Preferences for digital health services among patients with chronic kidney disease: a discrete choice experiment
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Nephrology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University , , ,
- 2Department of Nephrology, Meishan People's Hospital , , ,
- 3Department of Nephrology, Nanchong Gaoping District People's Hospital , , ,
- 4Department of Nephrology, University-Town Hospital of Chongqing Medical University , ,
- 5Department of Nephrology, Xinjiang Medical University Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital , ,
Abstract
Background: Digital health technologies offer novel approaches for chronic kidney disease management. However, quantitative evidence on patient preferences for digital health services remains limited. There is a critical need for more evidence on the sustainability and optimization of chronic kidney disease management in China, especially from the demand side. Policymakers require detailed data on the needs of chronic kidney disease patients regarding digital health services.
Methods: A discrete choice experiment was conducted to measure the preferences of people with chronic kidney disease. Participants were recruited face-to-face in Sichuan Province, China, and completed an anonymous electronic questionnaire on-site. The mixed logit model evaluated participants’ preferences for six attributes, estimating willingness to pay and relative importance, and performing subgroup analysis based on the initial model results.
Results: A total of 322 patients completed the questionnaire (mean age 49.8 years; 55.3% female). Out-of-pocket cost was the most influential attribute (relative importance 50.8%), followed by healthcare provider type (17.2%) and consultation frequency (10.0%). Patients preferred the combination of an attending nephrologist and a clinical nurse specialist (coefficient = 0.716; 95% CI, 0.510–0.921) and a higher consultation frequency (coefficient for five consultations per month = 0.414; 95% CI, 0.208–0.620). Willingness to pay for the combined provider team was 52.99 yuan. Exploratory subgroup analyses suggested possible differences in preferences by sex, age, disease duration, and comorbidity type, but most formal between-group comparisons were not statistically significant and were unadjusted for multiple testing.
Conclusion: Out-of-pocket cost is the primary determinant of digital health service selection among patients with chronic kidney disease. The type of healthcare provider is critical for service appeal. Exploratory subgroup analyses suggested possible preference differences across patient groups, indicating that stratified or preference-sensitive service designs may merit further investigation. Future research should examine whether aligning digital health services with patient preferences is associated with improved engagement or outcomes in real-world settings.
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BibTeX
@article{wei2026preferences,
title = {{Preferences for digital health services among patients with chronic kidney disease: a discrete choice experiment}},
author = {Lifang Wei and Yueyang Huang and Difei Duan and Yi Wen and Lu Yu and Xue Zhang and Jun Liu and Xindi Li and Dengyan Ma},
journal = {Frontiers in public health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1905738},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13690723},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Preferences for digital health services among patients with chronic kidney disease: a discrete choice experiment
AU - Lifang Wei
AU - Yueyang Huang
AU - Difei Duan
AU - Yi Wen
AU - Lu Yu
AU - Xue Zhang
AU - Jun Liu
AU - Xindi Li
AU - Dengyan Ma
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
JO - Frontiers in public health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1905738
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13690723
AB - Background: Digital health technologies offer novel approaches for chronic kidney disease management. However, quantitative evidence on patient preferences for digital health services remains limited. There is a critical need for more evidence on the sustainability and optimization of chronic kidney disease management in China, especially from the demand side. Policymakers require detailed data on the needs of chronic kidney disease patients regarding digital health services. Methods: A discrete choice experiment was conducted to measure the preferences of people with chronic kidney disease. Participants were recruited face-to-face in Sichuan Province, China, and completed an anonymous electronic questionnaire on-site. The mixed logit model evaluated participants’ preferences for six attributes, estimating willingness to pay and relative importance, and performing subgroup analysis based on the initial model results. Results: A total of 322 patients completed the questionnaire (mean age 49.8 years; 55.3% female). Out-of-pocket cost was the most influential attribute (relative importance 50.8%), followed by healthcare provider type (17.2%) and consultation frequency (10.0%). Patients preferred the combination of an attending nephrologist and a clinical nurse specialist (coefficient = 0.716; 95% CI, 0.510–0.921) and a higher consultation frequency (coefficient for five consultations per month = 0.414; 95% CI, 0.208–0.620). Willingness to pay for the combined provider team was 52.99 yuan. Exploratory subgroup analyses suggested possible differences in preferences by sex, age, disease duration, and comorbidity type, but most formal between-group comparisons were not statistically significant and were unadjusted for multiple testing. Conclusion: Out-of-pocket cost is the primary determinant of digital health service selection among patients with chronic kidney disease. The type of healthcare provider is critical for service appeal. Exploratory subgroup analyses suggested possible preference differences across patient groups, indicating that stratified or preference-sensitive service designs may merit further investigation. Future research should examine whether aligning digital health services with patient preferences is associated with improved engagement or outcomes in real-world settings.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -