ISPOR investigates the issue of wasted healthcare spending to improve health system efficiencies

Reviewed by James Ives, M.Psych. (Editor)Nov 6 2019

ISPOR, the professional society for health economics and outcomes research-;explored the issue of wasted healthcare spending and how to improve health system efficiencies in the session, "How Can We Create Headroom for High-Value Care By Increasing Efficiency in Health Systems?" [IP9]. The session was held this morning at ISPOR Europe 2019 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reports that up to one-fifth of healthcare spending is wasted (eg, through unnecessary treatments, delayed discharges, or errors) and so makes no meaningful contribution to health outcomes.

If these wasted resources could be identified, released, and reallocated, it could have a significant impact on stretched healthcare budgets.

Panelists for this session included:

• Maria Errea, PhD; Office of Health Economics, London, England, UK
• Stefan Gijssels, MA, Digestive Cancers Europe, Brussels, Belgium
• Douglas Gregory, MBA, Amgen and Chair of the EFPIA Healthcare Systems Working Group, Brussels, Belgium
• Carlos Mur, MD, PhD, Sociedad Española de Directivos de la Salud, Madrid, Spain

The panel discussed a series of innovative case studies that cover sources of inefficiency across different health systems in Europe. Case studies included screening, procurement, and use of biosimilars to demonstrate how inefficiencies can arise.

They explored a variety of potential solutions examined the magnitude of benefit that could be achieved through reductions in inefficiency.

Addressing and correcting inefficiency in health systems could allow for improvements in health, quality of life, and quality of healthcare without increasing expenditures. Increased efficiency could also spur innovation and high-value interventions and bring real value for patients.