ISPOR Journal Value in Health Releases Themed Section on GenAI Applications, With Select Authors Receiving PhRMA Foundation Awards
Lawrenceville, NJ, USA—November 6, 2025—The PhRMA Foundation and ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research announced today the publication of a special themed section of research papers that explores the dynamic intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and health economics and outcomes research (HEOR). Additionally, the PhRMA Foundation will provide $5000 Trainee Challenge Awards to 4 first authors whose papers appear in the themed section.
Guest editors for the themed section are Jaime Caro, MCDM, FRCPC, FACP Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA and McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Jagpreet Chhatwal, PhD, Institute for Technology Assessment, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; and Rachael L. Fleurence, PhD, Value Analytics Labs, Boston, MA, USA. The series was published in the November 2025 issue of Value in Health.
"Generative AI (GenAI) is moving at lightning speed," noted Caro, Chhatwal, and Fleurence in their opening editorial. “For researchers in HEOR, this precipitous pace presents exhilarating opportunities but also many challenges and concerns. The creation of health economic models is being reimagined, evidence synthesis is being automated, and many other tasks are being reshaped—often before we have had time to understand and validate the latest breakthrough. This themed section spotlights how these technologies are not just enhancing existing methodologies but redefining them entirely.”
"Through our Challenge Award competitions with journals like Value in Health, we strive to encourage and amplify the voices of early career investigators in important areas of research," said PhRMA Foundation President Amy M. Miller, PhD, in a second editorial that highlights the awarded papers. "These trainee first authors are future leaders in HEOR, and the Foundation is pleased to recognize their expertise in tackling such a pressing and challenging topic."
Eight Papers Explore 4 Key Topics
The themed section includes 8 research papers exploring 4 key topics:
Topic 1: The use of GenAI to aid literature reviews
- “Validating Loon Lens 1.0 for Autonomous Abstract Screening and Confidence‑Guided Human‑in‑The‑Loop Workflows in Systematic Reviews,” by G Janoudi, M Uzun, T Disher, and colleagues
- "Use of Large Language Models to Extract Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Data: A Case Study,” by X Gu, H Zhang, D Patil, Z Zafari, JF Slejko, and E Onukwugha [PhRMA Foundation Award Recipient]
- “The ‘Artificial Intelligence Statistician’: Utilizing Generative Artificial Intelligence to Select an Appropriate Model and Execute Network Meta-Analyses,” by T Reason, Y Wu, C Jones, E Benbow, K Johannesen, and B Malcolm
- “A4SLR: An Agentic AI-Assisted Systematic Literature Review Framework to Augment Evidence Synthesis for HEOR and HTA,” by K Lee, H Paek, N Ofoegbu, and colleagues
- “Role of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Assisting Systematic Review Process in Health Research: A Systematic Review,” by M Rashid, CS Yi, T Sathapanasiri, and colleagues [PhRMA Foundation Award Recipient]
Topic 2: Automating adaptations to health economic models
- “Generative Artificial Intelligence to Automate the Adaptation of Excel Health Economic Models and Word Technical Reports,” by W Rawlinson, S Teitsson, T Reason, B Malcolm, A Gimblett, and SL Klijn
Topic 3: Generating synthetic patient data
- “Roles of AI-Based Synthetic Data in Health Economics and Outcomes Research,” by TC Lai and S Ngorsuraches [PhRMA Foundation Award Recipient]
Topic 4: Public preferences regarding AI in mobile health applications
- “Unravelling Public Preferences for the Use of Artificial Intelligence Mobile Health Applications in Australia,” by V Vo, M Woode, S Carter, C Degeling, and G Chen [PhRMA Foundation Award Recipient]
Related ISPOR Working Group Papers
In addition, although not formally part of the special themed section, the ISPOR Working Group on Generative AI has published 3 related papers that address the need for taxonomy and terminology, provide an overview of the field, and propose reporting guidelines:
- “A Taxonomy of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Health Economics and Outcomes Research: An ISPOR Working Group Report,” by RL Fleurence, X Wang, J Bian, and colleagues
- “Generative Artificial Intelligence for Health Technology Assessment: Opportunities, Challenges, and Policy Considerations—An ISPOR Working Group Report,” by RL Fleurence, J Bian, X Wang, and colleagues
- “ELEVATE-GenAI: Reporting Guidelines for the Use of Large Language Models in Health Economics and Outcomes Research: An ISPOR Working Group Report,” by RL Fleurence, D Dawoud, J Bian, and colleagues
"Looking ahead, GenAI is poised to evolve from assisting with repetitive tasks to providing more autonomous analytic capabilities in HEOR,” noted the themed section editors. “Future AI tools will increasingly act as evidence partners. Integration into regulatory and HTA frameworks will demand new standards for acceptable use, alongside focused efforts to mitigate bias and build public confidence. As GenAI continues to accelerate, the imperative for the HEOR community is not only to adapt but to critically evaluate, guide, and shape its application. Staying current is no longer sufficient; staying relevant requires a proactive engagement with the tools and questions that will define the future of health economics and ultimately our future "
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ABOUT THE PHRMA FOUNDATION
The PhRMA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that fosters biopharmaceutical innovation and value-driven health care by investing in the frontiers of research. The Foundation catalyzes the careers of promising researchers through competitive, peer-reviewed grants and fellowships in the fields of drug delivery, drug discovery, translational medicine, and value assessment and health outcomes research.
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ABOUT ISPOR
ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR), is an international, multistakeholder, nonprofit dedicated to advancing HEOR excellence to improve decision making for health globally. The Society is the leading source for scientific conferences, peer-reviewed and MEDLINE®-indexed publications, good practices guidance, education, collaboration, and tools/resources in the field.
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ABOUT VALUE IN HEALTH
Value in Health (ISSN 1098-3015) is an international, indexed journal that publishes original research and health policy articles that advance the field of health economics and outcomes research to help healthcare leaders make evidence-based decisions. The journal’s current impact factor score is 6.0 and its 5-year impact factor score is 5.7. Value in Health is ranked 5th of 124 journals in Health Policy and Services, 12th of 185 journals in Health Care Sciences & Services, and 37th of 617 journals in Economics. Value in Health is a monthly publication that circulates to more than 55,000 readers around the world.
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