(Princeton, NJ USA December 22, 2014) - The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) released comments about its
17th Annual European Congress which drew record-breaking attendance in Amsterdam from November 10-12, 2014. More than 4,800 researchers, decision makers, and health technology assessors from over 80 countries gathered at ISPOR’s largest meeting to date. The three-day congress was preceded by two days of educational short courses that attracted over 2,900 short course registrations, “supporting the need for education and information-sharing,” said Nancy S. Berg, ISPOR CEO & Executive Director.
Plenary sessions at ISPOR meetings are known for attracting key thought leaders from research and academia, as well as regulatory heads and invited industry representatives, and this year’s European Congress did not disappoint. Experts in health economics and outcomes research presented on such topics as: “
Creating Sustainable Health System in Europe”; “
Earlier Access to Innovation”; and “
Health Care Evidence: Can We Get to the Real World?” A common theme expressed by this year’s plenary speakers included a call for more open dialog and education among all stakeholders as well as common practices and a greater sense of urgency--all of which are paramount to bringing the right drugs to patients. Attendees were reminded that the safest drug that no one can afford, or that arrives too late, is of no benefit. Berg added, “Achieving consensus on common methods and practices and informing policy makers, health care professionals, and patients is vitally important, making the role of ISPOR meetings and discussions more critical than ever.”
Congress speakers from emerging countries described the challenges of evolving health systems, reporting that progress is being made; however, difficulties remain in creating more progressive health care systems in unjust societies. Regulatory representatives acknowledged that interagency collaboration is key for early access to innovations, and that the dialog between agencies needs to start very early in the process.
[pullquote]Achieving consensus on common methods and practices and informing policy makers, health care professionals, and patients is vitally important, making the role of ISPOR meetings and discussions more critical than ever. [/pullquote]
In addition to plenary sessions, ISPOR Amsterdam was host to dozens of hot topic discussions through ISPOR global groups such as Task Forces (TF), Special Interest Groups (SIG), and Regional Consortia, Networks, and Chapters. The
Second ISPOR Patient Representatives Roundtable and 23rd
ISPOR HTA Roundtable meetings included participation by researchers, related professional societies and groups, patients and government agencies, and policy makers from across Europe. Additional ISPOR groups, including over 1,000 participants from
ISPOR’s Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) Network, and members of the ISPOR Asia Consortium, ISPOR Africa Network, ISPOR Arabic Network, ISPOR Latin America Consortium, as well as attendees from throughout North America and Europe, presented on topics such as patient-reported outcomes, and held discussions on global health economics and outcomes research issues including approaches for informing policy makers and regulators on the latest methodologies and topics such as generic and biosimilar drug policies and the impact of parallel trade.
One significant project underway within the
ISPOR Africa Network is the development of a paper on the health and economic impact of the Ebola virus, due to be published in ISPOR’s scientific journal,
Value in Health Regional Issues, in
2015.
Presentations from the congress are available via the
Released Presentations page. Podium and Poster presentations are available via the
Scientific Presentations Database. For additional highlights from the Congress see ISPOR 2014-2015 President, Adrian Towse's, "
Reflections from Amsterdam," and “
ISPOR 17th Annual European Congress–New Challenges, New Frontiers!” both published in
ISPOR CONNECTIONS.
See what attendees were saying at the Congress searching
#ISPORAmst on Twitter.
The next ISPOR global meeting is scheduled for May 16-20, 2015 in Philadelphia, PA with featured plenary sessions on
the Learning Health Care System;
cost-effectiveness and clinical practice guidelines; and
big data, big systems, and better evidence. To attend the next ISPOR meeting, visit
ISPOR Philadelphia.
ABOUT ISPOR
The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) global headquarters located near Princeton, NJ USA is the world’s largest professional organization focused on pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research. Its total membership exceeds 16,500 in 120 countries worldwide. To learn more about the educational and scientific resources ISPOR offers, or to become a member, please visit:
www.ispor.org. Media Contact: Danielle Mroz, MA, Director, Communications, ISPOR (
dmroz@ispor.org).
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