All about the state of Health Economics and Outcomes Research

Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) is stepping beyond its traditional role as a support function. It is now becoming a strategic contributor to solving complex healthcare challenges, such as pricing pressures, market expansion and system capacity constraints. 

Through the integration of advanced life science solutions, HEOR is helping reshape how healthcare decisions are made across the global market. 

Building stronger payer relationships

For HEOR to have a meaningful impact, deeper collaboration with payers and governments is essential. Historically, pharma-payer relationships have been transactional and distant. This has often led to research and development that doesn’t align with system priorities.

Now, there’s a shift toward integrated care models and holistic disease management. This shift creates opportunities for HEOR to:

• Support value assessments that look at full care pathways.
• Encourage proactive conversations instead of reactive dossier submissions.
• Improve alignment between regulatory and reimbursement timelines.

These changes not only improve efficiency but also reduce the overall cost burden on healthcare systems.

Addressing healthcare capacity challenges

Many health systems, especially in developing countries, face growing demand but have limited workforce capacity. HEOR is instrumental in helping governments and stakeholders take a more strategic, system-level approach.

Solutions include:

• Encouraging the development of products that are less labor-intensive.
• Factoring in workforce impact when evaluating treatment value.
• Supporting planning through new evidence frameworks and endpoints.

By embedding workforce efficiency into value frameworks, HEOR can drive more sustainable healthcare delivery.

Tackling global pricing pressures

Affordability remains a central challenge. Recent pricing reforms and policies across countries are reshaping how value is measured and how innovation is funded. These changes demand greater HEOR involvement early in the R&D process to reduce uncertainty and guide smarter investment.

HEOR teams are also essential for:

• Supporting reimbursement processes under strict pricing regulations.
• Demonstrating value for both current and pipeline products.
• Preventing price pressure from stalling innovation.

Supporting growth in emerging markets

Markets like India and China offer long-term growth potential but also present barriers such as lower per capita income and diverse health infrastructure. These countries are adopting Health Technology Assessments (HTAs), which require HEOR to operate with rigor in resource-limited settings.

Strategic HEOR engagement can help:

• Adapt value assessments to local market needs
• Promote tiered equitable pricing models

HEOR provides the roadmap to equitable, efficient and patient-centered care. By bridging the gap between innovation and accessibility, it ensures healthcare systems worldwide can deliver transformative therapies without compromising sustainability.