Optimizing patient preference studies
A recent publication from PREFER lists 18 factors and situations that should be considered when designing and conducting patient preference studies. To obtain valuable patient preference information for use in decision-making, knowing what challenges to look out for, and how to overcome them, is imperative. The paper was published in Frontiers in Pharmacology this week.
Stakeholders have previously expressed their concerns regarding issues like validity, representativeness and robustness of patient preference studies. But it has been unknown how stakeholders would like the studies to be conducted.
The authors of the paper conducted interviews with stakeholder groups of physicians, academics, industry representatives, regulators, HTA/payer representatives, and patients, caregivers and patient representatives from seven European countries and the US. Based on what they learned, the authors could identify 15 factors and 3 situations that stakeholders should consider when designing and conducting patient preference studies.
The author's findings reduces the unique challenges of including patient preference studies in the medical product life cycle. By showing when patient preference studies are beneficial, and when they may be less valuable, these results can support stakeholders that are looking to include patient preference studies in their development plans. This means stakeholders can save resources and avoid unnecessary exhaustion of patient populations.
By Anna Holm
Whichello, C., van Overbeeke, E., Janssens, R,, Schölin Bywall, K., et al. Factors and Situations Affecting the Value of Patient Preference Studies: Semi-Structured Interviews in Europe and the US, Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2019
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