Lawrenceville, NJ, USA—April 23, 2018—ISPOR, the professional society for health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), announced a new conference, ISPOR Dubai 2018 scheduled for 19-20 September 2018 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. ISPOR Dubai 2018 will be the first regional conference of its type that the Society is organizing and will focus on the theme, “Healthcare Decision Making in the Middle East and North Africa: The Role of Health Economics and Outcomes Research and Health Technology Assessment.” The conference will bring together regional and international experts and stakeholders in HEOR to share innovative research methods and health policy developments. 

The first day of the conference—Wednesday, 19 September—will feature ISPOR group meetings, an evening welcome reception, and a number of educational seminars, including ISPOR introductory sessions on health economics and health technology assessment that include:

  • Introduction to Health Economics will introduce health economics as a subdiscipline of economics and its relevance to decision making in the healthcare sector. The session will be led by Nancy J. Devlin, PhD, Office of Health Economics, London, UK.
  • Introduction to Health Technology Assessment will introduce the concept of health technology assessment (HTA), its role in healthcare decision making, and its relevance to evidence-based health policy and the implementation of efficient healthcare. The session will be led by Zoltán Kaló, PhD, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Panos Kanavos, PhD, MSc, BSc, London School of Economics and Political Science and Medical Technology Research Group, London, UK; and Finn Børlum Kristensen, MD, PhD, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark. 

The second and final day of the conference—Thursday, 20 September—will feature a number of educational forums, plenary and panel sessions including:

  • Keynote Address The keynote speaker will be Amin Al Amiri, PhD, MSc, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing Sector, Ministry of Health and Prevention, United Arab Emirates.
  • Plenary Session—The Role of HEOR in Decision Making: Global Knowledge for Local Application This session will discuss the role that HEOR plays in healthcare decisions, drawing on the experience of the United Kingdom, United States, United Arab Emirates, and Egypt. Speakers will include Nancy J. Devlin, PhD, Office of Health Economics, London, UK; Dan Malone, RPh, PhD, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Ola Ghaleb Al Ahdab, PhD, Ministry of Health and Prevention, United Arab Emirates; and Sherif Abaza, MBA, Syreon Middle East, Egypt.
  • Panel Discussion—Improving Access to Innovative Health Technologies This session will address how healthcare policy makers across the region can improve patient access to innovative health technologies through HTA. Speakers include moderator Ansgar Hebborn, PhD, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland; Adham Ismail, MSc, MBA, PhD, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Egypt; and Saad M. Jaddoua, BsPharm. RPH, King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan who will be joined by 2 additional panelists from the region.
  • Panel Discussion—Pricing and Reimbursement: Issues and Challenges This session will highlight significant challenges in pricing and reimbursement facing the countries in the region and discuss opportunities and innovative solutions for the reimbursement systems. Speakers include moderator, Panos Kanavos, PhD, MSc, BSc, London School of Economics and Political Science and Medical Technology Research Group, London, UK with panelists Kasem Akhras, Novartis, United Arab Emirates; Gihan Hamdy Elsisi Msc, PhD, Ministry Of Health, Egypt; Abdulaziz H. Al-Saggabi, MSc, PharmD, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Saudi Arabia; and Shadi Saleh, PhD, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
  • Panel Discussion—HTA Implementation Roadmap in the Middle East and North Africa This session will focus on the primary HTA implementation scenarios and related issues in the Middle East and countries in Northern Africa. Zoltán Kaló, PhD, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary will moderate the session. Speakers include Finn Børlum Kristensen, MD, PhD, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark; Maryam Alowayesh, MSc, PhD, Kuwait University, Kuwait; Mohsen George, MD, Ministry of Health, Egypt; Abeer A. Al-Rabayah, MBA, MSc, King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan; Rita Karam, PharmD, PhD, Ministry of Health, Beirut, Lebanon; Mouna Jameleddine, PharmD, MSc, National Instance for Assessment and Accreditation in Healthcare–INASanté, Tunis, Tunisia; and Ahmad Nadeer Fasseeh, BPharm, MBA, Doctoral School of Sociology at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary. 

ISPOR is recognized globally as the leading professional society for health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) and its role in improving healthcare decisions. ISPOR Dubai 2018 will draw hundreds of healthcare stakeholders with an interest in HEOR, including policy makers from health ministries and government officials, health technology assessment bodies, global thought leaders, researchers and academicians, public and private payers, healthcare providers, and patient representatives. 

Additional information on the conference can be found here: Conference Information | Registration | Exhibitor/Sponsorship and Symposia Opportunities | Press
 

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ABOUT ISPOR
ISPOR, the professional society for health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), is an international, multistakeholder, nonprofit dedicated to advancing HEOR excellence to improve decision making for health globally. The Society is the leading source for scientific conferences, peer-reviewed and MEDLINE®-indexed publications, good practices guidance, education, collaboration, and tools/resources in the field.
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Meeting Link: ISPOR Dubai 2018, Sep-2018