ESTRO 2025 - Abstract Book

S5

Invited Speaker

ESTRO 2025

Companies must submit extensive documentation and conduct a vast range of tests to ensure that their products meet rigorous safety standards. The manufacturing, and supply chains required to produce and deliver complex equipment also adds to costs, as these products often require highly specialized components and materials, which can be expensive to source and manufacture. Product servicing requires highly skilled, high-cost engineers. Finally effective marketing and distribution strategies are essential to the commercial success of any healthcare product. Variations in regulations across countries further complicate the process. Some regions have stricter requirements, adding more costs for certification and approval, while others may offer government incentives, such as subsidies or tax breaks for research or medical advancements. Comparing medical devices to pharmaceuticals, we will see that the costs of developing and bringing these products to market have some similarities but also important differences. In summary, this presentation will explore the financial challenges associated with developing innovative healthcare products. While the cost of innovative healthcare products can be high, this investment is essential to achieving better health outcomes, driving medical progress, and providing long-term value to patients and healthcare systems.

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Speaker Abstracts Determining the value of innovation Miet Vandemaele Human structure and repair, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Radiation Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium

Abstract:

Since its introduction in 2010, value-based healthcare has been used as a strategic approach to maximise patient benefits while safeguarding the economic sustainability of healthcare systems. In this strategy, 'value' is defined by measuring outcomes that matter most to patients against the cost of delivering these outcomes over the entire cycle of care. In radiation oncology, appraisal of patient-relevant benefit, and costs of new interventions can be difficult due to the rapid pace of innovation, the need for operator expertise and the learning curve that typically accompanies new technologies. These challenges can delay the clinical implementation of radiotherapy innovations, but equally put patients at risk of exposure to substandard treatments or add strain on limited healthcare budgets. Moreover, the difficulty in generating evidence on meaningful benefit and costs leads to uncertainty for industry, healthcare providers and policymakers. The ESTRO Value-based Radiation Oncology (VBRO) project has set out to develop an appraisal framework, tailored for the diverse range of technologies and interventions in radiotherapy. By identifying innovations most likely to deliver meaningful patient benefits, this framework seeks to enhance access to evidence-based radiotherapy innovations, providing healthcare providers and policymakers with the necessary evidence to support clinical implementation and reimbursement decisions. Ultimately, this value-based framework aims to improve patient outcomes while keeping costs for society acceptable.