ISPOR Speaks

Isao Kamae, MD, DrPH, ISPOR President, 2021–2022, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

I am truly honored to be serving as ISPOR President for 2021–2022. As ISPOR’s first President from Asia, it is a special honor for me to represent all members and perspectives within ISPOR.

Many are accustomed to seeing the Atlantic-centric view of the world. I vividly remember when Federico Augustovski—the first ISPOR President from Latin America—addressed the membership, as he referenced “World Map Upside-Down,” the artwork that depicted Latin America at the top of the map. And of course, some of us—the Japanese and Asians—are more familiar with this Pacific-centric view of the world. This is another example of how the world can be viewed very differently, depending on your perspective and view.

 

As ISPOR President, I am an ambassador for all members and perspectives. I look
forward to discussions with regional leaders from chapters, consortia, and networks. These members represent ISPOR in all corners of the world and have access to local information and feedback, which is essential as ISPOR continues to expand not only its geographic footprint, but its perspectives and priorities.

When I was running for ISPOR President and developed my vision statement as part of the election process, Gaugin’s painting, “Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?” resonated with me.

Where Do We Come From?
ISPOR has been trusted and respected for more than 25 years as the global leader in health economics and outcomes research (HEOR). The first entity of ISPOR globalization was the Asia Consortium established in 2005. Its success has driven ISPOR to develop additional regional groups. The Latin America Consortium launched after the Asian model, with the Central and Eastern Europe Consortium, Africa Network, and Arabic Network following.

What Are We?
ISPOR is committed to its mission to promote HEOR excellence to improve healthcare decisions globally. Currently, we find the Society’s membership includes about 14,000 individual and chapter members representing more than 100 countries worldwide. Such great success for ISPOR is achieved by enhancing the organizational values with its 4 strategic pillars: Scientific and Research Excellence; Communication and Collaboration; Education and Training; and Member Engagement.

Where Are We Going?
ISPOR is continuing to implement its strategic plan to drive innovation in this new era of HEOR. I celebrate the ISPOR Strategic Plan Update 2024 as it moves towards the next stage of its evolution. To make it a reality, many challenges remain in significantly changing environments of healthcare in the world. These include: innovative but expensive technology; artificial intelligence application; advanced bioengineering; aging society; global warming; and others. Working with the ISPOR community, we will challenge the strategic plan to find the best solutions for healthcare in the world.

Regarding those questions prompted by Gauguin, I present 6 key words using ISPOR for my theme as your President:

ISPOR Is Involved: Its members stay involved in the global HEOR community through the Society. Our virtual events are leading scientific programs and through member participation, we strengthen ISPOR’s ability to share leading research.

ISPOR Is Scientific: The Society drives the strategic scientific agenda in the field of HEOR through a new science strategy and the involvement of thousands of experts.

ISPOR Is Professional: ISPOR is the leading professional society for HEOR globally. We have a strong roadmap for the future that builds on the input of many stakeholders.

ISPOR Is Outstanding: The Society supports outstanding achievement in the field of HEOR. Our awards program confers acknowledgment of leading work globally, expanded with a new award for members reflecting HEOR excellence in low- and middle-income countries.

ISPOR Is Resilient: The Society has been driving innovation in the field for more than 25 years. Moreover, ISPOR is coming through a very difficult challenge as Jens Grueger, PhD, the former ISPOR President, launched the “new normal” with a digital program platform in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Society has taken advantage of opportunities during times of change and I am pleased to work with an outstanding Board of Directors and staff in maintaining this course. 

Finally, I leave you with an old Japanese proverb with 4 Kanji characters:

 

 

(pronounced “on-co-chy-shin”). It literally means “Visiting Old; Learn New,” which refers to the importance of learning the lessons of the past, while also embracing the future. As ISPOR and HEOR continue to drive innovation and shape the future of healthcare, we will be well served to remember this.