Interviews

Session speakers at the 2024 meeting of ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research share their favorite parts of the conference.

Chris Pagnani, MD, medical director and founder of Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates in Philadelphia, explains the importance of offering college students consistent care via telehealth while collaborating with their campus counseling centers.

Speakers at the 2024 American Urological Association (AUA) annual meeting highlighted the innovations and advancements that are pushing the field of urology forward.

New therapies being developed are moving into earlier lines of therapy, with the idea that most patients with early-stage prostate cancer will progress and need additional therapy later.

In the series debut episode of "Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity," Mary Sligh, CRNP, and Chelsea Chappars, of Allegheny Health Network, explain how the Urban Health Outreach program aims to improve health equity for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Phaedra Corso, PhD, associate vice president for research, Indiana University, discusses the importance of cost-effectiveness analysis in determining the feasibility and impact of public health interventions.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has potential to shift incentives for drug manufacturers and impact the amount of long-term evidence generated for approved drugs, said Julie Patterson, PharmD, PhD, senior director of research at the National Pharmaceutical Council.

William Padula, PhD, MSc, MS, assistant professor of pharmaceutical and health economics, University of California Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, discusses the benefits and advancements of cost-effectiveness analysis to improve decision-making and efficiency.

Michael Morse, MD, FACP, MHS, medical oncologist at Duke Cancer Center, explained gaps in care access and equity that must be addressed to ensure all patients with liver cancer can get the treatments they need.

Risk factors and prostate-specific antigen are both important when determining how to move forward with treatment, explained Angela Jia, MD, PhD, of University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Nancy Dreyer, PhD, MPH, FISE, chief scientific advisor to Picnic Health, shares some of the ways that direct-to-patient approaches have improved observational research.

There are increasingly more bladder-sparing strategies for patients with even aggressive bladder cancer, said Alexander Kutikov, MD, FACS, chair, Department of Urology, Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Kimberly Westrich, MA, of the National Pharmaceutical Council, explains how the 340B program is linked to increased drug spending and the hidden costs associated with it.

With more therapies available in bladder, kidney, and prostate cancers, collaboration among health care providers can help ensure patients are getting the most appropriate care for their type and stage of cancer, said Mary Dunn, MSN, NP-C, OCN, RN, of University of North Carolina.

Seth Berkowitz, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, discussed the challenges associated with developing a whole-person health index and potential solutions for the "wrong pocket" problem.

In 2024, the Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit celebrated 20 years and speakers highlighted the conversations around improving access and affordability taking place at the meeting.

Survey results from more than 1500 patients with diabetes revealed that 57% believed glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) weight loss drugs alone could be a "silver bullet" for managing their health goals.

Inma Hernandez, PharmD, PhD, professor at the University of California, San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, discussed the potential sources of savings associated with the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program.

In part 2 of our interview with Binod Dhakal, MD, he addresses how CARTITUDE-4 study findings help to advance the clinical understanding of ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) and the importance of vigilance and education on the treatment’s adverse effects.

There are many options to try for patients if one therapy doesn’t work, but there are challenges around getting new treatments into the clinic, said Joshua Meeks, MD, PhD, of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Dr William R Short discusses how clinical trials and treatment by a doctor should change with new treatment available and needed.

Patients with small or slow-growing tumors or those with comorbidities that make them higher risk are likely better candidates for active surveillance, explained Yuzhi Wang, MD, of Henry Ford Health Vattikuti Urology Institute.

Evolving treatment for bladder cancer is going to require a multidisciplinary team to ensure patients are receiving optimal care, said Neal D. Shore, MD, FACS, medical director of the Carolina Urologic Research Center.

Chesahna Kindred, MD, MBA, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist, Kindred Hair & Skin Center, discusses how to accurately represent findings from diverse populations and translate them into clinical practice.

In this interview, Chris Pagnani, MD, PC, shares how telemedicine is transforming mental health care by making psychiatry accessible for patients, especially for those in health care deserts.

Darius Lakdawalla, PhD, director of research, Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics at the University of Southern California, discusses the growing importance of value assessment in the US market, highlighting research gaps and the need for equitable access to prescription drugs, as a presenter at the ISPOR 2024 conference.

William R. Short, MD, MPH, of the University of Pennsylvania, discusses how a label update for bictegravir can help provide safe and effective HIV treatment for pregnant people.

While the novel payment models for expensive cell and gene therapies have been effective, they need to continue evolving, said Joe DePinto, MBA, of McKesson.