The real-world impact of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s real-world evidence framework

The international health and care landscape is undergoing sweeping changes, involving: the rapid pace of innovation in technologies; improved quality and access to routine data sources; and strong economic pressures driving the need to optimize resources. These trends were accelerated by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Post pandemic, real-world data continues to deliver evidence with richer outcomes, more timely conclusions and populations more representative of those to which care will be delivered, including patients traditionally underrepresented in randomized controlled trial environments, or with unequal access to care. Recognizing the still substantial untapped potential, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is looking to real-world data to support: quicker, more proportionate appraisals; dynamic ‘living’ guidance with responsive updates; to monitor and influence the uptake of its guidance; and to manage uncertainty post evaluation for earlier access to technologies.