ISPOR's Work
ISPOR's mission is to advance health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) excellence to improve healthcare decision making for patients around the globe. Our vision is for a world where healthcare is accessible, effective, efficient, and affordable for all.
What we believe in...
Improving healthcare decisions.
We believe that every healthcare decision should be informed by the best scientific research derived from rigorous, proven methodologies.
Considering viewpoints from all stakeholders.
We believe that by including a wide variety of stakeholder viewpoints, we can best serve our members and stakeholders across more than 100 countries worldwide. As a global resource of unbiased information and as a catalyst for innovation the the field of HEOR, ISPOR's membership includes researchers and academicians, assessors and regulators, payers and policymakers, the life sciences industry, healthcare providers, and patient engagement organizations.
Fostering leadership through collaboration.
We believe that we are building a better ISPOR together. We work collaboratively with members to develop consensus-driven reports that set the standard for good practices in HEOR.
Shaping the future through innovation.
We believe that HEOR can transform healthcare. ISPOR is leading at a time when solid approaches to decision making are more important than ever.
The Growing Importance of HEOR
Healthcare systems globally are struggling. As governments and other payers increasingly grapple with how to provide the best possible health outcomes at affordable costs, interest in the understanding and application of HEOR has grown dramatically. ISPOR is dedicated to the goal of improving healthcare decision and has served as an unbiased resource and catalyst for innovation in the field for more than 30 years.
ISPOR's History
ISPOR was established in 1995 by a small group of dedicated volunteers and visionaries with the goal of serving as a catalyst to advance the science and practice of health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) around the world. The Society was originally known as the Association for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (APOR) and led by its founding Executive Director, Marilyn Dix Smith, PhD.
As the field of HEOR has grown, so has ISPOR. The Society's membership has expanded from just 240 members at its founding to nearly 18,000 individual and chapter members from more than 100 countries worldwide. As a multistakeholder organization, the Society's membership includes a wide variety of healthcare stakeholders, including researchers and academicians, assessors and regulators, payers and policy makers, the life sciences industry, healthcare providers, and patient engagement organizations.
ISPOR's Offerings and Resources
ISPOR is the leading source for scientific conferences, peer-reviewed and indexed publications, good practices guidance, education, collaboration, and tools/resources in the HEOR field.
Serving its multistakeholder membership, the Society offers:
Scientific Conferences
ISPOR's global scientific conferences convene key healthcare decision makers and thought leaders in the field and include:
ISPOR
An annual international conference and member meeting that convenes more than 4000 registrants and is held annually in North America.
ISPOR Europe
An annual conference that convenes more than 5000 registrants to discuss the challenges facing the healthcare systems across Europe.
Summits
Smaller, topically focused conferences that concentrate on specialized topics in the field of HEOR (eg, value assessment frameworks, real-world evidence).
View Upcoming Conferences
Publications
ISPOR publishes 2 peer-reviewed and indexed publications, an HEOR magazine, and an HEOR news site.
Value in Health
Value in Health, the Society's preeminent HEOR journal is a highly ranked publication that circulates to 55,000+ readers around the world. The journal's 5-year impact factor score is 5.7 and it is ranked 5th of 124 journals in Health Policy & Services; 12th of 185 journals in Health Care Sciences & Services; and 37th of 617 journals in Economics.
Value in Health Regional Issues
Value in Health Regional Issues is also peer-reviewed and indexed. It publishes regional advancements in health economics and outcomes research.
Value & Outcomes Spotlight
Value & Outcomes Spotlight is a bimonthly HEOR magazine that features articles on timely HEOR topics, methodological and health policy.
HEOR News Desk
ISPOR's HEOR News Desk aggregates HEOR-focused news articles from a variety of news sources around the world.
Good Practices Reports
ISPOR has earned an international reputation for research excellence based, in part on its Good Practices Reports. These highly cited reports are expert consensus guidance recommendations on good practice standards for research and on the use of this research in healthcare decision making. All ISPOR Good Practices Reports are published in the Society’s scientific journal, Value in Health, and are made freely available as part of the Society’s mission.
HEOR Tools and Resources
In addition to ISPOR's Good Practices Reports, the Society offers a number of other valuable tools and resources that are all freely available as part of its mission to advance the field of HEOR.
Education and Training
ISPOR's Essential HEOR Education offerings provide training in a wide array of topics that span all professional levels. Offerings include:
ISPOR Education Center
The ISPOR Education Center provides access to HEOR education with on-demand programs delivered through a personalized, powerful, and flexible learning platform.
HEOR Learning LabTMLearning
ISPOR's HEOR Learning Lab offers unlimited, on-demand educational video content on a wide variety of HEOR topics to facilitate learning and innovative approaches in the field.
HEOR Short Courses
The ISPOR HEOR Short Course Program is offered at ISPOR conferences as well as virtually with more than 60 half- to full-day courses offered annually.
Webinars
ISPOR also offers live and on-demand webinars on a wide variety of HEOR topics.
Collaboration
ISPOR serves as a convener and catalyst for innovation in the field of HEOR through its working groups, councils, roundtables, and global engagement groups.
Research and Scientific Excellence
ISPOR has restructured its Health Science Policy Council to engage more members to play an active role in shaping the Society’s content development strategies. Every ISPOR council, committee, and group is now represented and actively contributing to the Health Science Policy Council’s various committees. Additionally, the Health Science Policy Council is resourced (with both volunteers and staff) to respond to public calls for comment and to assist other ISPOR groups in strengthening our scientific programs and conferences.
Communications
ISPOR launched a new website to help increase the awareness, understanding, and use of HEOR for individuals in the broader healthcare audience. ISPOR's award winning HEOR Explained site features video, infographics, and information that explains the vital role of HEOR in health and healthcare.
ISPOR—A Nonprofit 501(c)(3) Organization
ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (also known as International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, Inc) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) public organization for educational and scientific purposes, as defined by the United States Internal Revenue Service. The Society’s mission is to advance health economics and outcomes research excellence to improve decision making for health globally. ISPOR welcomes participation from individuals and organizations that share its mission, including academic institutions; public and private health insurers; governments; patient organizations; biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical devices and diagnostics companies; and nongovernmental organizations. Financial support for ISPOR's core operations are membership dues, conference revenue (registration, exhibits, and sponsorship). Corporate, government, and nonprofit sponsors are welcome and are recognized by the Society in conference brochures and other postings. Conference content, including contributed issue panels, workshops, research sessions, and plenary sessions are determined by independent evaluators selected from the diverse membership of the Society. These review processes are wholly independent from financial support. ISPOR retains the right to exclude sponsors or programs that do not reflect its mission and values. The Society adheres to the principles on conflict of interest promulgated by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and adopts core content from their recommendations for all submissions to its conferences and, journals (Value in Health, Value in Health Regional Issues, and Values & Outcomes Spotlight). All contributors to public presentations at its conference and to ISPOR-publications must declare sources of support and potential conflicts of interest.