What R WE reading in the Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research? A look at the most read articles in May–June 2024
Our bi-monthly column highlights the most popular articles from our partner journal, the Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research (JCER). In this edition, we feature the top-read articles from May and June 2024.
EU HTA Joint Clinical Assessment: are patients with rare disease going to lose out?
Alejandra Castanon, Luisamanda Selle Arocha, Rebecca Sloan and Sreeram Ramagopalan (Lane Clark & Peacock, UK) comment on how the EU Regulation on Health Technology Assessment (EU HTA) could influence treatment access for rare disease patients. They highlight the significant concern that guidance on indirect comparisons appears to dismiss comparative evidence provided by external control arms (and in particular those derived using real-world evidence [RWE]). This is at odds with the approach taken by other HTA bodies such as NICE, who have developed frameworks to minimize bias and enable the use of RWE in decision-making.
As the authors note on Linkedin, “by not performing a joint clinical assessment when only RWE is available for comparative analyses, individual countries may follow their own processes leading to inequalities in patient access to treatment across Europe, undermining the goals of EU HTA.”
Why is target trial emulation not being used in health technology assessment real-world data submissions?
Several HTA agencies have recently endorsed the target trial emulation (TTE) framework for its ability to minimize bias in observational studies and enhance transparency in study design. However, despite HTA agencies providing guidance since 2022, no HTA real-world data (RWD) submission has explicitly utilized TTE to date. In this Editorial, the authors explore the possible reasons why and discuss potential solutions to mitigate this.
First in class, best in class or a wild card: who will dominate the anti-obesity medication market?
Early mobilization in enhanced recovery after surgery pathways: current evidence and recent advancements
Published in early 2022, this article offers evidence-based recommendations for early mobilization in enhanced recovery after surgery pathways to mitigate the adverse physiological effects of surgical stress and immobilization.
Treatment of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 with remdesivir is associated with lower likelihood of 30-day readmission: a retrospective observational study
In this retrospective observational study, researchers investigated the link between remdesivir treatment and 30-day readmission rates among COVID-19 hospitalized patients. The findings suggest that patients receiving remdesivir had a reduced likelihood of readmission within 30 days compared to those who did not, reinforcing earlier clinical trial results demonstrating remdesivir’s efficacy in managing hospitalized COVID-19 cases. This study contributes RWE supporting remdesivir’s potential to enhance long-term patient outcomes.
Propensity score matching and inverse probability of treatment weighting to address confounding by indication in comparative effectiveness research of oral anticoagulants
Published in 2020, this article descrbies the concepts of propensity score matching and inverse probability of treatment weighting. Through the example of the utilization of oral anticoagulants for preventing strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation, the authors emphasize the tangible application of these techniques in comparative effectiveness research.
Submit to JCER
To submit an article for consideration in JCER, please contact the Editor, Laura Dormer, at [email protected]. JCER invites submissions on various subjects including comparative effectiveness, health economics, outcomes research, pharmacoeconomics, and real-world evidence. We welcome unsolicited proposals across these fields.