Patient Preferences in the Medical Product Lifecycle

[...]even where examples are available, the complexity of decision-making means it is difficult to single out the impact of preference information from the impact of other decision inputs such as clinical and economic evidence and societal factors. [...]preference studies are mostly undertaken late in the product development process. For some conditions, there are multiple companies with similar interests. [...]collaboration between competing companies when undertaking studies would allow companies to pool resources and expertise, and reduce any perception of biased interests. [...]industry standards, research standards, and quality guidelines for undertaking preference studies are needed to support the use of patient preferences in regulatory and HTA decisions.