OBJECTIVES: The discrete-choice experiments (DCE) approach has been commonly used to evaluate the preferences of patients and other stakeholders in healthcare. We systematically reviewed research evaluating patient preferences for drugs or medical devices using the DCE method.

METHODS: The terms of retrieval for the database were established with the index words “patient preference” and “discrete choice experiment”. We included literature that (1) utilized the DCE method as the primary research approach, (2) subjected drugs, medical devices, or other treatment strategies and (3) aimed to project patient preference. Articles written in languages other than English or presented as comments, editorials, reviews, letters, or abstracts were excluded. Extracted data encompassed author, year of publication, study subject, region (nation), indication, survey subject, attributes, study objectives, and funding sources. The chi-square test of independence evaluated the associations between categorical variables.

RESULTS: Out of 1,121 studies identified, 385 met the inclusion criteria. Most articles focused on drugs (290, 75.3%). Research was predominantly conducted in Europe (n=144, 37.4%) and North America (n=130, 33.8%). For financial support, the industry-funded studies have been higher in numbers since 2015. However, public funding arose and reversed the trend in 2023. Attributes related to effectiveness and safety were the most prevalent, with drug-focused studies more frequently including these attributes compared to other studies (p=0.0161). Studies on chronic diseases such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis included cost-related attributes more frequently than studies on diseases like cancer or HIV (p=0.0313). Cost-related attributes were more prevalent in public-funded studies compared to the others (p=0.0222). In contrast, fewer industry-funded studies included cost-related attributes (p=0.0051).

CONCLUSIONS: Studies using DCE to assess patient preferences consider appropriate attributes based on the subject and characteristics of indication. Further research is needed to strengthen the evidence of patient preferences to support regulatory frameworks, especially for medical devices and studies outside North America and Europe.