[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Oxford PharmaGenesis were thrilled to be in Vienna earlier this month to take part in the 19th Annual European Congress of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR), which this year focused on ‘managing access to medical innovation: strengthening the methodology–policy nexus’.
Befitting its status as one of the largest international gatherings for the health economics and outcomes research community, the congress offers opportunities not just to engage with the most up-to-date initiatives, but also to connect with colleagues and partners from around the world. This year did not disappoint.
There was an encouraging theme of pan-European collaboration throughout, with breakout sessions and workshops discussing cooperation on health technology assessment (HTA) processes, generation and use of real-world data, and standards for valuing health states. There was also a useful session on managing change in real-world evidence studies.
One of the highlights of the congress was a panel discussion on the use of data from observational studies in HTA submissions. Panel members included representatives from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, academia and pharma, and they discussed when and how ‘observational data’ (a preferred term to ‘real-world data’ in this context) could be used in areas such as assessment of long-term safety, applicability of randomized controlled trial results to a broader population, comparison of medical devices, evaluation of the efficacy of post-treatment switching, bridging gaps in meta-analyses, predictive modelling and comparative simulation analysis. The panel, while accepting the value of observational data, reiterated the gold standard of randomization (when possible) to avoid pitfalls such as selection bias. The need for guidelines on methodology to minimize selection bias was noted and the panel developed some tentative recommendations regarding the use of specific types of observational data, such as individual patient data.
An area of particular interest to Oxford PharmaGenesis is patient engagement, a term that ISPOR is working to define. At present, the descriptor means different things to different people, and ISPOR is seeking a definition that can be used consistently while still being aligned with common usage. We eagerly await the forthcoming literature review and the resulting deliberations, which will no doubt form the basis for discussions at ISPOR Europe 2017 in Glasgow.
We look forward to seeing you there![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_images_carousel images=”5365,5366,5367,5368,5369″ img_size=”large” autoplay=”yes” wrap=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
