Abstract

“Things Are Looking Up Since We Started Listening to Patients” was the title of an article by Bridges et al¹ published in 2008 that described the trends in the application of patient-preference studies since 1982. The authors noted a significant increase in the use of these methods applied to clinical topics. In the nearly 15 years since this publication, this growth has continued. Indeed, things have continued to “look up,” as the positive impact of patient preference studies is evident in drug development, regulatory decisions, and health technology assessment. Decision makers and stakeholders are increasingly interested to consider the patient centeredness of emerging treatments and medical interventions. The wide range of decisions that can and should be informed by patient preferences has become apparent, and the methods to quantify preferences are well established. They are also expanding and becoming increasingly sophisticated.