OBJECTIVES: Willingness to pay (WTP) can be a valuable method to estimate the intangible costs and social value of new healthcare intervention from the patient’s perspective. The aim of this study was to review and analyze recent studies on WTP and suggest future implications for health economics research in Spain.

METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed and Cochrane Library databases, from January 2019 to January 2024. We included observational studies estimating WTP from the patient perspective for available or hypothetical healthcare interventions. Two independent reviewers checked titles/ abstracts, evaluated full-text publications for eligibility, and extracted data. Limitations of WTP methods were identified.

RESULTS: We included six observational studies, all based on cross-sectional surveys, involving a total of 2,402 patients. The WTP was evaluated through a discrete choice experiment (n=5 studies) or multiple-choice question (n=1) method. The evaluated healthcare interventions were medical (n=3), diagnostic (n=2) or educational (n=2). None of the WTP estimations were adjusted for differences in economic income or other sociodemographic factors.

CONCLUSIONS: The estimation of WTP is an underutilized method with significant limitations for valuing interventions in Spain. The collected data is important for guiding future health economics research.