Health inequality aversion elicitation (Atkinson/Kolm parameters)
This method measures how much people care about reducing health inequalities compared to improving overall health. It uses survey data to estimate parameters that show the public's willingness to prioritize health gains for disadvantaged groups over those for better-off groups.
At a glance
Use when
Conducting equity-focused health technology assessments; incorporating societal preferences for reducing health inequalities into cost-effectiveness analysis; informing priority setting in public health
Avoid when
Assessing interventions where equity considerations are not relevant; applying in countries with different societal values without local validation
Inputs
Survey responses on preferences for health distribution across socioeconomic groups; baseline health data (e.g., quality adjusted life expectancy by quintile)
Outputs
Inequality aversion parameters (Atkinson and Kolm); implied weighting of health gains by socioeconomic group
How it works
The method elicits health inequality aversion parameters using the Atkinson and Kolm social welfare functions. Data from an online survey of 244 members of the general public in England were analyzed to estimate median aversion values of 10.95 (Atkinson) and 0.15 (Kolm), which can be used to weight health gains by socioeconomic position in economic evaluations.
- HTA domains
- Patient and Social Aspects
- Categories
- Heterogeneity
- Assumptions
- Respondents' choices reflect genuine trade-offs between equity and efficiency; the Atkinson and Kolm social welfare functions adequately represent societal preferences; baseline health distributions are accurately measured
- Strengths
- Based on empirical public preference data; provides quantifiable parameters for use in economic evaluations; supports equity-sensitive policy making
- Limitations
- Limited to English population; sample size is modest (n=244); online survey method may introduce selection bias; parameters may not generalize to other health contexts or populations
- Also known as
- Inequality aversion parameter elicitation, Atkinson-Kolm parameter elicitation
Questions this answers
- › How concerned is the public about health inequality compared to overall health improvement?
- › What weight should be given to health gains in disadvantaged populations versus affluent ones?
- › What are the societal values regarding trade-offs between equity and efficiency in health?
- › How can inequality aversion be quantified for use in health economic models?
- › What parameter values reflect societal preferences for equity in health in England?
References & sources
Similar by meaning
Beta record. Generated from the primary source via AI extraction and independent audit, pending final human review.