• Products or services in healthcare are used with...
    ...the expectation that they improve the health of patients. It is our goal to work towards meeting this expectation by improving the overall value balance of products and services in healthcare. Healthcare interventions can generate value on several levels: for those who want them, who pay for them, who prescribe them, who use them, who deliver them, or those who produce them.

Health Outcomes Strategies GmbH (Limited Liability Company) has been founded in March 2010 in Basel, Switzerland, as a further development of the former 'HOS' (Holtorf Outcomes Strategies). Our goal is to deliver services and solutions for more value in healthcare to

    • creators,
    • financiers and
    • developers of healthcare solutions and to
    •  those individuals and institutions making decisions on the use and reimbursement of healthcare solutions.
Products or services in healthcare are used with the expectation that they improve the health of patients. It is our goal to work towards meeting this expectation by improving the overall value balance of products and services in healthcare. Healthcare interventions can generate value on several levels: for those who want them, who pay for them, who prescribe them, who use them, who deliver them, or those who produce them. Each of these constituents has a particular way of determining the 'value' - an own perspective - which will impact how new products and services are developed and how they are perceived and rewarded in healthcare. Therefore, Health Outcomes Strategies, GmbH,

    • works with developers such as pharmaceutical, diagnostic, or medical device companies to define how their products can deliver value to the market and to generate, provide and communicate the appropriate evidence
    • works with authorities and healthcare decision makers to understand the priorities in new product decisions

By knowing and integrating the perspectives of our customers, we balance and mediate their perceptions of value - early in development and throughout the entire product life cycle.

Case Studies

  1. Systematic Review

    A medical device manufacturer needed a systematic review of all information available on the outcome and cost implications connected to the use of a specific type of medical device. The review had been requested by the HTA authority.

    Our role: Identification of independent clinical and outcomes experts with experience in the use of the technology, conduction of systematic review, challenge of review by external experts and revision.

    Result: HTA report and, subsequently, short version for internal education and communication (for scientific liaison managers).

  2. Test of Target Market

    Story: An association of local biotech/diagnostic companies wants to collaboratively start a service business to the pharmaceutical industry

    Our role:

    Analysis of the international market and regulatory status in this field

    Development of structured questionnaire in collaboration with sponsor

    Interviews with Pharmaceutical companies and CROs for acceptability of the service

    Result: Report & Recommendation

  3. Value Concept: Biomarker for drug response

    Hypothesis: A protein test can differentiate responders from non-responders after 2 weeks of treatment. Savings are expected from reduction of ‚wasted therapy‘

    Learning: The advisers do not expect savings because non-responders will be treated with an alternative drug. However, they recognize that there might be an improvement in treatment quality.

    Opportunity 1: The advisers see the opportunity to use the marker as a basis for an innovative pricing scheme

    BUT: The current care pathway does not include an office visit after 2 weeks. The advisers fear an increase in cost. The advisers suggest to reconsider the value proposition

    Alternative Option:

    Change test algorithm (e.g. self test by patient, pharmacy based test etc.)

  4. Value Concept: Drug holidays

    Hypothesis: the new drug will be prescribed for a 1 year treatment cycle, followed by a 1 year ‚drug holiday‘

    The hypothesis is presented at STA-RT as part of the target value concept for discussion.

    Learning: Payers advise to plan for 6 month cycles to be able to have cost and savings within the same budget year

    Consequence: Because the input comes early enough, the clinical trials can be adapted to this need. Since the drug seems to have a fast onset of action, the risk seems to be limited. The treatment period of 12 months had been used, because that it had been used in other studies for competitor drugs.

    Clinical study can be adapted with the advantage of a shorter trial period.

  5. Value Concept: Compliance improvement

    Hypothesis: patient compliance will be improved because of the drug application via a patch

    The hypothesis is presented as one part of the value concept to the advisers (payers, healthcare decision makers)

    Learning: There is no hard real life data an current compliance and the health outcome of low compliance existing.

    The advisers suggest to collect data on current adherence and to collect evidence on the impact of non-adherence on health outcome and cost.

    Consequence: Comparative evidence will be available at launch.

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