Switzerland (Head Quarters)

IDR Medical Switzerland
Austrasse 95, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland
T: +41 (0) 61 535 1109

UK

IDR Medical UK
Unit 104 Eagle Tower, Eagle Tower
Montpellier Drive, Cheltenham, GL50 1TA
T: +44 (0) 1242 696 790

USA

IDR Medical North America
225 Franklin Street, 26th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02110, USA
T: +1 (0) 617.275.4465

SIMALTO (Simultaneous Multi-Attribute Level Trade-Off) analysis in medical device market research is a structured quantitative methodology used to simulate decision-making under constraints, such as budgets, feature limits, or resource trade-offs.

Get in touch

At IDR Medical, our SIMALTO market research is designed to reflect real-world purchasing environments. We ask healthcare stakeholders to build their preferred product or solution within defined constraints — forcing trade-offs between features, performance, service, and cost. This enables us to understand how decisions are made when not everything can be included.

By replicating constrained decision-making across attributes such as clinical benefit, workflow efficiency, service levels, and price, we generate robust evidence to support product configuration, pricing strategy, and commercial decision-making.

This research approach is particularly valuable in MedTech, where purchasing decisions are often influenced by budget constraints, procurement processes, and the need to balance competing priorities.

Why SIMALTO Analysis Matters in MedTech

In MedTech, decisions are rarely made in isolation — they are shaped by constraints such as budgets, procurement processes, and the need to balance multiple priorities across clinical, operational, and economic dimensions.

SIMALTO analysis matters because it simulates these constraints directly. Rather than asking stakeholders what they prefer in an unconstrained environment, it reveals how they make decisions when trade-offs are required and not all features can be included.

This makes SIMALTO particularly valuable for understanding real-world purchasing behaviour and identifying the optimal combination of features, services, and pricing that aligns with stakeholder priorities.

SIMALTO analysis helps by quantifying:

 

healthcare-simalto-analysis-doctor-tech-image healthcare-simalto-analysis-doctor-tech-image

How stakeholders prioritise features under real-world constraints

Understanding which attributes are selected when trade-offs are required and resources are limited.

Which product configurations are most attractive and viable

Identifying the optimal combination of features, performance levels, and service elements.

How budget and pricing influence decision-making

Revealing how stakeholders allocate resources and where they are willing to invest.

This clarity supports evidence-based decision-making across product development, pricing, and commercial strategy.

Want to know more about SIMALTO analysis?

Reach out to our expert team who are on hand to help with any questions.

Get in touch

SIMALTO Approaches We Use

The choice of SIMALTO approach depends on the complexity of the offering, the number of attributes to be tested, and the level of realism required in simulating decision-making.

SIMALTO analysis is typically conducted through a structured quantitative web survey, where respondents select and combine product features within defined constraints. This approach ensures realistic decision scenarios while enabling robust data collection at scale.

At IDR Medical, we apply a range of SIMALTO approaches to ensure the research reflects how decisions are made in practice. From simpler constrained choice exercises to more complex product configuration scenarios, each approach is designed to balance realism, respondent engagement, and analytical depth. This ensures we generate reliable, actionable outputs that directly inform product design, pricing, and commercial strategy in medical device markets.

Talk to us

Standard SIMALTO (Constrained Build Approach)

The core SIMALTO methodology where respondents build their preferred product or solution within defined constraints such as budgets, points, or feature limits. Ideal for understanding how stakeholders prioritise features when trade-offs are required.

Budget-Constrained SIMALTO

Focuses specifically on how respondents allocate limited budgets across competing features or attributes. Particularly useful for pricing strategy, package design, and understanding willingness to invest in different components of a solution.

Segmented SIMALTO Analysis

Applies segmentation techniques to SIMALTO outputs to identify how different stakeholder groups make trade-offs under constraints. Supports targeted product design and differentiated commercial strategies.

Scenario-Based SIMALTO

Uses different market or usage scenarios to test how decision-making changes under varying conditions, such as clinical setting, patient type, or procurement environment. Enhances realism and supports strategic planning.

Explore Our Insights

We regularly share perspectives on how research methodologies are used in healthcare and medical device market research. Explore our latest thinking below.

Segmentation in Medical Device Market Research: From Methodology to Commercial Strategy

Read the full blog

Unlock MedTech Pricing, Adoption & Profit with Conjoint Insights

Read the full blog

From Conjoint to Commercial Reality

Read the full blog

Segmentation in Medical Device Market Research: From Methodology to Commercial Strategy

Read the full blog

Unlock MedTech Pricing, Adoption & Profit with Conjoint Insights

Read the full blog

From Conjoint to Commercial Reality

Read the full blog
Browse all posts

Speak to our team

If you are exploring new product opportunities or reassessing your innovation roadmap, our expertise in medical device market research, combined with focused strategic advice to support real product and investment decisions, can help you concentrate investment on the problems that matter most.

Get in touch