Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Mammography Screening Services Among Working-Age Urban Women in Thailand
Author(s)
Onanong Waleekhachonloet, Ph.D.1, Surachai Sittibodin, Ph.D. candidate2, Thananan Rattanachotphanit, Ph.D.1, Supon Limwattananon, Ph.D.3, Chulaporn Limwattananon, Ph.D.4.
1Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham, Thailand, 2Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham, Thailand, 3International Health Policy Foundation, Bangkok, Thailand, 4Independent researcher, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
1Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham, Thailand, 2Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham, Thailand, 3International Health Policy Foundation, Bangkok, Thailand, 4Independent researcher, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
OBJECTIVES: Early detection of breast cancer through mammography screening is crucial for reducing disease burden. However, it is not included in the standard benefit package under Thailand’s universal health coverage scheme for the general female population. This study aims to assess the preferences and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for mammography screening services among urban women aged 40-59 years in Thailand.
METHODS: A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted using stratified random sampling across four regions in Thailand. The DCE questionnaire was designed with four key attributes including waiting time, traveling time, service hours, and screening cost. Each participant responded to eight choice sets, each presenting two hypothetical screening options (Option A vs. Option B) alongside a no-screening alternative. A mixed logit model was applied to estimate attribute preferences and WTP values
RESULTS: A total of 168 women participated in the study. Participants demonstrated statistically significant positive preferences (p < 0.001) for a shorter waiting time of two weeks (β 0.694), travel time of less than three hours (β 0.347), and extended service hours (β 0.647). On the other hand, a statistically significant negative preference was observed for screening cost (β -0.0011). Relative importance calculations indicated that screening cost was the most influential attribute (57.0%), followed by waiting time (17.7%), service hours (16.5%), and travel time (8.8%). The participants were willing to pay an additional US$17.6 for reducing waiting time to two weeks, US$16.4 for extended-hour services, and US$8.8 for decreasing traveling time to less than three hours.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight that cost is the most critical factor influencing women's preferences for mammography screening. These insights can inform policymakers in designing mammography screening programs that align with women's willingness to pay out-of-pocket.
METHODS: A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted using stratified random sampling across four regions in Thailand. The DCE questionnaire was designed with four key attributes including waiting time, traveling time, service hours, and screening cost. Each participant responded to eight choice sets, each presenting two hypothetical screening options (Option A vs. Option B) alongside a no-screening alternative. A mixed logit model was applied to estimate attribute preferences and WTP values
RESULTS: A total of 168 women participated in the study. Participants demonstrated statistically significant positive preferences (p < 0.001) for a shorter waiting time of two weeks (β 0.694), travel time of less than three hours (β 0.347), and extended service hours (β 0.647). On the other hand, a statistically significant negative preference was observed for screening cost (β -0.0011). Relative importance calculations indicated that screening cost was the most influential attribute (57.0%), followed by waiting time (17.7%), service hours (16.5%), and travel time (8.8%). The participants were willing to pay an additional US$17.6 for reducing waiting time to two weeks, US$16.4 for extended-hour services, and US$8.8 for decreasing traveling time to less than three hours.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight that cost is the most critical factor influencing women's preferences for mammography screening. These insights can inform policymakers in designing mammography screening programs that align with women's willingness to pay out-of-pocket.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-09, ISPOR Real-World Evidence Summit 2025, Tokyo, Japan
Value in Health Regional, Volume 49S (September 2025)
Code
RWD154
Topic Subcategory
Reproducibility & Replicability
Disease
SDC: Oncology