OBJECTIVES: To determine consumer preferences and willingness-to-pay for skin cancer screening services in Australia.

METHODS: During 2016-2017, 113 participants in a randomised controlled trial comparing self-skin examination and mobile teledermoscopy completed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) question set about skin cancer screening services. The DCE question set was comprised of 24 questions, divided into in two blocks. For each question, respondents were asked to make discrete choices between mutually exclusive skin cancer screening services options described by 7 attributes with 2-3 levels. Each question also had 2 opt-out choices; ‘skin self-examination’ and ‘do nothing’. This DCE was designed using the principle of d-efficiency and analysed using a mixed logit model. All variables except cost were effects coded. The model was used to estimate preferences for skin cancer screening services, and measures of interest such as marginal willingness to pay, and uptake of new services.

RESULTS: Diagnostic accuracy was the most important factor for consumers when choosing a skin cancer screening option, closely followed by the number of benign lesions removed to find one melanoma. Consumers preferred having a professional involved in their skin cancer screening, rather than performing a self-examination. Additionally, the model indicated a preference for services that offered shorter waiting time for diagnosis, and minimal time away from usual activities. When selecting a mobile teledermoscopy screening service, consumers were willing to pay an extra AU$43 to have the images reviewed by a dermatologist instead of a general practitioner. Consumers were also willing to pay AU$64 to reduce this time away from usual activities from 3-4 hours down to 1-2 hours.

CONCLUSIONS: Skin cancer screening services which were delivered by health professionals and offered optimal diagnostic accuracy were preferred by consumers. They were willing to pay for their preferred skin cancer screening method, especially if a dermatologist was involved.