ISPOR 2019: editor’s picks

Written by Freya Leask, Publisher
Health economics ISPOR Outcomes research

Here are the talks and sessions I’m most looking forward to from this year’s ISPOR agenda.

What is ISPOR?

The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) is a professional society for health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) around the world. The 2019 Annual Meeting is taking place in New Orleans (LA, USA), 18—22 May at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

What should I look out for?

This is my first time attending an ISPOR meeting, so I’m looking to get up to date with the latest advances and current pain points in the industry to ensure the Evidence Base is a useful resource for its members.

  • The dawn of disruption in the health sector- will innovative technologies require innovative ways of thinking? (Monday, May 20, 8:30am): the first plenary session of the event will look at whether we are entering a “golden age” of innovation, and what obstacles might need to be overcome to get there.
  • Controversies around the use of patient-reported measures in oncology (Tuesday, May 21, 11am): Theresa Schmidt, Discern Health (MD, USA) will be joined by Cynthia Grossman, Biogen (MA, USA), Yousuf Zafar, Duke Cancer Institute (NC, USA) and W. Garth Callaghan, Napkin Notes Dad (VA, USA) to discuss the importance and current challenges in bringing the patient voice into models of care in oncology.
  • Identifying and addressing barriers to the adoption of standardized outcome measures in patient registries and clinical practice (Wednesday, May 22, 2pm): Elise Berliner, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (MD, USA) and Richard Gliklich, OM1 (MA, USA), share their insight into the challenges of harmonizing data elements, and implementing the harmonized outcome measures.

Following the release of a new strategic framework from FDA to encourage the use of real-world evidence (RWE) to support drug development, I’m also hoping for insight from those on the ground about the effect this has had, and what we can expect from FDA in the future.

  • 21ST century FDA – exploring the rise of real-world evidence (Monday, May 20, 7:15am): in this early morning symposium, experts from Cardinal Health discuss implications of the new framework on the RWE industry.
  • Developing standard core sets of clinical outcome assessments and their related endpoints for specific disease indications (Tuesday, May 21, 2:15pm): Elektra Papadopoulos, Meghana Chalasani and Laura Lee Johnson, FDA (MD, USA), will describe FDA activities in developing standards for clinical outcome assessments and explain how stakeholders such as patients, academics, Health Technology Assessors, payers, health care providers and drug developers can get involved.
  • Is there an urgent need to explore the opportunities and challenges of wide use of RWE in medical devices? (Wednesday, May 22, 9:45am): Lizheng Shi,Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (LA, USA) is moderating a panel comprising Dongyi(Tony) Du, FDA (MD, USA), Somesh Nigam, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (LA, USA) and Scott Tackett, Intuitive Surgical (CA, USA) as they debate best practices and unique requirements of RWE, and what resources could promote the broader use of RWE.

Read the full agenda here>>

How can I meet the Evidence Base and Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research teams?

Laura Dormer (Editorial Director), Joanne Walker (Head of Publication Solutions) and I will be present at ISPOR 2019 and we’d love to meet as many of you as possible. Email me or stop by booth #211 to meet us, discuss potential manuscripts and share your ideas for what you’d like to see on the Evidence Base, as well as pick up a free gift!