Measuring preferences for schizophrenia outcomes with the time tradeoff method

Measuring preferences for schizophrenia outcomes facilitates meaningful integration of multiple outcome measures and multiple perspectives on treatment outcomes. The Time Tradeoff (TTO) technique, specifically developed for measuring health state preferences, is used widely in health research, but some evidence suggests that the TTO may work less well with schizophrenia than with other health conditions. This study tested the hypotheses that tailoring the time frame of the standard TTO to the course of schizophrenia and simplifying its presentation fromat would improve its feasibility and efficiency. Forty clinicians provided TTO ratings using 1 of 4 combinations of time frame and presentation format. Numeric ratings and quantitative and qualitative measures of feasibility showed that while participants preferred the simpler format, none of the alterations improved feasibility. Participants' ratings were prone to logical inconsistencies and participants found all 4 versions of the TTO confusing and poorly suited to the context of schizophrenia treatment.

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