How to Deal with the Inevitable: Generating Real-World Data and Using Real-World Evidence for HTA Purposes – From Theory to Action

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 346-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wija Oortwijn ◽  
Laura Sampietro-Colom ◽  
Rebecca Trowman

AbstractObjectivesReal-world evidence (RWE), derived from real-world data (RWD), is already used, to some extent, for health technology assessment (HTA) purposes. With the increased availability of RWD, there is potential for more widespread use but also challenges ensuring reliable RWE for HTA. Opportunities to overcome key challenges, identified at a scoping meeting, were discussed during the 2019 HTA international (HTAi) Global Policy Forum (GPF).MethodsReflection of discussions using Design Thinking (an interactive process aimed to solve complex problems) between seventy-three representatives from not-for-profit, for-profit organizations, and HTAi leadership. The discussions were informed by a background paper, and presentations from three invited keynote speakers and eleven GPF members.ResultsSeveral options were listed for addressing the identified key challenges: quality and acceptability, governance and accountability, transferability, and informing decision making. The GPF emphasized that the HTA community should first understand what questions could be answered with RWE. Additionally, more clarity on methods, standards, streamlining RWD collection, data sharing across jurisdictions, replication of RWD, and expert analysis were mentioned as important priorities.ConclusionsThe HTA community is currently standing at a cross-road as it is not yet fully equipped to address these key challenges. It is, therefore, time for action. The community should start aligning on what is the best source of evidence according to purpose and how the data should be collected to create reliable evidence. It should also initiate the development of actions and guidance to properly develop and manage RWD/RWE to inform decision making across the technology lifecycle.

Author(s):  
Benedetta Pongiglione ◽  
Aleksandra Torbica ◽  
Hedwig Blommestein ◽  
Saskia de Groot ◽  
Oriana Ciani ◽  
...  

Abstract Aim Technological and computational advancements offer new tools for the collection and analysis of real-world data (RWD). Considering the substantial effort and resources devoted to collecting RWD, a greater return would be achieved if real-world evidence (RWE) was effectively used to support Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and decision making on medical technologies. A useful question is: To what extent are RWD suitable for generating RWE? Methods We mapped existing RWD sources in Europe for three case studies: hip and knee arthroplasty, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and mitral valve repair (TMVR), and robotic surgery procedures. We provided a comprehensive assessment of their content and appropriateness for conducting the HTA of medical devices. The identification of RWD sources was performed combining a systematic search on PubMed with gray literature scoping, covering fifteen European countries. Results We identified seventy-one RWD sources on arthroplasties; ninety-five on TAVI and TMVR; and seventy-seven on robotic procedures. The number, content, and integrity of the sources varied dramatically across countries. Most sources included at least one health outcome (97.5%), with mortality and rehospitalization/reoperation the most common; 80% of sources included resource outcomes, with length of stay the most common, and comparators were available in almost 70% of sources. Conclusions RWD sources bear the potential for the HTA of medical devices. The main challenges are data accessibility, a lack of standardization of health and economic outcomes, and inadequate comparators. These findings are crucial to enabling the incorporation of RWD into decision making and represent a readily available tool for getting acquainted with existing information sources.


Oncology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Suppl. 1) ◽  
pp. 3-7
Author(s):  
George D. Demetri ◽  
Silvia Stacchiotti

Real-world data are defined as data relating to any aspect of a patient’s health status collected in the context of routine health surveillance and medical care delivery. Sources range from insurance billing claims through to electronic surveillance data (e.g., activity trackers). Real-world data derive from large populations in diverse clinical settings and thus can be extrapolated more readily than clinical trial data to patients in different clinical settings or with a variety of comorbidities. Real-world data are used to generate real-world evidence, which might be regarded as a “meta-analysis” of accumulated real-world data. Increasingly, regulatory authorities are recognizing the value of real-world data and real-world evidence, especially for rare diseases where it may be practically unfeasible to conduct randomized controlled trials. However, the quality of real-world evidence depends on the quality of the data collected which, in turn, depends on a correct pathological diagnosis and the homogeneous behaviour of a reliably defined and consistent disease entity. As each of the more than 80 varieties of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) types represents a distinct disease entity, the situation is exceedingly complicated. Discordant diagnoses, which affect data quality, present a major challenge for use of real-world data. As real-world data are difficult to collect, collaboration across sarcoma reference institutions and sophisticated information technology solutions are required before the potential of real-world evidence to inform decision-making in the management of STS can be fully exploited.


Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 5037-5037
Author(s):  
Donna R. Rivera ◽  
Jennifer J Lee ◽  
Melanie Royce ◽  
R. Angelo de Claro ◽  
Nicole J. Gormley ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Aligning with 21st Century Cures legislation, FDA is exploring methodologies to advance appropriate uses of Real World Data (RWD) to generate Real World Evidence (RWE). RWD to support regulatory decision making has markedly increased in oncology. This review specifically focused on the analysis of RWD containing submissions for medical products in development for the treatment of hematological malignancies and associated treatment related conditions (e.g., Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD). Methods A systematic search was conducted using internal FDA databases to identify RWD submissions from 2010 to 2020. Search terms included: real world evidence, real world data, electronic health record, cancer registry, administrative claims, external control arm, observational cohort, historical control arm, real world Overall Survival (rwOS) , real world Response Rate (rwRR), real world Overall Response Rate rwORR and real world Complete Response (rwCR). Regulatory submissions specific to malignant hematology and associated treatment related conditions were reviewed, and pre-defined common data elements were extracted and validated by independent dual review. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Results A total of 142 regulatory submissions included RWD from 2011-2020. A subset of 94 RWD submissions met the criteria for further evaluation, of which 20 (21%) submissions corresponding with 14 molecular entities were for hematologic malignancies or treatment related conditions (e.g., CRS, GVHD). RWD submissions increased substantially over time, with 14 (70%) of submissions received between 2019-2020. Specific evaluation for pediatric indications was referenced in 15% of submissions. The most commonly referenced RWD source was EHR data (55%), followed by use of multiple sources (20%), and registry data (15%). Approximately 90% of the submissions aimed to support treatment effectiveness. Primary RWD study objectives included supporting approval of a new molecular entity (NME) (40%), expanding an approved indication (25%), conversion from accelerated to regular approval (15%), and providing data to inform postmarketing safety evaluation (20%). Among RWD submissions, response endpoints (e.g., rwORR, rwCR, rwPR, Partial Response) and overall survival (e.g., rwOS) were most frequently selected as primary outcomes for 50% and 20% of proposals respectively; however, these outcomes were included as any endpoint in 65% and 75% of submissions. Conclusion This review demonstrates increasing use of various RWD sources to support evidence generation for drug development in hematologic malignancies and associated treatment related conditions with the primary objective of supporting demonstration of effectiveness using rwOS or real world response measures as primary endpoints. Given the increased inclusion of RWD in regulatory submissions, further methodological development is needed, including in the selection and validation of rwEndpoints. Appropriate study design must be aligned with a clear regulatory objective to ensure that RWD can be adequately evaluated. Additionally, the development of standardized metrics for data characterization and transparency in reporting of RWD are foundational steps to the evaluation of fit for purpose RWD to support regulatory decision making. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e18787-e18787
Author(s):  
Donna Rivera ◽  
Jennifer J. Lee ◽  
Melanie E Royce ◽  
Paul Gustav Kluetz

e18787 Background: Aligning with 21st Century Cures legislation, the FDA is exploring trial design modernization and methodology to advance appropriate uses of Real World Data (RWD) to generate Real World Evidence (RWE). The Oncology Center of Excellence RWE Program was established in 2020 to advance RWE efforts specific to oncology drug development. Inclusion of RWD to support regulatory decision making has increased in oncology, and a landscape analysis was conducted to characterize the RWD included in submissions. Methods: A systematic search was conducted using internal FDA databases to identify RWD submissions from 2010 to 2020. Search terms included: real world evidence, real world data, electronic health record, cancer registry, administrative claims, external control arm, observational cohort, historical control arm, rwOS, rwRR, rwCR, and rwORR. Relevant regulatory submissions were reviewed, and pre-defined common data elements were extracted. A team of FDA reviewers assessed agreement through subset validation (20%). Descriptive statistics were calculated. Results: A total of 142 regulatory submissions included RWD from 2011 to 2020. A subset of 94 submissions met the criteria for evaluation, consisting of 78 unique studies evaluating 56 molecular entities. RWD submissions increased substantially over time, with 28 submissions in 2020. Nearly half of the RWD submissions were for solid tumor indications (68%), with lung cancer being the most predominant site. More than one third of the RWD submissions (37%) were for rare indications. The most common primary RWD study objective was effectiveness (62%) and the most commonly referenced RWD source was EHR/clinical data (54%). The most frequently used primary RWD endpoints were survival (rwOS, 35%) and response (rwORR/PR/BTR, 31%) outcomes (Table). Conclusions: Our review demonstrates a dramatic increase in RWD submissions to support FDA oncology drug development programs. Submissions included a variety of study objectives, data sources, and endpoints. While this landscape analysis provides a picture of potential regulatory objectives, the adequacy of each proposal to support regulatory decision making was not evaluated. Establishing a set of clear regulatory objectives can help advance the development of metrics for robust data characterization and outcome validation to ensure that RWD can be appropriately evaluated and provide the rigor necessary to be considered adequate RWE.[Table: see text]


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Klimek ◽  
Dejan Baltic ◽  
Martin Brunner ◽  
Alexander Degelsegger-Marquez ◽  
Gerhard Garhöfer ◽  
...  

UNSTRUCTURED Real-world data (RWD) collected in routine healthcare processes and transformed to real-world evidence (RWE) has become increasingly interesting within research and medical communities to enhance medical research and support regulatory decision making. Despite numerous European initiatives, there is still no cross-border consensus or guideline determining which quality RWD must meet in order to be acceptable for decision making within regulatory or routine clinical decision support. An Austrian expert group led by GPMed (Gesellschaft für Pharmazeutische Medizin, Austrian Society for Pharmaceutical Medicine) reviewed drafted guidelines, published recommendations or viewpoints to derive a consensus statement on quality criteria for RWD to be used more effectively for medical research purposes beyond registry-based studies discussed in the European Medicines Agency (EMA) guideline for registry-based studies


10.2196/16933 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. e16933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Helena van Velthoven ◽  
Ching Lam ◽  
Caroline de Cock ◽  
Terese Stenfors ◽  
Hassan Chaudhury ◽  
...  

Background Infection with the herpes simplex virus (HSV) is common but not well understood. Furthermore, there remains a social stigma surrounding HSV that can have psychosocial implications for those infected. Despite many patients infected with HSV experiencing mild-to-severe physical symptoms, only one subeffective treatment is available. A registry collecting real-world data reported by individuals potentially infected with HSV could help patients to better understand and manage their condition. Objective This study aimed to report on the development of a registry to collect real-world data reported by people who might be infected with HSV. Methods A case study design was selected as it provides a systematic and in-depth approach to investigating the planning phase of the registry. The case study followed seven stages: plan, design, prepare, collect, analyze, create, and share. We carried out semistructured interviews with experts, which were thematically analyzed and used to build use cases for the proposed registry. These use cases will be used to generate detailed models of how a real-world evidence registry might be perceived and used by different users. Results The following key themes were identified in the interviews: (1) stigma and anonymity, (2) selection bias, (3) understanding treatment and outcome gaps, (4) lifestyle factors, (5) individualized versus population-level data, and (6) severe complications of HSV. We developed use cases for different types of users of the registry, including individuals with HSV, members of the public, researchers, and clinicians. Conclusions This case study revealed key considerations and insights for the development of an appropriate registry to collect real-world data reported by people who might be infected with HSV. Further development and testing of the registry with different users is required. The registry must also be evaluated for the feasibility and effectiveness of collecting data to support symptom management. This registry has the potential to contribute to the development of vaccines and treatments and provide insights into the impact of HSV on other conditions.


Author(s):  
Alejandro Rodríguez-González ◽  
Ángel García-Crespo ◽  
Ricardo Colomo-Palacios ◽  
José Emilio Labra Gayo ◽  
Juan Miguel Gómez-Berbís ◽  
...  

The combination of the burgeoning interest in efficient and reliable Health Systems and the advent of the Information Age represent both a challenge and an opportunity for new paradigms and cutting-edge technologies reaching a certain degree of maturity. Hence, the use of Semantic Technologies for Automated Diagnosis could leverage the potential of current solutions by providing inference-based knowledge and support on decision-making. This paper presents the ADONIS approach, which harnesses the use of ontologies and the underlying logical mechanisms to automate diagnosis and provide significant quality results in its evaluation on real-world data scenarios.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document