Three things you should know about qualitative research to support NICE submissions
- Acaster Lloyd
- May 21
- 2 min read
Submissions to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) increasingly incorporate qualitative research to help demonstrate the value of new treatments. New guidance has been released by NICE regarding how such data should be collected and analysed.
The recent guidance update signals that NICE are increasingly taking notice of qualitative research in their appraisals. This can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can bolster the use of rich, qualitative data to bring the patient and other stakeholder voices into NICE’s evaluations. On the other hand, it arguably sets a higher standard for qualitative research supporting NICE submissions by recommending considerations that may not typically have been common practice in previous qualitative studies supporting such submissions.
At Acaster Lloyd, we have distilled three key takeaways from the recent NICE guidance on qualitative studies.
Rigour at every stage of research
The guidance recommends rigour in the study design and reporting at every stage of research. This starts with a rationale for the choice of qualitative method, followed by sampling and data collection procedures, to analysis and reporting, and statements on research reflexivity. Whilst most of these recommendations are in line with general qualitative research best practice recommendations, in our experience it is uncommon for qualitative research supporting NICE submissions to follow all recommendations. In particular, formative qualitative research aimed at developing quantitative studies may lack the rigour and thoroughness in the design and reporting that is recommended.
The importance of negative cases
The guidance highlights the importance of negative cases to demonstrate rigour of the study. From experience, those who are using qualitative research findings to support health technology assessment (HTA) submissions may be inclined to highlight confirmative evidence of an unmet need or impact on health-related quality of life. However, recent NICE guidance is explicit that demonstrating you have also examined evidence contradicting your hypothesis is equally important and boosts the credibility of your research.
Patient and subject matter expert involvement
Patient and other subject matter expert stakeholder involvement in the study design is recommended. In light of broader movements towards incorporating Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in health economics and outcomes research, it is encouraging that the guidance endorses the value of PPI. Research is only ever as valid and robust as its study design, and involving people who have the lived experience of a condition or are subject matter experts can be an invaluable tool in conducting a well-designed study.
Guidance on the conduct of qualitative research to support HTA submissions has long been overdue — and we hope this guidance will increase input from patients in NICE decision making.
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