Audience and Publication Profiles in HEOR Research: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Coronary Artery Disease Studies in 2024

Author(s)

Yunyu Huang, PhD1, Irene Escudero, PhD2, Irina Milanova, PhD2, Marie Vidal, PhD2, Remon van den Broek, PhD3, Rosie Morland, PhD4;
1Excerpta Medica, Value Communications Director, Amstelveen, Netherlands, 2Excerpta Medica, Amstelveen, Netherlands, 3Adelphi Group, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 4Adelphi Group, London, United Kingdom
OBJECTIVES: Understanding the audience of Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) publications is crucial for aligning research focus and dissemination strategies with stakeholder needs. By identifying how HEOR insights are consumed and applied, strategic audience alignment can enhance research impact, ensuring that findings are accessible, actionable, and influential in healthcare decision-making. We analyzed the focus and dissemination patterns of HEOR articles, and the characteristics of journals publishing them, to provide recommendations for optimizing alignment between research outputs and their intended impact.
METHODS: This cross-sectional literature study analyzed HEOR articles on two globally prevalent diseases with distinct treatment and management profiles: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC; life-threatening, varying prognosis) and coronary artery disease (CAD; chronic and progressive, manageable with early intervention). A comprehensive search (January-December, 2024) per ISPOR's good practices was conducted in Embase®. Articles were categorized by focus (health economics [HE], observational studies [OR], systematic reviews/meta-analyses [SR/MA]). We also explored journal characteristics: impact factor (IF), target audience (clinical, HEOR-specific, multidisciplinary), society affiliations, geographic levels.
RESULTS: 3,213 articles (NSCLC:439; CAD:2,774) published in 1,221 unique journals (NSCLC:224; CAD:997) were analyzed. The majority (69.5%) reported OR studies (NSCLC:60.6%; CAD:70.9%), with 17.9% SR/MA (NSCLC:13.4%; CAD:18.6%), and 3.8% HE studies (NSCLC:4.1%; CAD:3.8%). Among 203 journals publishing ≥4 HEOR articles, most (90.6%) were clinical journals (multidisciplinary:5.9%; HEOR:3.4%) with a median IF of 3.1; 33% were affiliated with academic societies and had higher IFs (median:4.9 vs non-society:2.9). Most journals had a global focus (89.2%).
CONCLUSIONS: This analysis highlights the potential value of audience alignment in HEOR communication, as evidenced by the focus of most HEOR publications on OR and targeting a global clinical audience. Society-led journals emerge as influential platforms, offering higher IFs for disseminating high-quality HEOR research. Our findings reinforce the need to integrate real-world evidence and HE insights into tailored dissemination strategies that drive decision-making across diverse stakeholders.

Conference/Value in Health Info

2025-05, ISPOR 2025, Montréal, Quebec, CA

Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S1

Code

OP11

Topic

Organizational Practices

Topic Subcategory

Best Research Practices, Industry

Disease

STA: Multiple/Other Specialized Treatments

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