ISPOR’s 17th Annual European Congress is scheduled for 8-12 November 2014 in Amsterdam. OHE’s Adrian Towse is current President of ISPOR and involved in several sessions. Important research on a range of topics will be presented by other members of the OHE team, summarised briefly in this post. Please feel free to contact any of the OHE team members listed for additional information.

Impact of the National Institute of Care and Excellence (NICE)

The international effects of NICE

1.            Do NICE Decisions Affect Decisions in Other Countries? Karla Hernandez-Villafuerte (presenting), Martin Garau and Nancy Devlin [all OHE]

Based on 29 pairs of medicines or indications, this poster presents research that explored the extent of NICE’s impact. Information was collected from publicly available sources and an online survey. The countries included are Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Korea, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ecuador, Egypt and Ghana. (PHP86, 10 Nov, 15:30–19:30)

NICE’s effect on innovation and access to medical technologies

2.            Are the UK Systems of Innovation and Evaluation of Medical Devices Compatible? Amanda Chapman (OHE, presenting), Celia Taylor (University of Birmingham) and Alan Girling (University of Birmingham)

Innovation in medical devices and appropriate approaches to their evaluation are not the same as for pharmaceuticals. With this in mind, NICE created the Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme (MTEP) in 2009. This poster presents research that evaluates MTEP’s impact by comparing guidance output to date with NICE’s stated objectives in establishing the programme. (PHP239, 10 Nov, 15:30–19:30)

NICE’s impact on technology choices in health care systems

3.            Opportunity Costs of Implementing NICE Decisions in NHS Wales. Sarah Karlsberg Schaffer (OHE, presenting), Jon Sussex (OHE), Dyfrig Hughes (Bangor University) and Nancy Devlin (OHE)

This poster examines how Local Health Boards (LHBs) in Wales adjust spending to meet the statutory requirement of providing access to technologies recommended by NICE within three months after NICE publishes a Technology Appraisal. Based on interviews with medical and/or finance directors of the seven Wales LHBs, the study covers the period from October 2010 through March 2013. (PHP109, 10 Nov, 15:30–19:30)

For a recent version of the study, click here.

Methods: understanding NICE’s approaches to assessment

4.            Value-based Assessment for NICE: How to Do the Calculations. Discussion Leaders: Jeanette Kusel (Costello Medical Consulting Ltd), Meindert Boysen (NICE), Koonal K. Shah (OHE) and Anthony J Hatswell (BresMed)

This workshop originally intended to explain calculations for estimating ‘absolute QALY shortfall’ and ‘proportional QALY shortfall’, two possible measures of burden of illness in NICE’s value-based assessment proposals. NICE since has put this approach on hold. The workshop will focus on the research that provided the arguments for the proposals. (W5, 10 Nov, 16:45–17:45)

Effect on patients’ access to new technologies

5.            Measuring Extent of Access for NICE Health Technology Assessment Decisions: Trends from 2008 to 2013. Phill O’Neill (presenting) and Nancy Devlin [both OHE]

Using 201 NICE decisions between 2008 and 2013, this research analyses NICE’s recommendations for partial use of a product (“optimising” or “restricting” its use within the licensed indication) setting out the proportion of potential patients for which NICE actually recommended access. (PHP 220, 10 Nov, 15:30–19:30)