Michael Ward, the Alliance’s Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs, and Adina Lasser, Public Policy Manager, represented the Alliance at ISPOR 2024, the leading global conference for health economics and outcomes research (HEOR). The event brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including economists, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and industry leaders, to explore and advance the field of HEOR.
Michael served as the co-chair of ISPOR’s inaugural Patient-Centered Research Summit, an event co-located with the larger ISPOR conference. This summit brought together over 170 participants focused on meaningfully integrating patient perspectives into healthcare research, value assessment, and broader practices of patient care. Michael and other panelists engaged in insightful discussions about the importance of incorporating patients and caregivers throughout the research process, from study design, identification of key outcomes, and understanding of the patient experience as research progresses. They also explored best practices and emerging strategies to conduct patient-centered research.
About the summit and the need for patient centeredness in research, Michael stated, “Patients and patient advocates are here and prepared to take our seat at the table for important conversations to ensure that clinical trials and real-world evidence collection establishes data on the endpoints we collectively agree are important, and that discussions about value are grounded in what patients care about. It may be more challenging and require more resources. However, patient-centered outcomes research isn’t just the right thing to do, it is an imperative given broader policy and marketplace trends.”
Additionally, Michael participated in a conference-wide panel titled “Progress or Regress…Does CMS’ Maximum Fair Price Negotiation Align with Patient-Centered Evidence Assessment in Healthcare Decision-Making?”. This was one of a number of panels that focused on Medicare’s Direct Negotiation Program, discussing how to ensure that Medicare prioritizes meaningful engagement with a diverse group of patients as they work to determine the maximum fair price they are willing to pay for drugs and therapeutics. Michael was joined on the panel by renowned health economist Lou Garrison (Professor Emeritus, The CHOICE Institute, University of Washington), Gergana Zlateva (Vice President of Global Market Access-Oncology) from Pfizer, and moderated by Kirsten Axelsen, (Senior Adviser at Charles River Associates).
ISPOR 2024 featured in-depth discussions on cutting-edge methodologies, data analytics, and evidence-based approaches driving transformative changes in healthcare. Attendees explored advancements in cost-effectiveness analysis, real-world evidence, AI applications in HEOR, and strategies to promote health equity. The role of the patient experience was a major theme throughout the conference, reflecting a growing trend in HEOR methodology led by patient advocates and economists alike. While there is still work to be done, we thank ISPOR for their work in supporting patients and promoting the need for the patient perspective in research. To stay updated on the Alliance’s initiatives and developments in the HEOR field, visit our news section, and check out ICERfacts.org to learn more about our advocacy and how you can get involved.
