Medical Decision Making· 2026Q2
Giddy up! Can We Reduce Dropouts in a Discrete-Choice Experiment by Including an Encouraging Message? A Randomised Trial
- 0citations
- Q2SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
An encouraging 'giddy-up' message halfway through discrete-choice experiments (DCEs) did not significantly reduce dropout rates in Australian breast cancer screening (7% dropout) or arm therapy (28% dropout) surveys, though it slightly reduced perceived difficulty and improved understanding in the screening survey.
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Key points
- Dropout rates in DCEs were 7% for breast cancer screening and 28% for arm therapy.
- A 'giddy-up' message did not significantly alter dropout rates in either survey (screening: P=0.35; stroke: P=0.30).
- No significant differences were found in completion time or preference consistency.
- The 'giddy-up' message reduced perceived difficulty (5% vs 2%, P=0.03) and improved understanding (18% vs 12%, P=0.01) in the screening survey.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Background: Discrete-choice experiments (DCEs) are valuable in establishing health preferences. However, their repetitive nature may cause dropouts. Aim: Does an encouraging ‘giddy-up’ message improve completion rates, data quality and respondent experience? Design: Two online DCEs in Australia: 1) breast cancer screening (women aged 40–75 y) and 2) arm therapy (stroke survivors aged >18 y). We randomised participants to see 10 to 12 choice sets continuously or with a social exchange theory–based giddy-up message halfway. Conditional binomial statistics compared dropout rates as our primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included completion time, difficulty and preference consistency. Results: From 867 screening and 333 stroke respondents, the dropout rates were 7% and 28%, respectively. Among those who completed >50% of the choice sets, there was no significant difference in dropout rates between arms (screening: 1.5% control, 0.75% giddy-up, P = 0.35; stroke: 1.7% control, 4.1% giddy-up, P = 0.30). There were no significant differences in secondary outcomes, except in the screening survey, in which the giddy-up reduced difficulty (5% vs 2%, P = 0.03) and improved understanding (18% vs 12%, P = 0.01). Conclusions: A DCE giddy-up message appears to have little impact on completion, although it may make the survey feel easier to complete. Implications: A giddy-up message is unlikely to be useful in online, adult DCEs.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Medical Decision Making, 2026 · DOI ↗
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