Preferences for characteristics of antiretroviral therapy provision in Johannesburg, South Africa: Results of a conjoint analysis

A survey was administered to HIV-infected patients and a sample in Soweto and the Johannesburg inner city to measure preferences for antiretroviral therapy (ART) provision. The 25 to 49-year-old male and female respondents viewed 20 sets of three hypothetical ART clinic choices after reading information on ART. Each set had a permutation of four levels of: monthly ART price, clinic waiting times, HIV clinic branding and clinic staff attitudes. For each set, respondents selected the preferred mix of characteristics and indicated if they would pay for it. For every ZAR 100 (USD PPP 25) increase in price, the average probability of selecting a clinic decreased by 2.8 and 3.0% in the HIV patient and household samples, respectively. Cost as well as staff attitude, wait time, and clinic branding may constitute important barriers to ART uptake and adherence in resource-poor settings.