NICE given grant to research patient preference

NICE will undertake a methodological study into patient health preferences after receiving a £120,000 grant courtesy of Myeloma UK. 

Health’s public body for guidance has been awarded the research grant so it can explore the most effective means of capturing preferences, and how they can be incorporated into Health Technology Assessment (HTA). 

Expected to last two years, the study will be conducted in consultation with experts, patient groups and global HTA leaders. NICE says it will examine different methods and technologies involved in the capture of patient preferences, in terms of their specific conditions and available treatments.

Emma Greenwood, CRUK’s head of policy development, said: “It’s important that NHS funding decisions are made on the basis of the best possible evidence – and that includes evidence and perspectives from patients about their experiences with different treatments.  We’re pleased to hear that NICE will be carrying out this research, which will  support other ongoing research initiatives exploring the role of Health Technology Assessments and cancer drugs.”

The NICE study is one of two research projects to be awarded funding via the Health Services Research programme at Myeloma UK – with the overall aim of improving patient outcomes, quality of life and also forging more efficient ways to pay for and deliver healthcare.

This study will be led by Prof Sarah Garner, Associate Director of NICE Science Policy and Research Programme. She said: “We have always strived to understand what matters most to patients when we are assessing treatments for them. For example preferences for trade-off between potential benefits and side effects, on how treatments are administered and what matters to patients in terms of potential impact on their daily lives.

“We now want to explore whether we can quantitatively capture patients’ preferences so they can be incorporated alongside other data in decision-modelling.”

Myeloma UK Health Services Research Manager Sarah Richard said: “Health Technology Assessment decisions have a huge impact on patients’ lives, determining to a large extent what treatments patients and their clinicians have access to.

“Health Technology Assessment bodies need robust evidence on the perspectives of patients in the evidence they consider. This research study takes an innovative and forward-looking approach to establish best practice in the field of patient-centred decision-making. It could have a very tangible impact across the healthcare system.”