Discrete-choice experiment reveals distinct preference tradeoffs between wait times, privacy, and costs in abortion seekers, highlighting the need for flexible care models.
Key Points
To quantify tradeoffs individuals accept across abortion care attributes at eight weeks gestation and evaluate latent preference subgroups.
Conducted a discrete-choice experiment with 500 respondents recruited from abortion clinics, websites, and a commercial panel.
Presented eight choice scenarios evaluating abortion type, wait time, travel distance, electronic documentation, and out-of-pocket cost alongside a no-abortion alternative.
Estimated choices using random-parameters logit and latent-class analysis to identify preference heterogeneity.
A total of 80.2% of respondents chose an abortion care option across all choice questions, whereas 18.2% selected the no-abortion option at least once.
Latent-class analysis identified three preference patterns: one group prioritizing avoidance of 4-week wait times and electronic documentation, one group driven by out-of-pocket costs, and a small uninformative group.
Observed respondent characteristics showed no statistically significant association with latent-class membership.