The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Good Research Practices for Conjoint Analysis Task Force was established to identify good research practices for applications of conjoint analysis (CA) in health. The report contains a discussion of issues raised when conducting such a study and presents a checklist for CA applications in health.

The ISPOR report begins by summarising applications of CA in health, noting the broad range of applications. For a recent review of such applications see de Bekker et al. [1]. Whilst CA was introduced into health to value characteristics beyond health outcomes, the technique now has a much broader use. de Bekker et al. [1] note the absence of CA within an economic evaluation framework. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) continue to be the preferred valuation method by bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. This is despite the increasing recognition of the importance of valuing the patient experience in the delivery of health care. Because CA can value patient experience aspects of care as well as health outcomes—and indeed the trade-offs between them—the increasing use of well conducted CA studies will hopefully lead to their increased use at the policy level. Thus, it is important that good practice is established when conducting CA studies. The checklist provided by the task force provides a useful guide to conducting a good CA study, as does the User Guide to conducting such studies published by Lancsar and Louviere [2].