An Introduction to Patient Preference Research
- Marco Boeri
- Nov 1, 2024
- 5 min read
Introduction
Patient preferences refer to the specific desires and priorities that patients have regarding their healthcare. These preferences, which may relate to aspects such as the type of treatment (e.g., oral medication vs. injection), the side effects they are willing to tolerate, and the frequency of medical visits, can significantly enhance drug development and ultimately influence decisions about treatment options, care plans, and overall healthcare experiences. Incorporating patient preferences into the drug development process is required by regulators[1-6] and can lead to more patient-centred care, improved treatment adherence and compliance, and better health outcomes.[7,8] To maximise this value, it is imperative to actively involve patients in the design of such studies.
My tenure as an ISPEP Expert in Residence (EiR), of which this article is the introduction, provides a unique platform to discuss how patient preference research can help to align business practices with unmet patient needs. Through this residency, I hope to demonstrate how integrating patient preferences into clinical research and practices can help address the challenges faced by pharma, patients, and healthcare providers, and transform these challenges into opportunities for improvement. First, through this article, I shall provide an overview of the patient preference field to lay the foundation for such discussion.
