What can a writer learn from ISPOR?

The International Society For Pharmacoeconomics And Outcomes Research (ISPOR)

ISPOR is the leading global professional society in pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research.
Founded in 1995 as an international multidisciplinary professional membership society, the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) advances the policy, science, and practice of pharmacoeconomics (health economics) and outcomes research (the scientific discipline that evaluates the effect of health care interventions on patient well-being including clinical, economic, and patient-centered outcomes). ​

Writing about healthcare with an appreciable degree of granularity is going to take resources, tools, and a multi-perspective appreciation of value demonstration, policy considerations, economic evaluation, and stakeholder decision making. If that sounds like a tall order--it is.

Thinking back only a few years, an appreciation of science and the ability to communicate technical medical information in a cohesive and comprehensive narrative served up many a medical writing career.

To be sure there were scientists that couldn't write and writers that couldn't science but if you were lucky to find your niche it was possible to have a rewarding career working for industry, academic science, medical education, even advertising. If you are like me, you transitioned through all of the above and maybe now you are an independent consultant, entrepreneur, speaker, or freelance writer.

Here is the rub. The healthcare ecosystem is challenged with a complete evolution from a broken system of fee-for-service to a sort of frankenstein version of progress as value-frameworks are pasted over a gasping and collapsing skeleton. No matter if you grabbed a MSc, PhD, or MD--this is not the same context. The bench and the doctor-patient relationship have evolved. We all need to keep asking questions, questioning answers, and learning from a variety of angles.

How do we define "value" and from which perspective? Payer? Healthcare provider? Patient? Industry? Population? This is the super highway of information exchange--we can't afford to stay in our lane.

Measuring the Value of Prescription Drugs
Peter J. Neumann, Sc.D., and Joshua T. Cohen, Ph.D. N Engl J Med 2015; 373:2595-2597December 31, 2015DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1512009

Let's start a dialogue as we review some of the concepts reported at ISPOR this past week. If you prefer to benchmark your knowledge and review HEOR and pharmacoeconomics principles sign up for a deeper dive.

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A writer's guide to understanding health economics