Developing a Discrete Choice Experiment Instrument for Evaluating Patients' Preferences in Precision Oncology

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Economics
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Patient preferences are vital for evaluating precision medicine (PM) interventions alongside clinical and technical factors.
• Understanding patient priorities is key to successful implementation of personalized oncology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and prioritize patient-important attributes in precision oncology.
• To develop and validate a standardized stated preference instrument for assessing patient preferences in precision oncology.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review to extract key attributes of precision oncology.
• Delphi method with 35 experts using a Likert scale questionnaire for attribute prioritization.
• Development and validation of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) instrument based on prioritized attributes.

Main Results:

• A consensus-based DCE instrument was developed, including four attributes and 14 levels.
• Key attributes identified: treatment accessibility, out-of-pocket expenditures, changes in life expectancy, and changes in quality of life.
• The instrument provides a robust measure for evaluating patient preferences in precision oncology.

Conclusions:

• The developed DCE questionnaire reflects the main preferences of Iranian experts regarding precision oncology.
• This validated instrument can be utilized to assess patient preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) in precision oncology settings.