The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the world, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives, placing healthcare systems and front-line caregivers under intense strain, and producing economic ruin along the way. What started as a mad scramble to mitigate disease transmission via hand washing, social distancing, and self-isolation, in the hopes that these efforts would be short-lived and our sense of normalcy quickly restored, has gradually given way to the sobering realization that none of this will be short in duration and an as yet to be defined “new normal” lies ahead.
In the meantime, life goes on and adjustments are made. ISPOR is an organization that was founded to bring like-minded people together to discuss all aspects of value and affordability in healthcare. But in a time in which conventional notions of “bringing people together” are impracticable, adjustments are made and so our Society recently convened its first fully remote, digitally enabled conference, called “Virtual ISPOR 2020.” And you know what? It was amazingly good! The conference experience was completely transformed—what was lost in terms of in-person interaction was offset by some exciting new surprises, such as the ability to view all the sessions (even those running in parallel) and the opportunity to engage presenters in questions and answers in real time. As always, the scientific content was top notch.
Value & Outcomes Spotlight continues to adjust as well. Part of our “new normal” is that we are recognizing that the pandemic impacts pretty much everything in the health sector, including the conduct of health economics and outcomes research.
So, we are looking to provide a COVID-19 overlay on each of our themes to bring the topic into sharper focus for present day circumstances. This issue’s theme is innovative pricing models and our feature article lays out the fundamental concepts and mechanisms, describes manufacturer and payer perspectives, and identifies data requirements and data collection challenges related to implementation. We also provide an interview with Roger Longman, a subject matter expert on risk-sharing arrangements, and we specifically asked him to comment on things from the standpoint of the current pandemic. Can we expect a major impact? Turn to his Q&A to find out. On a final note, this issue of Value & Outcomes Spotlight is the last on which I will have functioned as Editor-in-Chief. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with a wide variety of truly outstanding people during the 12+ years I have been in this role, including the ISPOR staff, the editorial advisory board, and the various content contributors. Many thanks to all of you! Overseeing the creation and growth of this publication has been extremely gratifying and I look forward to supporting the next Editor-in-Chief in taking Value & Outcomes Spotlight to new heights.
I also look forward to connecting with friends and colleagues throughout the ISPOR community as circumstances permit us to do so safely. Let’s hope that “new normal” comes very soon.
Sincerely,
David Thompson, PhD
Editor-in-Chief,
Value & Outcomes Spotlight