –111.6 (81.8) –76.0 (59.5)
Frequency of administration
 Once or twice daily –36.5 (31.1) 12.3 (5.4) –32.0 (36.9) 12.1 (5.2)
 Once weekly 13.8 (19.7) 7.7 (19.9)
 Every other week 14.8 (28.7) 7.3 (24.9)
 Once every 12 weeks 7.9 (34.3) 17.1 (34.3)
Chance of serious infections during 1 year of treatment
 1 of 100 patients –7.8 (18.6) 6.6 (3.2) 0.0 (28.9) 7.6 (4.2)
 2 of 100 patients 6.8 (22.4) 8.3 (25.3)
 3 of 100 patients 1.0 (22.2) –8.3 (20.1)
Cost to Medicare/commercially insured patients
 $80/$50 copay monthly 61.1 (45.1) 19.5 (11.5) 88.6 (63.4) 30.6 (17.1)
 $100/$150 copay monthly 3.3 (21.9) 25.3 (21.4)
 $160/$600 copay monthly –64.4 (51.8) –113.9 (75.5)
Patients achieving clear or almost clear skin
 25 of 100 patients –20.8 (28.5) 8.7 (6.3) –19.7 (21.4) 7.2 (3.5)
 45 of 100 patients 0.2 (20.4) 9.4 (17.2)
 60 of 100 patients 20.6 (31.5) 10.3 (20.3)
Ability to reduce daily joint pain and joint swelling
 40 of 100 patients –24.6 (26.6) 8.5 (5.3) –19.4 (25.1) 9.8 (5.9)
 50 of 100 patients 2.7 (15.7) 11.1 (26.8)
 60 of 100 patients 21.9 (24.4) 8.3 (39.7)
Improvement in the ability to perform daily tasks and activities
 20% improvement –44.2 (29.7) 13.3 (7.3) –28.4 (33.7) 9.7 (8.1)
 45% improvement 44.2 (29.7) 28.4 (33.7)
a

Results based on hierarchical Bayesian model estimates of utilities and importance of attributes and levels. The sum of the average utilities within an attribute is set to equal zero. The relative importance of each attribute is characterized by considering how much difference each attribute could make in the total utility of a drug. That difference is the range in the attribute's utility values. Percentages are calculated from relative ranges, obtaining a set of attribute importance values that add to 100%. The higher the score, the more important the attribute was to the respondents.

b

Among respondents to the Medicare survey, those receiving injection or infusion preferred self-injection, followed by oral and then infusion, whereas those not receiving injection or infusion preferred oral, followed by self-injection and then infusion (P <.01). The differences were not statistically significant for respondents to the commercial insurance survey.

SD indicates standard deviation.