Unlock Possibilities with OPEN Health’s HEOR Communications Specialists
Written by Beth Lesher
The end is in sight. After spending many hours (and some sleepless nights) developing a protocol and SAP and poring over data, your database analysis is complete! But just when you thought you were done, you realize that you still need to share your results. And then panic sets in.
Where should we present the study? This meeting would be ideal but wait—the abstract submission deadline was 2 weeks ago! OK, let’s just do a manuscript. But where should that be published? Do we want open access? Fast-track review? Should we present and publish? What messages do we need to include? Is there a formal publication process to follow? Who’s “Medical,” and why are they reviewing our document? Do we really need to include efficacy and safety data? Hold on—there are guidelines for writing HEOR publications? “Check EQUATOR,” you say, but what does the equator have to do with publications?!
Suddenly, all the elation and sense of accomplishment you felt after completing your study crumbles as you realize there’s a new obstacle in your path: navigating the publication process. Instead of spending your next weeks and months on strategic planning and additional research initiatives, your days will be filled with journal selection, writing, creating graphics in the right format, manuscript submission, and reviewer comments.
It takes considerable time and effort to translate HEOR science into high-quality value communications. At OPEN Health, our dedicated, experienced communications experts can help you consistently and accurately communicate value while simultaneously incorporating relevant efficacy and safety data. These writing specialists are adept at communicating the nuances of HEOR studies. Let them help you disseminate your message efficiently and expertly with clear, consistent messaging geared toward the right audience and free up your time to focus on additional research.
Beth Lesher is a Senior Director in Strategic Market Access, located in OPEN Health's Bethesda, MD office. She has more than 25 years of clinical pharmacy expertise and medical writing experience. Beth has patient care experience as a pharmacist in hospital and outpatient settings caring for both adult and paediatric patients.
At OPEN Health, our trained HEOR communications specialists can expertly guide you through 7 key steps in publication development.
1. Getting started: Identifying the intended audience
- Who is the intended audience? payers? providers? policy makers? patients?
- What is the objective?
2. Providing critical background in the introduction
- Why is this study relevant to payers, providers, policy makers, and/or patients?
- What research has been done and what is the knowledge gap in the HEOR field?
- What type of HEOR study/model was performed/constructed, and how does it address this gap?
3. Elucidating the methodology, which varies based on the product life cycle
- What is the study design?
- What are the key aspects of the study design?
4. Reporting the results with clarity
- How can we incorporate tables and figures to present and highlight key results?
5. Creating an engaging discussion
- How should the results be interpreted and contextualized?
- How do the results compare with those in the published literature?
- How does this study address knowledge gaps identified in the introduction?
- Is there a need/opportunity for future studies?
6. Acknowledging strengths and limitations
- What are the study’s limitations, and what was done to minimize those limitations?
- Why should the reader be confident in your findings?
- What are the study’s strengths?
7. Bringing the message home with a concise and convincing conclusion
- What are the most compelling messages from your research?
OPEN Health’s skilled HEOR publications professionals can help support your product’s value story by developing publications that combine key clinical and HEOR data, leading to efficient internal reviews, submissions, and potentially shorter times to publication. Our team will facilitate the submission process and ensure compliance with meeting/journal requirements and company standard operating procedures, freeing up your time to focus on strategy development, study planning, and data generation.
Please stop by booth #400 at ISPOR to learn how we can help you unlock possibilities and communicate your research.
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