During the Annual Meeting 2019 in Barcelona the EASD Executive Committee endorsed a new EASD Study Group “Health Services Research and Health Economics”. The group has been started by Professor Andrea Icks, the director of the Institute of Health Services Research and Health Economics at the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) and at the Heinrich Heine University, DĂĽsseldorf, Germany.
The EASD study group “Health Services Research and Health Economics” invites clinicians, health services researchers, economists and all scientists of related areas with an interest in the topic to the study group.
The Group has been established to bridge the gaps in the field of diabetes regarding health services research and health economics in a close link with clinical research and practice.
Health services research is a multidisciplinary field investigating how social factors, financing systems, organizational structures and processes, health technologies, and personal behaviors affect the access to health care, the quality and costs of health care, and ultimately our health and well-being. Health services research, along with health economics, is a well-established third research pillar complementing basic and clinical research.
Even though health services research and health economics have been considered early in the case of diabetes, there are still large gaps in the existing knowledge. Examples for remaining unanswered urgent questions are:
The group aims to consolidate already existing research initiatives in economic aspects of clinical- and cost-effectiveness in routine care, efficiency of clinical research studies or interventions with an emphasis on patient-centered research.
Currently the group is focusing on four projects:
We intend to evaluate and advance methods used in Europe and worldwide. The projects are an effort to further develop the link between basic science, clinical science and health services research studies.
If you are interested in joining this new venture or wish to participate in any of the projects, please contact Andrea Icks: andrea.icks@uni-duesseldorf.de.
On behalf of the Executive Committee