Local economic models, adapted from a global model, are routinely used in many countries as a tool for payers around the world to optimize healthcare investment and reimbursement decisions. Following best practices for country adaptations is crucial to ensure the contextual relevance of the local environment and generalizability of the global model are reflected in each adapted model. This course is designed to provide an overview of principles and techniques required to adapt health economic models to different geographic regions of the world with various levels of health technology assessment (HTA) use and income levels. After a brief overview on why country-specific adaptations are valuable or necessary at various stages of each health technology’s life cycle, a summary of key country-specific factors influencing economic evaluations and typical value drivers will be presented. Participants will be introduced to a checklist that delineates steps for customizing model design for the local environment. Using case studies and real-world examples, participants will explore methods for identifying and selecting data and adjusting parameters to reflect local healthcare settings, the treatment landscape, and patient characteristics. The course concludes with a hands-on adaptation exercise applying the concepts learned to adapt a hypothetical economic model to a specific country. Participants are invited to bring a laptop computer with Microsoft Excel installed for use during the practical exercise.
