{"id":2091,"date":"2025-03-11T13:48:25","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T12:48:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.access2meds.eu\/?p=2091"},"modified":"2025-03-12T10:05:52","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T09:05:52","slug":"ascertain-newsletter-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.access2meds.eu\/ro\/ascertain-newsletter-4\/","title":{"rendered":"ASCERTAIN NEWSLETTER 4"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Dear readers,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to the fourth edition of the ASCERTAIN newsletter!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this issue, we are excited to highlight our efforts to make complex healthcare policies and pricing mechanisms more accessible. Over the past months, our consortium has continued to advance research on pricing models, reimbursement frameworks, and patient engagement \u2014all aimed at improving equitable access to innovative health technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of our key initiatives has been the „3 Things About” video series, designed to simplify crucial topics such as market access, cost-effectiveness, and reimbursement. In six videos Carin Uyl-de Groot and Frederick Thielen explain \u201cthree things you might not know about\u2026\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this edition, you will also find updates from our work packages, including progress on the ACCESS2MEDS framework, structured expert elicitation for cost-effectiveness analysis, and our efforts to refine access-based pricing models. Additionally, we showcase the vital role of patient engagement, ensuring that their perspectives remain at the core of our work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enjoy reading this newsletter!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your ASCERTAIN team<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MAKING HEALTHCARE COSTS UNDERSTANDABLE: TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND THE \u20183 THINGS ABOUT\u2019 VIDEO SERIES<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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What is your role at Erasmus University, and how does it relate to health technology assessment?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Frederick:<\/strong> As an assistant professor, my work is divided between teaching and research. Much of my time is dedicated to teaching courses such as HTA, advanced health economic modelling, and pharmaceutical pricing and market access. This covers everything from the fundamentals of how medicine prices are determined to advanced modelling techniques that assess whether new treatments are worth their ever-increasing costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my role as international programme director, I ensure that the curriculum of the European Health Economics and Management (Eu-HEM) Master\u2019s programme remains relevant, up-to-date, and intellectually stimulating for students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My research at Erasmus University focuses on advanced therapeutic medicinal products (ATMPs) and how to best assess their costs, effectiveness, and environmental impact. Did you know that we often might end up paying for expensive new medication but that the \u201cold\u201d cheaper treatment would have more effective for many patients?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

How do you see the value of online videos for learning?\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Frederick:<\/strong> From my teaching experience, I know that videos are a great way to facilitate learning and teaching – for both students and teachers. For students, the flexibility of on-demand content allows them to learn at their own pace, re-watch complex concepts, and even speed up playback during boring parts or those they find less challenging. And sometimes people in videos speak soooo slooow. Me included by the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For teachers, preparing videos can take more time initially, but it allows for better structuring of content and reduces the need to repeat the same information in every lecture. This frees up time for more interactive discussions, such as Q&A sessions, which enhance the learning experience. Ultimately, it is a win-win situation.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What was it like filming the „3 Things About” series, and what topics can viewers expect to learn about?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Frederick:<\/strong> Filming the series was great fun! The Erasmus Studio at Erasmus University is a fully equipped, professional recording studio, and the team working there is both highly skilled and fun to work with. Have you ever tried warming up your voice by repeatedly saying, „She sells seashells by the seashore”? It is harder than it sounds!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The videos cover key topics related to health economics, including reimbursement, cost-effectiveness, and market access. These are crucial for understanding how healthcare systems make decisions about which treatments to fund and how to allocate limited resources effectively.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Your videos focus on reimbursement, cost-effectiveness, and market access\u2014why are these topics so important for healthcare systems?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Frederick: <\/strong>Healthcare budgets are limited, and new treatments are continuously being developed\u2014often at very high costs. Decisions about reimbursement and market access determine which treatments are available to patients and at what cost to the system. If you look at life expectancy across Europe, you will still find huge differences between countries. Of course, there are many different factors influencing this and many of these factors are harder to influence than others. But how can we sit still when you can buy a happy meal in every European city, but entire European Members States do not have access to life-saving cancer treatments for children?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost-effectiveness analysis plays a crucial role in ensuring that healthcare resources are used efficiently. It helps policymakers and insurers assess whether a new treatment provides sufficient benefits compared to existing alternatives, considering both costs and patient outcomes. We can spend money only once. But if we do, it better be for the most effective thing. And maybe we also want to take the health of planet into account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without a structured approach to evaluating new treatments, healthcare systems could either overspend on high-cost interventions that provide limited benefit or fail to adopt innovative therapies that could significantly improve patient outcomes. Balancing affordability, effectiveness, and access is key to ensuring sustainable healthcare.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What impact do you hope the series will have on patients and other stakeholders?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Frederick:<\/strong> I hope the series helps to demystify some of the complex economic concepts and make them more accessible to a wider audience. Many people are unaware of the processes that determine whether a new treatment becomes available in their country or why certain medicines are reimbursed while others are not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For patients, a better understanding of these topics can empower them to advocate for access to necessary treatments but also to understand why access is different between countries. For policymakers and healthcare professionals, the series provides insights into the trade-offs involved in decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, I hope that making these concepts more transparent will contribute to more informed discussions about healthcare funding and the value of medical innovations. And if people want to know, we have a ton of learning material available through our master programmes and at the institute for medical Technology Assessment (iMTA).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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CHECK OUT OUR VIDEO SERIES<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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We are excited to announce the release of the \u20183 Things About\u2019 series. With these six videos we aim to make complex issues more accessible, fostering a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in topics around ASCERTAIN.

In front of the camera are Carin Uyl-de Groot (project coordinator), Professor of Health Technology Assessment, and Frederick Thielen, Assistant Professor of Health Technology Assessment at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. Each of them explains three topics in the format \u201cthree things you might not know about\u2026\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These videos play a key role in the project\u2019s mission to raise awareness and foster dialogue on the affordability and accessibility of health innovations. The videos are now available here on the ASCERTAIN website and social media channels.

Overview of the Videos<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n