The purpose of this thesis is to understand the role that goals and goal setting play in healthcare consumers' decision-making. This thesis is set in the health service area, specifically in Cystic Fibrosis (CF), which is a life-threatening illness. CF is the most common genetically inherited lifeshortening chronic disease with no current cure. However, medication adherence reduces the disease exacerbation, which is associated with improved well-being. This thesis aims to extend the hierarchy of goals by providing the links between drivers, goal types and outcomes. It also empirically investigates the effect of goal priorities on behaviour preferences. The focus of the thesis is understanding healthcare customers' goals, the drivers of goal setting, their preferences for goals and their engagement in different health-related behaviours.There are seven main research questions addressed in three studies: (1) what are the effects of goal setting on well-being? (Study 1); (2) what are the definitions of different types of goals? (Study 1); (3) what are CF patients' goals, drivers and outcomes? (Study 2); (4) what is the conceptual framework linking drivers, goal types and outcomes? (Study 2); (5) what are the CF patients' goal priorities and behaviour preferences (Study 3); (6) are there any variations in individuals' goal priorities and behaviour preferences? (Study 3); and (7) how do goal priorities impact on behaviour preferences? (Study 3)This thesis uses a mixed method approach to incorporate a variety of data in the research. The range of data is qualitative data (systematic literature review and 21 semi-structured in-depth interviews with CF patients) and quantitative data (320 Discrete Choice Experiment: 40 CF patients × 8 choice sets and 520 best-worst tasks: 40 CF patients × 13 tasks). Mixed method approach is used in order to gain a better understanding of goals, drivers, outcomes and empirically model the relationship between goal priorities and behaviour preferences.x
Financial supportThis research was supported by the University of Queensland International scholarship (UQI) for Fees and a Living Stipend.