Value-Based Radiation Oncology (VBRO) – is an ESTRO/ECF - HERO Project aiming to develop a framework to define value of RO to reflect the specificities of the treatment, allowing for optimization of patient access to high-value developments in RT.
Supported by a grant from Elekta and Varian, the VBRO Project aims to providing a framework to define value in RO to reflect the specificities of the treatment, allowing for optimization of patient access to high-value developments in RT.
The VBRO project will provide a framework to define value in RO by:
- Defining and categorize innovations in radiation oncology
- Defining endpoints needed for policy making in RO
- Linking endpoints and interventions with the evidence needed
- Providing a value framework, publications and communication collaterals (policy papers, key messages) for the RT community to adopt and the oncology community to acknowledge it, creating potential of impacting on HTA of RT innovations.
Five key messages have been developed from the VBRO framework:
- Radiation oncology is a cornerstone of multidisciplinary cancer care, but demand far exceeds access.
- There are multiple factors limiting access to radiotherapy, and it is vital to balance investment in innovation with expenditure to expand access to existing treatments.
- Due to the multitude of innovative radiotherapy interventions, it can be difficult for policymakers to gather clear evidence to inform decisions about reimbursement.
- The ESTRO-HERO-VBRO project is developing a framework to equip health system decision-makers with a tool to accurately assess both existing and emerging radiation treatments.
- The Value-Based Radiation Oncology Framework will enable policymakers to better prioritise and allocate funding towards those innovations that are likely to deliver meaningful benefits for patients while improving access to radiotherapy.
Members
- Yolande Lievens (Belgium), co-chair
- Ajay Aggarwal (United Kingdom), co-chair
- Miet Vandemaele (Belgium)
- Pierre Blanchard (France)
- Michelle Leech (Ireland)
- Marianne Aznar (United Kingdom)
The VBRO Project work is embedded in the HERO (Health Economics of Radiation Oncology) project of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO), launched in 2012 with the ambition to generate a model and knowledge base for health economics and health services research in radiation oncology [Lievens & Grau].
Click HERE to know more about the HERO Project
The project will run for 3 years and will conclude by providing a framework for VBRO in radiation oncology with policy implications.
Links to publications:
Value-based radiotherapy: A new chapter of the ESTRO-HERO project
Innovation, value and reimbursement in radiation and complex surgical oncology: Time to rethink