Dr. Malina Müller

Head of Head Economics

Dear Readers,

Leading healthcare professionals from across the world convened in Atlanta last week. ISPOR 2024, the global conference for health economics and outcomes research, featured an interdisciplinary exchange to drive transformative change in health and well-being. Once again, WifOR was present – this year taking to the stage. Key takeaways from our experts can be found below.

This edition of WifOR Insights: Health also includes details about Tagesspiegel's upcoming panel on rare diseases and a key summary of my article published in Greece's TO BHMA, partner of The Wall Street Journal.

Best wishes,

WifOR's participation at ISPOR Atlanta 2024 featured CEO & Co-Founder Prof. Dr. Dennis Ostwald joining the panel “ISPOR Latin America Health Update Forum: Tackling NCD’s, Multimorbidity, and Medical Innovations’ Social Impact”. His takeaway is simple: to derive effective solutions, we must understand the challenges – and opportunities. Evaluating the social burden of disease identifies the holistic impact of illness while measuring the effects of interventions on human capital as well as macroeconomic performance unveils the value of targeted health investments.

Prof. Ostwald also moderated a session on Rethinking Value Assessment of Preventative Health Interventions, which included panelists from Harvard University, the US Chamber of Commerce, and the World Bank. The discussion focused on the innovative Health ROI Assessor Framework, consisting of three steps:

1. Quantifying the cost of illness.
2. Measuring the effect of health interventions on human capital and productivity.
3. Assessing the value of macroeconomic activity within the Health Economy and beyond into the wider economy.

These metrics provide the foundation for sustainable financing of health systems. For more on global health metrics, read Prof. Ostwald's article.

In March, I published the article “How Society Benefits from New Drugs” in the Greek outlet TO BHMA, partner of The Wall Street Journal. In this article, I delve into the economic inequalities in Greece’s healthcare system, particularly those concerning accessibility and affordability. The healthcare system in Greece requires urgent transformation, with patients facing substantial waiting times and delays that obstruct access to treatment. According to the EU-SILC survey, patients in Greece experience the second highest rate of unmet medical care needs across the EU – with consequences felt most starkly by lower-income households. To address these challenges, policymakers must facilitate access to innovative medicines. Key to this approach is recognizing the holistic benefits of targeted health investments: improved patient outcomes, enhanced economic growth, and better societal well-being.

Presenting insights from WifOR's research, I will be joining Tagesspiegel’s expert panel to discuss the socio-economic consequences of late diagnosis and the current care situation for patients with rare diseases. The panel will take place on Wednesday, June 5 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm CET in German. Attendees can join both in person and online, so make sure to tune in! Register for free here.

But what are rare diseases? And how do they impact society? Discover more in my colleague Dr. Hernandez-Villafuerte’s recently published article “Overlooked Lifelong Challenges for Families with Children Affected by Rare Diseases”.

Last but not least, we'll be participating in this year's Hauptstadtkongress in Berlin! I'll be speaking at the Capital Forum Health Policy in the panel 'Underestimated risk of stigmatization: Early intervention pays off', where I'll share data and facts about the socio-economic burden of stigmatization of visible skin diseases and obesity. If you're interested in attending, you can get your tickets here. See you there!

Don't miss some of our latest journal publications: 

• Tsora, F., et al. (2024). Health and Productivity Benefits with Early Intensified Treatment in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Results from Korea. INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing. Vol. 61, pp. 1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580241240106 

• Augustin, M., et al. (2024). The socio-economic burden of H1-antihistamine-refractory chronic spontaneous urticaria in Germany. JAEDV – Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. Vol. 38, pp. 1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.20071

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