The NHC’s New Value Classroom: Tools to Help Patient-Group Staff Engage on a Value Assessment

By Elisabeth M. Oehrlein, PhD, MS, Senior Director, Research and Programs, and Aimee Lee Russell, Programs Associate

The National Health Council’s (NHC’s) Value Initiative is focused on ensuring the voice of the patient and patient organizations are an integral part of the value discussion. In 2018 and 2019, we established an advisory committee of representatives from the patient, payer, and value assessment communities to support development of an in-person training, along with an online curriculum and associated resources and tools. To identify value assessment-related training and resource needs, we conducted needs-assessment interviews among representatives from patient, value assessment, and non-profit, community-based organizations.

We learned that since value assessment is typically most relevant at the time a new medical product is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the need for patient groups to engage in value assessment can be cyclical and dependent upon medical-product development timelines. As a result, participants emphasized the need for online tools and resources to complement in-person trainings.

The NHC is pleased to announce the launch our new online Value Classroom featuring tools and resources for understanding value in health care and value assessment. These resources are intended to help patients and patient advocates engage in discussions on and the assessment of value.

The Value Classroom features newly developed tools, including:

• Health Econ 101, an online educational series comprised of nine modules, focuses on the basics of health economics and value assessment. Each module takes between 10-15 minutes to complete.
• ValueAssessment Glossary featuring plain-language definitions and terms used in value assessment and an infographic on value
• Considerations Guide for Patient Organizations, a tool to assist patient-group staff in preparing actionable, written comments on a specific value
• Pearls of Wisdom from Members of the Patient Community, a new infographic developed by members of the patient community who have already gone through a value assessment.

Please visit the Value Classroom here and explore the resources we have available!

If you have any questions about the Value Classroom, please email: NHCprograms@nhcouncil.org.

 

Acknowledgements: Thank you to members of the National Health Council’s Value Work Group for contributing to development of these resources. These resources were partially funded through a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute® (PCORI®) Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award (8620-NHC). Development of these resources was also supported by the Patient-Driven Vales in Healthcare Evaluation (PAVE) Center, a Center of Excellence supported by a grant from the PhRMA Foundation. Thank you to Allergan, Amgen, Horizon Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, National Pharmaceutical Council, Pfizer, and PhRMA for sponsoring the NHC’s work on Value.