Perception of non-layperson advisory committee members on the application of a discrete choice experiment instrument to patients and advisory committee members: a qualitative study.

Objective: To explore the view of nonlayperson committee members on the added value of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) instrument to measure patient and committee member preferences for a health intervention.

Methods: Nine semistructured interviews were conducted with voting members from two types of advisory committees in Quebec, Canada: one from the Ministry of Health and Social Services, and eight from the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) agency. The DCE instrument, administrable to patients (i.e., pregnant women) and committee members, was developed and administered to both groups to measure their preferences about the addition of fetal chromosomal anomalies to a prenatal screening program. A conceptual framework consisting of three dimensions (relative advantage, compatibility, and complexity) was used for data collection and analyses.

Results: Committee members considered the DCE instrument, when used with both patients and committee members, to be particularly valuable in raising awareness of potential biases. These biases, generated by committee members' interests and disciplinary perspectives, can reduce the importance of the patient perspective in decision making by advisory committees.

Conclusions: This qualitative study provides insight into the perceptions of nonlayperson advisory committee members regarding the added value of a DCE instrument administered to patients and committee members regarding an intervention. Additional studies are required to explore the perceptions of other stakeholders (e.g., managers, patients, and public representatives) regarding the application of DCE and to assess its impact on HTA recommendations regarding the value of new health interventions.