Assessing Real-Word Data Quality From Electronic Health Records for HTA: Good Practices Task Force Preliminary Recommendations

The increasing availability of electronic health records (EHR) provides new opportunities to improve and refine health technology assessments (HTAs). One of the most compelling aspects of EHR-derived real-world data (RWD) is their ability to define real-world patient populations with high degrees of clinical specificity relative to other real-world databases, such as insurance claims or registries. EHRs capture most major clinical factors that clinicians consider when making therapy choices in practice, as well as diagnostic result information that guides decision making.

However, there are issues that are unique to EHR-derived RWD that must be considered to ensure that evidence generated from them is suitable for decision making. Moreover, there are no agreed upon data quality guidelines for including EHR-derived data in evidence reports or for HTA groups reviewing those reports. To address this gap, ISPOR established a task force to develop emerging good practices for the use and interpretation of EHR-derived RWD for HTA.

During the presentation, speakers will summarize the task force’s framework for understanding the suitability of EHR data for HTA. The framework adopts a proportionate risk-based approach that depends on the use case and decision context. Key elements include data provenance and data fitness for purpose, the latter focusing on reliability and relevance for decision making. Panel members will present the ISPOR Suitability of EHR Data (SUITED) Checklist for HTA Evidence Developers, and proposed policy recommendations to help improve the usability of EHRs for HTA bodies and other decision makers.

Following a discussion of research priorities, the panel will host a Q & A session on the checklist and recommendations. Presented by the ISPOR Use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in HTA Task Force