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Background: In designing, adapting, and integrating mental health interventions, it is pertinent to understand patients' needs and their own perceptions and values in receiving care. Conjoint analysis (CA) and discrete choice experiments (DCEs) are survey-based preference-elicitation approaches that, when applied to healthcare settings, offer opportunities to quantify and rank the healthcare-related choices of patients, providers, and other stakeholders. However, a knowledge gap exists in characterizing the extent to which DCEs/CA have been used in designing mental health services for patients and providers.Methods: We performed a scoping review from the past 20 years (2009-2019) to identify and describe applications of conjoint analysis and discrete choice experiments. We searched the following electronic databases: Pubmed, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science to identify stakehold,er preferences for mental health services using Mesh terms. Studies were categorized according to pertaining to patients, providers and parents or caregivers.Results: Among the 30 studies we reviewed, most were published after 2010 (24/30, 80%), the majority were conducted in the United States (11/30, 37%) or Canada (10/30, 33%), and all were conducted in high-income settings. Studies more frequently elicited preferences from patients or potential patients (21/30, 70%) as opposed to providers. About half of the studies used CA while the others utilized DCEs. Nearly half of the studies sought preferences for mental health services in general (14/30, 47%) while a quarter specifically evaluated preferences for unipolar depression services (8/30, 27%). Most of the studies sought stakeholder preferences for attributes of mental health care and treatment services (17/30, 57%).Conclusions: Overall, preference elicitation approaches have been increasingly applied to mental health services globally in the past 20 years. To date, these methods have been exclusively applied to populations within the field of mental health in high-income countries. Prioritizing patients' needs and preferences is a vital component of patient-centered care - one of the six domains of health care quality. Identifying patient preferences for mental health services may improve quality of care and, ultimately, increase acceptability and uptake of services among patients. Rigorous preference-elicitation approaches should be considered, especially in settings where mental health resources are scarce, to illuminate resource allocation toward preferred service characteristics especially within low-income settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To quantify the individual influences of antimicrobial cost, method of administration and drug importance in human medicine on dog‐owner antimicrobial preference, and determine knowledge, attitudes and influencers of dog‐owners surrounding antimicrobials and antimicrobial stewardship. Materials and Methods: Data were collected through an online survey targeting three dog‐owner participant groups. These consisted of individuals residing in: (1) Canada, (2) USA and (3) any country recruited through an educational social media site. USA and Canadian participants were financially compensated. Conjoint analysis was used to quantify the influence of antimicrobial cost, method of administration and drug importance in human medicine. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used for data evaluation. Results: A total of 809 surveys were completed. Antimicrobial cost accounted for 47% of dog‐owner preferences, followed by method of administration (31%) and drug importance in human medicine (22%). All groups preferred lower cost drugs that were administered once by injection. Participants were more likely to prefer drugs considered "very important" in human medicine, except for the social media participants, who preferred drugs that were "not at all important." Most respondents (86%) reported antimicrobial resistance as important in human medicine and 29% believed antimicrobial use in pets posed a risk for antimicrobial resistance in humans. Participants recruited through social media, and those in the highest education category, were significantly more likely to report antimicrobial use in pets as a risk to people. Clinical Significance: Cost was the most important factor in dog‐owner antimicrobial preferences. There is a need for dog‐owner antimicrobial stewardship education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Recently, alternative grains (millet, quinoa, sorghum) have been used to produce several food products common to North Americans. The objective of this study was to identify the attributes that drive consumers liking of alternative grains. A literature review and two focus groups were conducted. Four attributes were identified as being important to consumers when purchasing alternative grains. These attributes included grains, product type, flavour and claims. A choice‐ based conjoint analysis survey was created and administered to 346 individuals who live in Atlantic Canada. Product type and flavour were the most important attributes to consumers. Sweet and nutty flavours, products made from quinoa, or products with claims indicating they were a source of fibre, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes or reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, had a positive effect on consumer liking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The primary aims of this study were to determine preferences of North American cat owners when they are prescribed an antimicrobial for their cat with regard to cost, method of administration and the importance of antibiotics for treating infections in people, and to establish baseline knowledge, attitudes and influencers of cat owners on antimicrobial resistance and stewardship., Methods: An online questionnaire was used for data collection from two cat-owner groups: US cat owners and Canadian cat owners. Participants were queried on antimicrobial resistance and stewardship, and their preferences for their own cat when prescribed an antimicrobial, with respect to cost, method of drug administration and the importance of a drug for treating infections in people. Responses were evaluated through conjoint analysis and Likert-type questions. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytic statistics., Results: A total of 630 complete responses were included in the final analysis. Cost (37%) and method of administration (38%) were of similar participant preference when assessed using conjoint analysis. The importance of a drug for treating infections in people was lower priority (21%). The majority of cat owners preferred an antimicrobial that was 'very important' in treating human infections. A low proportion (21%) of participants responded that antimicrobial use in pets posed a risk to humans. Participants with a university education were more likely to respond that antimicrobial use in pets was a concern for people (31%; P <0.001)., Conclusions and Relevance: Cat owners prioritize antimicrobial cost and method of administration equally. Few cat owners recognized the human antimicrobial resistance risks associated with antimicrobial use in pets.

ABSTRACT Aim To model variables influencing the dissemination of evidence-based practices to addiction service providers and administrators. Design A discrete-choice conjoint experiment. We systematically varied combinations of 16 dissemination variables that might influence the adoption of evidence-based practices. Participants chose between sets of variables. Setting Canadian agencies ( n = 333) providing addiction services to women. Participants Service providers and administrators ( n = 1379). Measurements We estimated the relative importance and optimal level of each dissemination variable. We used latent class analysis to identify subsets of participants with different preferences and simulated the conditions under which participants would use more demanding professional development options. Findings Three subsets of participants were identified: outcome-sensitive (52%), process-sensitive (29.6%) and demand-sensitive (18.2%). Across all participants, the number of clients who were expected to benefit from an evidence-based practice exerted the most influence on dissemination choices. If a practice was seen as feasible, co-worker and administrative support influenced decisions. Client benefits were most important to outcome-sensitive participants; type of dissemination process (e.g. active versus passive learning) was more important to process-sensitive participants. Brief options with little follow-up were preferred by demand-sensitive participants. Simulations predicted that initiatives selected and endorsed by government funders would reduce participation. Conclusions Clinicians and administrators are more likely to adopt evidence-based addiction practices if the practice is seen as helpful to clients, and if it is supported by co-workers and program administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbalists, fiber artists, and herb growers are increasingly interested in growing, marketing, and using local plants as natural dyes. As the market in the United States and Canada develops, fiber art and quilting stores are the primary retail market outlets for natural dye plants and dye plant products. Conjoint analysis was used to evaluate U.S. and Canadian retailer interest in natural dye plants/dye plant products and to estimate market shares. The largest retail market share was for dyed materials, such as yarn or fabric, that are dyed in primary colors, using certified organic plants, and grown on farms in the United States or Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lucas critique has exposed the problem of the trade-off between changes in monetary policy and structural breaks in economic time series. The search for and characterization of such breaks has been a major econometric task ever since. We have developed an integral technique similar to CUSUM using an empirical model quantitatively linking the rate of inflation and unemployment to the change in the level of labour force in Canada. Inherently, our model belongs to the class of Phillips curve models, and the link between the involved variables is a linear one with all coefficients of individual and generalized models obtained by empirical calibration. To achieve the best LSQ fit between measured and predicted time series cumulative curves are used as a simplified version of the 1-D boundary elements (integral) method. The distance between the cumulative curves (in L² metrics) is very sensitive to structural breaks since it accumulates true differences and suppresses uncorrelated noise and systematic errors. Our previous model of inflation and unemployment in Canada is enhanced by the introduction of structural breaks and is validated by new data in the past and future. The most exiting finding is that the introduction of inflation targeting as a new monetary policy in 1991 resulted in a structural break manifested in a lowered rate of price inflation accompanied by a substantial fall in the rate of unemployment. Therefore, the new monetary policy in Canada is a win-win one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to assess the relative importance of different drivers of happiness and their impact in the subjective well being of individuals. It tries to measures factors and conditions that make people report a higher level of happiness. Also, the paper tries to identify how cultural and contextual elements can influence perception of happiness. In order to do this we use conjoint analysis considering as independent variables; level of income, labor stability, security, social networks and level of education for Chile and Canada. The finding suggest that for the case of Chile, Income and job stability are both factor almost equally important to explain a given level of happiness. In the case of Canada income is the most important factor followed by job stability with about half the importance of income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the new trend for local and organic produce has transformed the landscape of fruit and vegetable purchasing. To this effect, "local" and "organic" logos have become the norm in many retail outlets. To examine the effects of different "local" and "organic" logos on Canadian consumers, a consumer survey was used to identify preferences for various external attributes and to identify consumer segments within the buyers of both local and organic purchasers. Our results indicate that the "Foodland Ontario" logo has the largest effect on likelihood of purchase and also increases willingness to pay within the overall sample. Furthermore, there are gender, region, and income differences associated with the likelihood of purchase and willingness to pay given various logos. Through this study, three consumer segments were identified, "Confident in Produce Produced in Ontario," "In Organic We Trust," and "Socially Responsible Locavores," each of which has their own preferences for external characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key challenge of ecosystem management is determining how to manage multiple ecosystem services across landscape. Enhancing important provisioning ecosystem services, such as food and timber, often leads to tradeoffs between regulating and cultural ecosystem services, such as nutrient cycling, flood protection, and tourism. We developed a framework for analyzing the provision of multiple eco-system services across landscapes and present an empirical demonstration of ecosystem service bundles, sets of services that appear together repeatedly. Ecosystem service bundles were identified by analyzing the spatial patterns of 12 ecosystem services in a mixed-use landscape consisting of 137 municipalities in Quebec, Canada. We identified six types of ecosystem service bundles and were able to link these bundles to areas on the landscape characterized by distinct social-ecological dynamics. Our results show landscape- scale tradeoffs between provisioning and almost all regulating and culturalecosystem services, and they show that a greater diversity of ecosystem services is positively correlated with the provision of regulating ecosystem services. Ecosystem service-bundle analysis can identify areas on a landscape where ecosystem management has produced exceptionally desirable or undesirable sets of ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Harmonization of technical standards is often advocated as a means to remove technical barriers that reduce the welfare gains available from international trade. Organic standards are not currently harmonized internationally. If domestic organic standards reflect consumer tastes, and consumers have strong preferences for those standards, then harmonization to a common standard may reduce the benefits consumers receive from organic products. Through a consumer survey, conjoint analysis was used to explore the preferences of consumers in the US, the UK and Canada for organic food. The results suggest that consumers in the three countries do not have a strong attachment to the current national organic standards and that international harmonization may be a legitimate food policy goal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We attempt to quantify and qualify the preferences of consumers for beef with a number of environmental and food quality attributes. Our goal is to evaluate the viability of a proposed food co-operative based in the Wood River watershed of southern Saskatchewan, Canada. The food co-operative was designed to provide a price premium to producers who adopted alternative management practices. In addition, the study evaluated the acceptance of a proposed food co-operative by consumer that had environmental interests as compared to the general population. Conjoint analysis was used to determine the trade-off and relative value of beef with the following production and purchasing characteristics: (a) use of hormones, antibiotics and vaccination in production; (b) method of obtaining the beef including monthly or yearly purchase contracts or a local market; (c) price relative to beef purchased from the local grocery store; and (d) impact on the river ecosystem. Consumers from environmental groups had stronger environmental and food quality preferences than individuals from the general population. However, consumers from both groups expressed a willingness to pay higher prices for food that had these attributes. It was uncertain whether the magnitude of the premium, in combination with a desire not to enter a long-term purchasing commitment, would be large enough to encourage farmers to adopt the alternative management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health technology assessment (HTA) has received increasing support over the past twenty years in both North America and Europe. The justification for this field of policy-oriented research is that evidence about the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of technology should contribute to decision and policy making. However, concerns about the ability of HTA producers to increase the use of their findings by decision makers have been expressed. Although HTA practitioners have recognized that dissemination activities need to be intensified, why and how particular approaches should be adopted is still under debate. Using an institutional theory perspective, this article examines HTA as a means of implementing knowledge-based change within health care systems. It presents the results of a case study on the dissemination strategies of six Canadian HTA agencies. Chief executive officers and executives (n = 11), evaluators (n = 19), and communications staff (n = 10) from these agencies were interviewed. Our results indicate that the target audience of HTA is frequently limited to policy makers, that three conflicting visions of HTA dissemination coexist, that active dissemination strategies have only occasionally been applied, and that little attention has been paid to the management of diverging views about the value of health technology. Our discussion explores the strengths, limitations, and trade-offs associated with the three visions. Further efforts should be deployed within agencies to better articulate a shared vision and to devise dissemination strategies that are consistent with this vision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bison herds in western Canada have grown rapidly as producers seek to diversify their farm enterprises. Much of this growth, however, has been driven by high prices for breeding stock. Markets for bison meat have begun to emerge, and growth in these markets is essential for the long-run sustainability of the industry. However, very little information exists regarding potential bison consumers and their attitudes toward bison products. Using conjoint analysis, a survey of consumers in western Canada was used to gather information on consumer preferences for bison. Hypothetical bison products were described in terms of different levels of four attributes: price, fat content, tenderness and convenience to cook. Price emerged as the most important of the variables; however, there was evidence that some consumers would be willing to trade off higher prices for increased tenderness and lower fat content. Cluster analysis revealed distinct consumer segments with different preference structures, pointing to potential product differentiation strategies for the bison industry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The emergence, on the markets, of new technologies evokes, for the potential users, a lot of questions concerning the implementation and operation costs associated with these technologies. Nevertheless, for a lot of users, costs should be considered with the benefits these technologies are able to generate. The benefit-cost analysis is a useful tool for a financial evaluation of the transferability of the technology. This method has been selected to evaluate the eventual implementation of remote sensing technologies for snow cover measurements in the La Grande river basin (Québec, Canada). Indeed, a better assessment of the snow water equivalent leads to a better forecasting of the water inputs due to the snowmelt. Thus, the improvement of the snow cover monitoring has direct impact on hydroelectric reservoir management. The benefit-cost analysis was used to compare three acquisition modes of the satellite Radarsat 1 (ScanSAR, Wide and Standard). The costs considered for this project are: R & D costs and operations costs (the purchase of images and costs of gound truth measurements). We evaluated the raw benefits on the basis of reducing the standard deviation of predicted inflows. The results shows that the ScanSAR mode is the primary remote sensing tool for the monitoring of the snow cover, on an operational basis. With this acquisition mode, the benefit-cost ratios range between 2.3:1 and 3.9: 1, using a conservative 4% reduction of the standard deviation. Even if the reduction is only 3%, ScanSAR remains profitable. Due to the large number of images needed to cover all the territory, the Standard and Wide modes are penalized by the purchase and the processing costs of the data and with delays associated to the processing. Nevertheless, with these two modes, it could be possible to work with a partial coverage of the watershed, 75% being covered in 4 days in Wide mode. The estimated B/C ratios (1.5:1 et 2:1)confirm the advantages of this alte... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contrasts divergent attitudes toward tax competition and tax harmonization in Australia, Canada, and the United States. Despite strong arguments on each side, competition and harmonization are not necessarily conflicting goals except at the extremes. The most troublesome issue is the tradeoff between promoting efficiency in the public sector and in the private sector. Due to the difficulty of measuring and comparing efficiency in both sectors, this issue is not likely to be resolved objectively. However, tax-base harmonization appears to be the best compromise in pursuing both goals. Some fundamental problems remain regardless of the policy direction taken, including limiting "micro-level" competition and addressing environmental and redistributive concerns in regional and local arenas. Improved intergovernmental cooperation and experimentation are viewed as the key to resolving these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canadian Angus Association recently developed genetic evaluations for teat and udder structure, which impact efficiencies, and animal health and welfare. Genetic selection tools are most effective incorporated into economic selection indexes. An important factor in the development of economic indexes is the estimation of the economic value and discounted gene expression coefficients, and thereby the economic weight, of each trait. Traditional estimation methods, interrogation of previous studies quantifying the impact of the traits and bioeconomic modelling, were reinforced using producer surveys that employed pairwise ranking methods. Estimates of discounted genetic expression coefficients, economic value and economic weight for teat and udder score in Canadian Angus cattle were 0.31 per sire, $52.47, and $16.91 per score change on a per calf born basis, respectively, indicating that functional traits such as teat and udder structure have a significant impact on profitability and should be included in genetic selection programmes. Limitations in previous studies illustrate the need for longitudinal studies on traits that impact efficiencies and animal health and welfare., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aim: This discrete choice experiment aimed to assess patients' preferences for treatment attributes in multiple sclerosis (MS). Patients & methods: Patients with relapsing-remitting MS completed an online survey assessing treatment preferences. Descriptive statistical analysis and discrete choice hierarchical Bayesian modeling were performed. Results: Across the overall sample (n = 485), dosing regimen, efficacy and safety were equally important. Within the whole sample, and among those diagnosed <10 years ago, intravenous infusion ≤3 times/year was the preferred dosing regimen; among patients diagnosed ≥10 years ago it was preferred equally to oral treatments. Patients were more willing to accept frequent but mild over rare but severe side effects. Conclusion: Several factors influence patient preferences for MS treatments and must be considered in patient-centered care.