Patient Preference Information (PPI) in Medical Device Development: A Cross-Industry Review of Use-Cases

Patient Preference Information (PPI) is increasingly applied across the medical device lifecycle to inform product design, clinical trial planning, regulatory submissions, labeling, and shared decision-making. However, cross-company learnings remain fragmented. This review synthesizes five recent industry case studies illustrating diverse applications of PPI: Edwards Lifesciences (transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement), CVRx (Barostim neuromodulation therapy for heart failure), Medtronic (renal denervation for hypertension), Johnson and Johnson (lung cancer interception therapy), and Abbott (leadless pacemaker feature optimization). Across cases, quantitative stated-preference methods, particularly discrete-choice experiments, predominated. Evidence informed pivotal trial design and regulatory submissions (Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic), FDA-approved labeling (CVRx), preventive therapy development (Johnson and Johnson), and device feature prioritization post-approval (Abbott). Common enablers included early engagement with regulators, rigorous instrument development with qualitative pretesting, and proactive dissemination. Recurring challenges involved recruiting representative samples, addressing preference heterogeneity, and demonstrating return on investment. These findings underscore the feasibility and value of PPI in advancing patient-centered innovation and regulatory decision-making across the medical device lifecycle.