OBJECTIVES : RWE use is emerging across the decision-making process worldwide, and their application is becoming accepted by regulators and payers in the United States (US) and Europe (EU). However, the uptake of RWE in Latin America (LATAM) is not as common as in the US and EU. We aim to assess LATAM key stakeholders RWE understanding, acceptability and use through a semi-structured online survey.

METHODS : A cross-sectional, semi-structured anonymised online survey was undertaken between June-November 2020. 109 members from the ISPOR Latin America Consortium database were selected to participate. Written consent was obtained before participation. Participants were allowed to roll out the survey to other potential candidates. Descriptive statistics were used for categorical questions and qualitative data analysis was used for open-ended questions

RESULTS : Of the 109 targeted sample, 15 (14%) responded, of which 10 (9%) were considered for the analysis (4 were disqualified and 1 was incomplete). Most of the participants (80%) have >5 years working in Health Technology Assessment (HTA) or decision-making. The top three most preferred Real World Data (RWD) for HTA assessment were safety or pharmacovigilance (60%), cost or economic burden (60%) and use of healthcare resources (50%). The most available RWD for HTA reported was disease epidemiology and patients characteristics (40%). Frequent barriers faced in the collection and use of RWD included poor data quality, unclear understanding of RWE applications, and lack of clear policies and procedures on RWD access and protection.

CONCLUSIONS : Although with a limited sample size, this study provided a more defined and updated view of RWE in Latin America. The findings, which matches data published from stakeholder interviews, build momentum to continue in-depth explorations to achieve a better understanding of the current landscape of RWE/RWD in LATAM, as well as its opportunities and challenges.