CER Daily Newsfeed

Value Viewpoint: March 27, 2026

(3/27, Kimberly Westrich, LinkedIn) comments “...A new systematic review published in Value in Health asks why health technology assessment (HTA) is so challenging for genetic and genomic technologies (GGTs). The authors note the mismatch between fast science and slow evaluation. They highlight unresolved questions about defining clear care pathways, valuing genomic testing, capturing broader non-health and family impacts, and protecting patient rights, privacy, data integrity, and equitable access. Their proposed fixes are practical, including: using rapid/living HTA, defining core outcomes, drawing more systematically on real-world data, standardizing guidance, and building stronger multi-stakeholder and national infrastructure. With these changes, HTA in genomics can become more timely, generalizable, and equitable.” Full

Unlocking Biopharma Innovation With Real-World Evidence

(3/30, Partha Anbil and Anoop Sidharthan, Clinical Leader) comments “...The federated networks, regulatory acceptance of RWE, and multi-stakeholder collaborations that were emerging in 2018 have matured into standard practice by 2026. For biopharmaceutical executives, the imperative is no longer whether to prioritize data access but how to implement it effectively, through simultaneous investment in technical infrastructure, analytical talent, and governance structures. The 25% of labeling expansions incorporating RWE between 2022 and 2024, combined with FDA guidance providing clear expectations, suggests this proportion will continue to increase.” Full

Supporters Push to Revive Moribund Agency Studying Patient Care

(3/30, Jocelyn Kaiser, Science) comments “...Although less splashy than treating a baby with a genetic disease or discovering a weight loss drug, the patient care research AHRQ funds is fundamental to learning how to make health care work better, advocates say. For example, the agency has supported studies on how to combat the overuse of antibiotics that leads to deadlier, drug-resistant strains of bacteria and whether using artificial intelligence to transcribe medical notes improves care. Its scope is broader than the newer Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), a nongovernmental nonprofit that gets federal health care funding to compare the effectiveness of treatments.” Full

Just How Engaged is Engaged Research? A New Tool Allows Researchers to Assess Engagement Quality

(3/27, Jennifer M McGivney, UMass Boston Gerontology Institute Blog) comments “...Until recently, however, there hasn’t been a validated way to assess the strength or quality of engagement methods. Researchers from the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, Collective Insight, and Boston College developed a tool to do just that: the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Engagement Measure (PCOR-EM). This new engagement measurement tool is the result of a two-year grant from PCORI. ‘There’s a push for engaged research in the field,’ says Alexa Fleet, a researcher on the PCOR-EM project and a PhD student in the UMass Boston Gerontology program. ‘It’s a critical part of the future of scientific research to make sure that the targeted audience being served is included in the process of developing the research.’” Full

The Challenge of Delivering Evidence Based Medicine in Children’s Care

(3/30, Andrew Booth, The Conversation) comments “...In 2023, my colleagues and I at the University of Sheffield synthesised evidence on child and adolescent obesity to inform World Health Organization guidelines. While evidence on obesity treatments is generally plentiful, we faced challenges identifying published experiences of children regarding medical treatments. Data for adolescents was limited and the experience of children of ten or under was entirely lacking. Without evidence, policymakers avoid ‘risky’ options. But without policy support, researchers have little reason to study them.” Full

Bipartisan Bill Would Set Up Permanent Full-Risk ACO Program In Traditional Medicare

(3/27, Jalen Brown, Inside Health Policy) reports “...If enacted, the bill would represent a first-of-its-kind statutory shift in traditional Medicare by permanently establishing a full-risk ACO pathway. The bill’s introduction also comes on the heels of CMS’ Medicare director raising the possibility of automatically enrolling beneficiaries into ACOs. Reps. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) and Brad Schneider (D-IL), co-sponsors of the bill, say the legislation would give providers a clear, long-term pathway to take on full financial responsibility for the cost and quality of care, instead of having to rely solely on temporary CMMI models.” Subscription Required

Market Access and HTA Developments with Sreeram Ramagopalan: The Inflation Reduction Act, Joint Clinical Assessment and Global Pricing Strategy

(3/30, Sreeram Ramagopalan, The Evidence Base) reports “The latest instalment of Sreeram Ramagopalan’s (King’s College London, UK) market access and health technology assessment (HTA) update continues to track major policy shifts shaping global pricing and reimbursement. This edition examines the selection of drugs for the third cycle of Medicare price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), analyzes emerging evidence of the Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) impact on global pharmaceutical access, reviews recent research on the tension between US patient values and foreign HTA frameworks, and discusses the review of the first year of implementation of the Joint Clinical Assessment (JCA) procedure in Europe.” Full

Industry Perspectives on the First Joint Clinical Assessments under EU HTA: Insights from Nicole Yurgin

(3/30, The Evidence Base) reports “...[Nicole Yurgin, Founder & Managing Director, Yurgin Advisory GmbH:] No country has yet clearly defined how JCA outputs will be used at the national level. While local HTA bodies cannot request analyses already covered within JCA, this creates a new dynamic rather than simplifying the process. More forward-looking companies are already engaging with key markets to ensure that country-specific needs are reflected within the JCA submission itself. This kind of early planning is likely to distinguish those that are better prepared.” Full