Invitation to Stakeholders concerned with Economic Evaluation and Health Technology Assessments (HTAs)

Wiesbaden, May 15, 2015

Announcement: Heidelberg Health Economics Summer School 2015

Dear Colleague:

Systematic Health Technology Assessments (HTAs) are increasingly being used to inform policy decisions on the reimbursement of medical interventions. This development represents both opportunities and threats, perception of which may vary depending on vested interests. Naturally, the perspective of payers will be different from that of providers. However, international implementation of HTAs has varied greatly, largely driven by differences in understanding and capturing the "value" offered by health technologies, such as new pharmaceutical products, diagnostic procedures, and medical devices. Given the relevance of this development, please allow us to take this opportunity to draw your attention to this year's Heidelberg Health Economics Summer School, which will take place

at Studio Villa Bosch in Heidelberg, Germany,
from September 14 to 18, 2015.

The intense five-day program will cover both theoretical foundations and practical application of health economic evaluation methods in the wider context of Health Technology Assessments (HTAs).

Critical issues, that will be addressed in-depth from both theoretical and pragmatic perspectives, include

• dimensions of HTAs and the EUnetHTA core model;
• the role of health economic evaluation in the wider context of HTAs;
• use and limitations of the logic of cost effectiveness, including quality-adjusted life years (QALYs);
• alternatives to the conventional logic using cost per QALY benchmarks;
• special issues and international experience with particular emphasis on interventions for cancer, rare and ultra-rare ("orphan") disorders, and "personalized medicine";
• expectations of stakeholders (ranging from biotech investors to
• payers) and potential solutions.

A high-level faculty of experienced experts and practitioners from the fields of evidence-based medicine, health economics, HTA, and medical ethics, as well as the limited number of participants*, will allow for an intense exchange in the state-of-the-art conference center of Studio Villa Bosch, located in close proximity to the picturesque setting of the famous Heidelberg Castle. Opportunities for interaction with the presenting experts will be enhanced by exercises, case studies, and a roundtable discussion.

For details of the program, please follow the direct link to the Summer School page. 

Please feel free to contact us for further information.
Many thanks indeed for your attention.

Professor Michael Schlander
M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A.
Chairman and Scientific Director InnoVal^HC