67

Vlerick Business School Jointly putting knowledge into action and action into knowledge

“O ur strong links to practice are what makes Vlerick unique as a research institution. Research at Vlerick starts from a practical question. In addition, we explicitly strive to translate the results of our research into practice, in the form of tools, games and simulations. Of course research is performed rigorously, but relevance and having a broad impact (“reach”) are just as important. With a wide range of partnerships and formulas tailored to business and societal needs, we aim to add value to daily reality”, says Dr Eva Cools, Research Manager at Vlerick Business School.

Spotlight on the Vlerick Healthcare Management Center

The Vlerick Healthcare Management Center (HMC) is a Brusselsbased non-profit independent think tank, fully owned by Vlerick Business School, advancing innovative and actionable management and policy solutions in the healthcare and life sciences fields. It is funded by grants from public institutions and private organizations. In 2019, we concluded the fifth year of Vlerick HMC’s operations. Building upon a strong legacy of studying hospital operations, we continued to expand and deepen our reach into the full healthcare system.

Over the past year, we contributed to the public debate in the field of pharmaceutical innovation and policy management. We studied how risk-based Market Entry Agreements can ensure that all patients continue to have access to expensive therapies at a budget society can afford, especially in the field of ground-breaking cell and gene therapies. We furthermore conducted comparative healthcare systems research, investigating European, MiddleEastern and African markets’ equitable accessibility to pharmaceutical technology. At the same time, a study on the use of advanced analytics in pharmaceutical innovation was concluded. It explored how Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) can be applied to real world evidence (RWE) and, consequently, how regulatory and infrastructural frameworks should be set up to allow for the use of RWE in accelerating market access to innovative medicines. Other PhD research currently being conducted explores new financial models geared towards value-based healthcare (VBHC) applied to scoliosis surgery and psoriasis treatments. This will, among other things, allow for policymakers to estimate the envelope financing (bundled payments) more accurately and supports both healthcare providers and industry alike to improve value for the patient. And, finally, we are currently studying hospital investment appraisals and executive decision-making in hospitals in collaboration with 12 Belgian hospital-members within our MINOZ hospital research network.

We dive into two of our most recent publications in the upcoming paragraphs. Full reports, as well as an overview of Vlerick HMC activities can be retrieved via healthcare.vlerick.com.

© Vlerick Business School

Variability in hospital treatment costs for patients with early stage invasive breast cancer

Globally, the cost of healthcare has increased significantly in the past decade. A number of factors such as the growth in the aging population, the advancement in technology and the current reimbursement system have contributed to this rise. It has been noted that, in conjunction with these factors, substantial variation in treatment costs exists within medical domains across hospitals. Curbing higher healthcare expenditure and grasping a better understanding of the costs associated with medical treatments have become increasingly important. For our academic study, we provide an alternative perspective in which we examine several disease- and patient-related factors to understand how they drive differences in treatment costs. Through this lens, we provide a platform for physicians to anticipate costs for treatment upfront, which is currently not being explored in the academic literature.

The disease we chose to base this academic study on is breast cancer, given its prevalence and the sheer impact it has on society. With the help of the medical staff of a Belgian hospital, we were able to develop a generic treatment pathway followed by patients. This allowed us to identify all the relevant activities needed when treating breast cancer patients. Using the perspective of molecular sub-types – luminal A, luminal B, HER2-enriched and triple negative – we classified patients into one of these 4 groups. Through further examination of the medical literature, we identified several relevant patient- and disease-related characteristics that potentially impact the treatment path followed by patients. The cost of treatment was measured through the implementation of Time-driven Activity-based Costing.

Erin Roman, researcher within the Vlerick HMC on this study, concludes: “Through our analysis, we were able to generate insights into which specific patient and disease characteristics lead to the greatest drivers of cost variability. We were able to identify how costs varied within each of the molecular sub-types by highlighting the relevant factors contributing to treatment cost changes. Additionally, our analysis indicates what factors lead to major cost differences between the molecular sub-types. Through our research, by using the medical focus of the disease and linking it to costs and understanding the drivers of cost, we aim to move one step closer to making more sound cost reduction decisions.”

How to analyse real-world data: the importance of machine learning and other analysis techniques for oncology

There is a high demand for innovative cancer drugs. Yet their development is a complex and lengthy affair, longer and more expensive than that for conventional cancer treatments and with little chance of success. The drugs that do make it through need to be made available as soon as possible. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has therefore created flexible forms of market authorisation, such as conditional authorisation and adaptive pathways. As speed must not come at the expense of safety, these drugs must be monitored even after they have been put into circulation. This is no easy task. Vlerick PhD research demonstrated that advanced data analysis techniques such as machine learning may offer a solution. They are ideally suited to overcome the limitations of real-world data. The techniques studied are promising: the models allow for more refined patient stratification and can predict the effectiveness of a drug, taking many different factors into account. As Walter Van Dyck, Director of Vlerick HMC, puts it: “Such models are not intended to replace physicians but can help them to make more informed decisions, based on information provided by payers and/or the regulator or even – why not? – a specialised app. Another important point, with truly sustainable healthcare in mind: this research is also a step towards the performance-based reimbursement of drugs.”

Putting knowledge into action: Vlerick Healthcare Webinar Series

Through our webinar series, we keep you abreast of innovative ideas and opportunities in the healthcare sector. The series focuses on various stakeholders across the healthcare eco-system and covers a broad range of topics over the year, culminating in the Vlerick Healthcare Conference 2.0 in Fall 2020.

Contact info Vlerick HMC: Anne Salenbien anne.salenbien@vlerick.com - +32 (0)9 210 98 72

Vlerick Business School Campus Gent: Reep 1 - B-9000 Gent Tel.: +32 9 210 97 11 - Fax: +32 9 210 97 00 Campus Leuven: Vlamingenstraat 83 - 3000 Leuven Tel.: +32 16 24 88 11 - Fax: +32 16 24 88 00 Campus Brussel: Bolwerklaan 21 - 1210 Brussel Tel.: +32 2 225 41 11 - Fax: +32 2 225 41 00 Email: info@vlerick.com - http://www.vlerick.com

DOCTORATE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION TURN EXPERIENCE INTO KNOWLEDGE AND MAKE A REAL IMPACT ON YOUR BUSINESS

WWW.VLERICK.COM/DBA

Brussels: a laboratory for smart specialization

© Takeda BelgiumA