Patient-centric HTA: different strokes for different folks

Patient centricity will initiate a change in healthcare decision-making paradigms. Patient-centered outcomes are a part of the solution to the challenges posed by complex decision problems due to multiple clinical and non-clinical outcomes. Multiple decision criteria require that clinical and regulatory decisions be based on the implicit value judgments of experts. Experts are under continuous pressure to ensure decisions are aligned with patient needs and result in positive performance. To fulfill this role and guarantee efficient decisions, experts must be fully informed about patient preferences; however, this assumption might not necessarily reflect reality. Health technology assessment focuses on the measurement of clinical effects, rather than the assessment of the impact of different outcomes on users' perceived value. Further evidence is needed to ensure that expert judgments are congruent with patient preferences. Therefore, patient preferences can be a valuable source of information to inform clinical and regulatory decision-makers.