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PRESIDENTIAL FIRESIDE CHAT
Postcard from Shanghai
Peter Neumann ScD, Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
ISPOR’s 2nd Asia-Pacific Conference in Shanghai, China on
March 5-7, 2006 was a resounding success, and marked a
considerable step forward in our Society’s continued growth and
evolution. Professor Shanlian Hu and Professor Wen Chen of Fudan
University deserve thanks and special recognition for their
efforts.
With over 750 people from 31 countries, the meeting was
roughly three times the size of the 1st Asia-Pacific conference
in Kobe, Japan in 2003. In many ways the meeting mirrored the
booming city of Shanghai, where new skyscrapers and construction
cranes extend to the horizon. An evening cruise down the Huang
Pu River past the stunning new architecture was a highlight of
the meeting.
The conference underscored the dynamic nature of change in
economic and health care systems in Asia. It also illustrated
the fact that pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research, though
still in its infancy in many countries, has emerged in a real
way on the agendas of health policy makers across the region.
 ISPOR
2nd Asia Pacific Conference Program Co-Chairs
Shanlian Hu, MD, MSc (l) and Wen Chen, PhD (r) with
ISPOR 2005-2006 President Peter Neumann ScD
A striking aspect of the meeting was the presence and
diversity of many countries in Asia, which have begun to think
about measuring value for money in health care. The first day’s
plenary session featured presentations by representatives from
Pakistan, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Japan,
and China. The speakers discussed demographic trends, health
care costs, regulatory controls, and insurance reforms in their
respective countries, and described their nations’ experiences
using pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research.
Such a session would have been unimaginable a few years ago.
Many presenters remarked on the fact that consideration of
pharmacoeconomics is just beginning, that expertise is lacking,
and systems to collect and report data are in serious need of
improvement. However, it was also clear that significant strides
are being made, and most importantly, that the field has emerged
on the radar screens of health officials.
This conference also demonstrated the important leadership
role that ISPOR can play in Asia in bringing together
researchers and policy makers from government, industry, and
academia to discuss key topics in our field. ISPOR, as a
respected non-profit organization, provides a neutral space for
stakeholders to share and debate ideas. This conference, for
example, marked the inauguration of the ISPOR Asia- Pacific
Medical Device and Diagnostics Council. The conference also
provided a venue for training large numbers of people seeking
expertise in technical and policy issues.
Perhaps most significantly of all, the conference in Shanghai
has generated strong momentum for future growth in the region.
ISPOR now has local or student chapters in Hong Kong, Taiwan,
Thailand, and Singapore, and another chapter organized by the
Chinese Medical Doctor Association. The next three Asia-Pacific
meetings have just been announced and will take place in Korea
(2008), Thailand (2010) and Singapore (2012).
As I’ve observed previously, the “I” in ISPOR stands, of
course, for “international.” Our Society’s vision has always
been to be a truly international organization. The successful
Asia-Pacific conference in Shanghai marks a significant step
towards that goal. We look forward to much more progress in the
future. As they say in Shanghai,
 , which means “we are looking
forward to the future”.
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