E.V.I.dently October 2020

This month marks the last time you’ll see E.V.I.dently® in its current format and layout. That’s because we’re working on some exciting changes to our e-newsletters and website, with an eye toward unveiling those changes soon after the new year.

Infographic of healthcare related icons and illustrations

NPC Now: A Look at Our Latest Work

The Benefits of Using Real-World Evidence

In an interview with Value & Outcomes Spotlight, Jennifer Graff, PharmD, NPC Vice President of Comparative Effectiveness Research, describes what the broader use of real-world data and evidence could mean for patients, providers, payers and the pharmaceutical industry, from helping to reduce clinical trials time to exploring potential new cures. Read the full interview on the magazine’s website.

Why Improving Patient-Reported Measures in Oncology Should Matter to Payers

How can payers advance patient-reported measures in oncology, and why should we care? Payers play a critical role in promoting high-value patient care, and patient reported measures (PRMs) and performance measures (PR-PMs) are key to bringing patient voices into value-based care and payment. New peer-reviewed research led by NPC and Discern-Health (a W2O company), along with co-authors Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, director, Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, and Ethan Basch, MD, MSc, director, Cancer Outcomes Research Program, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, outlines a call to action for payers.

The article, “Improving patient-reported measures in oncology: a payer call to action,” describes the current state of PRMs and PR-PMs in oncology, barriers to implementation, and actionable recommendations for public and private payers to improve the appropriate use of these measures in oncology value-based payment programs. See the summary on NPC’s website and read the full study in the Journal of Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy.

NPC Welcomes New Director of Alliance Development and Education

NPC announced that Virginia Sweeter, CMP, will serve as the director of alliance development and education. In this new role, she is responsible for the growth and engagement of partnerships and alliances, as well as the development, design and implementation of educational programs and events in support of NPC’s mission. Before joining NPC, Ms. Sweeter served as the director of convening for the Pharmacy Quality Alliance and previously consulted with NPC, providing assistance with the Going Below The Surface Forum and events.

Other Research and Info

Tackling the Real Drivers of Health Spending

In recent years, there’s been a lot of finger-pointing at various health care sectors over which industry to fault for higher spending and costs. While there is enough blame to go around, data from the Kaiser Family Foundation digs deeper into some of the primary expenses by analyzing 2018 health spending per capita in the U.S. compared to economically similar countries. Researchers found that outpatient and inpatient services accounted for the largest share of U.S. spending – totaling an average of $6,624 per person – while spending in other countries only added up to $2,718 per person. Read more.

ICYMI: Articles of Note

  • Esmail LC, et al. Improving Comparative Effectiveness Research of Complex Health Interventions: Standards from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). October 2020, Journal of General Internal Medicine
     
  • Ramsey SD, et al. Using Electronic Health Record Data to Identify Comparator Populations for Comparative Effectiveness Research. October 2020, Journal of Medical Economics
     
  • Arterburn DE, et al. Translating Stakeholder-Driven Comparative Effectiveness Research into Practice: The PCORnet Bariatric Study. October 2020, Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research

Events and Education

Panel: Moving from Low Value to High Value Care

NPC Vice President of Health Services Research Kimberly Westrich, MA, will participate in a panel discussion about low value care on Nov. 10 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET at the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions (National Alliance) 2020 Annual Forum. She will talk about key strategies and practical insights to drive scalable innovation and improvement in health and value. This event brings together thought leaders, policymakers and key health care experts from across the country to share their expertise on the emerging trends, innovations, and opportunities in the changing marketplace. Register on the National Alliance website.

Webinar: Bang for the Buck: How Health Care Innovation Affects Life Expectancy and Patient Well-Being

NPC and The American Journal of Managed Care are hosting a webinar on health care spending on Nov. 10 from 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. ET. Speakers include:

  • Moderator: Robert W. Dubois, MD, PhD, Interim President and CEO, NPC
  • Mariam Alboustani, RPh, Clinical Pharmacy Manager, Medicare Pharmacy Services, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
  • Jason Buxbaum, MHSA, PhD, Candidate, Program in Health Policy, Harvard University
  • Michael Ciarametaro, MBA, Vice President, Research, NPC
  • David Cutler, PhD, Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics, Harvard University

Please check NPC’s website for coming details.

Webinar on Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA)

The National Health Council-NPC webinar, “Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA): Can It Help Make Value Assessment More Patient-Centered?,” will be held on Thursday, Nov. 19 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET. The webinar will introduce MCDA and describe the opportunities and challenges that emerged during a Roundtable on Patient-Centered MCDA hosted earlier this year. Register via NHC’s website.