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Economic evaluation is established within health-technology assessment but is challenged by those wanting to use economic evaluation to inform pricing and/or incorporate nontraditional sources of value and the views of diverse stakeholders. The changing role of economic evaluation in (formally or informally) assessing prices/values in four jurisdictions (UK, Australia, Germany and USA) is detailed and the authors propose a taxonomy of factors impacting the value of medical technology spanning clinical utility (effectiveness, safety/tolerability and quality of evidence), consumer demand (consumer preferences, process utility and unmet need), economic incentives (innovation, option value and market competition) and the societal perspective (social justice, social values and national interest). The authors suggest that multicriteria decision analysis methods grounded in hedonic-pricing theory can facilitate the valuing/pricing of medical technologies. The use of such an approach is hindered by a paucity of relevant educational opportunities, vested interests and aversion to placing prices/values on health.

OBJECTIVE: Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is frequent in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP). This 1-year, prospective, multicenter, observational, disease management study aimed to assess symptom improvement and quality of life in patients with CP with EPI who were receiving pancreatic enzyme replacement. METHODS: Patients with CP and chronic EPI were either assigned to cohort 1 that consisted of patients already taking pancreatin (Kreon; Abbott Arzneimittel GmbH, Hannover, Germany) or cohort 2 that consisted of patients with newly diagnosed EPI without prior pancreatic enzyme treatment. Symptoms were documented, and quality of life was assessed using the gastrointestinal quality of life index (GIQLI) at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year. RESULTS: A total of 294 patients were evaluated (cohort 1, n = 206; cohort 2, n = 88). The proportion of patients experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms and recurrent pain after 1 year was significantly reduced in both cohorts (P < 0.001). The alleviation of symptoms was reflected in GIQLI score improvements at 1 year in both cohorts (P < 0.001), independent of CP severity and etiology. Improvements in GIQLI score were more pronounced in cohort 2 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Pancreatin demonstrated symptom relief and improvement in quality of life in patients with CP-related EPI in this disease management study.