Patients’ Preferences for Antiretroviral Therapy Service in Northwest Ethiopia: A Discrete Choice Experiment

Abstract

Objective. We aim to evaluate patients’ preferences for antiretroviral therapy (ART) to enhance shared decision making in clinical practice in Northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A discrete choice experiment approach was used among adult patients from 36 randomly selected public health facilities from February 6, 2023, to March 29, 2023. A literature review, qualitative work, ranking and rating surveys, and expert consultation were used to identify the attributes. Location, provider, frequency of visit, appointment modality, refill time, and cost of visit were the 6 ART service features chosen. Participants were given the option of choosing between 2 hypothetical differentiated ART delivery models. Mixed logit and latent class analysis were used. Results: Four hundred fifty-six patients completed the choice task. Respondents preferred to receive ART refills alone at health facilities by health care workers without having to have frequent visits and with reduced cost of visit. Overall, the participants valued the cost of the visit the most while they valued the timing of ART refill the least. Participants were willing to pay only for the attributes of frequency of visit and medication refill time. The latent class model with 3 classes provided the best model fit. Location, cost, and frequency were the most important attributes in class 1, class 2, and class 3, respectively. Income and marital status significantly predicted class membership. Conclusions. Respondents preferred to receive refills at health facilities, less frequent visits, individual appointments, service provision by health care workers, and reduced cost of visit. The cost attribute had the greatest impact on the choice of patients. Health care workers should consider the preferences of patients while providing ART services to meet patients’ expectations and choices. Highlights A discrete choice experiment was used to elicit patient preferences. People living with HIV preferred receiving medication refills at health facilities, less frequent visits, individual appointments, service delivery by health care workers, and lower visit costs. Health care workers should consider the preferences of patients while providing ART service to meet their expectations and choices. Scaling up differentiated HIV treatment services is crucial for patient-centered care.