LonelyLessAustralia Decision Aid Tool

This tool helps you evaluate programme configurations for reducing loneliness among older adults in Australia.

Loneliness affects over five million Australians, particularly older adults (65 and above), causing significant health and economic challenges. This tool uses discrete choice experiment estimates to predict programme uptake probabilities, enabling personalised services based on the factors older adults value most.

  • Instructions – Step-by-step guidance.
  • Attributes – Detailed explanation of programme features (hover over info icons for extra details).
  • Inputs – Configure your scenario parameters using visually appealing level cards.
  • WTP Results – View charts showing willingness-to-pay estimates.
  • Predicted Programme Uptake – See the predicted uptake percentage with recommendations.
  • Costs & Benefits – Analyse cost components and QALY-based benefits with interactive sliders.
  • Saved Scenarios – Compare and export your saved configurations.

How to Use This Tool

  1. Review the Attributes tab to understand each programme feature. Hover over the info icons for details and reference levels.
  2. Configure your scenario in the Inputs tab using the level cards. All features (except method) are required; if no method is selected, in-person is assumed.
  3. Click “Calculate & View Results” to see your results.
  4. Examine the WTP Results tab for monetary values assigned to each attribute.
  5. Check the Predicted Programme Uptake tab for the uptake percentage and recommendations.
  6. Review the Costs & Benefits tab for a detailed breakdown and chart.
  7. Save and compare scenarios in the Saved Scenarios tab or export the results to PDF.

Key Attributes

Cost per session

The fee paid by participants per session.

Accessibility

Local or wider community delivery.

Frequency of Interaction

Weekly or monthly sessions.

Method of Interaction

Virtual or hybrid.

Duration of Each Interaction

2-hour or 4-hour sessions.

Type of Support Programme

Community engagement, counselling, or VR-based sessions.

Programme Inputs

Configure your scenario by selecting the levels for each feature below.

Support Programme (Reference: Peer Support)

Method (Reference: In-person)

Frequency (Reference: Daily)

Duration (Reference: 30-minute)

Accessibility (Reference: At Home)

Cost per Session (AUD)

Cost-of-Living Adjustment

Willingness-to-Pay (WTP) Results

The willingness-to-pay (WTP) for each programme attribute is calculated by taking the ratio of the attribute’s coefficient to the negative of the cost coefficient. This metric quantifies the monetary value respondents place on each programme attribute, holding other factors constant.

For example, among the programme types, community engagement is the most highly valued, with a WTP of A$14.47 (SE=3.31, p < 0.001). This shows older adults are willing to pay an additional A$14.47 for community-based programmes, compared to the reference peer support scenario.

WTP (A$)

Predicted Programme Uptake

Click “Show Probability Plot” to compute the predicted programme uptake percentage.

Uptake vs. Non‑uptake

Costs & Benefits Analysis

Modelling Assumptions

Our analysis uses interactive cost sliders, pop-up info boxes, and educational summaries to explain how costs and benefits are calculated.
Reference: Engel, L., Lee, Y. Y., Le, L. K. D., Lal, A., & Mihalopoulos, C. (2021). Reducing loneliness to prevent depression in older adults in Australia: A modelled cost-effectiveness analysis. Mental Health and Prevention, 24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2021.200212

Saved Scenarios

Below are your saved scenarios. Each row displays the input values along with the computed predicted uptake and net benefit.

Name State Cost Adjust? Cost (AUD) Local? Wider? Weekly? Monthly? Virtual? Hybrid? 2-Hour? 4-Hour? Community? Counselling? VR? Uptake (%) Net Benefit (A$)