Fact: Most People Want to Know the Risk of Getting Diabetes

Most People Want to Know the Risk of Getting Diabetes: Researchers from Tufts Medical Center led a study of more than 1,400 people to determine if people would be willing to pay for a new blood test that would indicate the chances of developing a disease but would not help prevent the disease. The survey also determined respondents’ willingness to pay for the test. Most subjects said that they would be tested, though some said they would only have the test if it were free. “The results suggest that most people prefer to take predictive tests even in the absence of direct treatment consequences and that they are willing to pay reasonably large amounts for the opportunity,” the authors wrote. “Our study thus adds to research indicating that people desire information for its own sake.” Health Economics