What Exactly Do You Mean By That? A Summary of Discrepancies in the Definitions of Key Pharmacoeconomic and Outcomes Research Terms: A White Paper

Published in: ISPOR CONNECTIONS, Vol. 10, No. 1: February15, 2004
By Elinor Chumney PhD, Chair: PE Language Working Group and members: Saso Delinikolov MD, Mahesh Fuldeore MS, MBA, Mohamed Omar PhD, RPh.

In this article, definitions of terms common to healthcare purchasers and providers, as well as pharmacoeconomic and outcomes researchers, were reviewed to determine if consistent among these various constituencies. The Managed Care SIG PE/OR Language Working Group started with 30 terms that were considered ‘controversial’ in the sense that they were not defined consistently. Using more than 25 sources (dictionaries, lexicons, The National Medical Library and related organizations' websites), the Working Group recorded as many different definitions as possible for each term. After analysis, they narrowed the terms down to ten terms. This article is a summary of their findings.

ISPOR Managed Care Outcomes Research Database

Prepared by: Dennis Raisch RPh, PhD, Associate Director, VA Cooperative Studies Program, Clinical Research Pharmacy and Norman Carroll PhD, Professor of Pharmacy Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, Lynda Bryant Comstock, Manager - Environment & Policy, GlaxoSmithKline, David Holdford MS, PhD, RPh, Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University, Dana Hurley PharmD, Pharmacy Manager, Premera Blue Cross, Bhavik Pandya PharmD, Graduate Student, Auburn University, Nick Poulios PhD, Sr. Director - Head, US & Global Marketing/R&D, Baxter Bioscience, Richard Radzin PharmD, RPh Manager, Clinical Development & Information Resources, Caremark, Michael Schaffer MBA, PharmD, Director of Health Policy & Clinical Outcomes, Health Partners, Sonali Shah MBA, MS, RPh, Manager, Pfizer, Sunshine Sommers MS, RPh, Pharmaceutical Outcomes Evaluator, Group Health Cooperative

The ISPOR Managed Care Outcomes Research Database was developed, using U.S. National Library of Medicine database, by searching for articles with the term, managed care program, combined with the following outcomes assessment terms (outcomes assessment, cost/cost analysis/economics, quality of life, attitude toward health, compliance/adherence) and/or the following managed care services terms (formulary, drug utilization review (DUR), pharmaceutical preparation, drug therapy, pharmaceutical services, home infusion, patient education, disease management, provider practice management). This ISPOR Managed Care Outcomes Research Database contains information from 1992 to 2003.

Let’s Get Talking…New Initiatives to Facilitate Communication among ISPOR Researchers

Published in: ISPOR CONNECTIONS, Vol. 10, No. 5: October 15, 2004
By Elinor Chumney MS, PhD Chair, Research Network Working Group, Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy, Medical University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy 

To encourage research communication and networking opportunities, the Managed Care SIG Research Network Working Group conducted a research communication survey of ISPOR members to ascertain interest and feedback on proposed initiatives to improve communication at the ISPOR Annual Meeting and European Congress and online.  This article summaries the finding of this survey.