ISPOR Special Task Force introduces IMPACT framework for value-based healthcare implementation

A new ISPOR Special Task Force report introduces the IMPACT framework, providing practical guidance on how health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) methods can be integrated into the design, implementation, and evaluation of value-based healthcare (VBHC) initiatives.

The Baseline

• An ISPOR Special Task Force has introduced the IMPACT framework to support the application of HEOR methods in the design, implementation, and evaluation of value-based healthcare initiatives.
• The framework identifies six areas where HEOR can strengthen value-based healthcare, including incentives, modelling, patient-centered outcomes, assessment methods, costing, and transparency.
• The recommendations aim to help organizations apply HEOR methods more consistently while strengthening the role of evidence in VBHC implementation.

ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research has published new good practice recommendations designed to support HEOR professionals involved in implementing and evaluating VBHC.

Published in the July 2026 issue of Value in Health, the report, ‘Applying Health Economics and Outcomes Research Methods in Value-Based Healthcare Implementation: An ISPOR Special Task Force Report,’ outlines the rationale for the framework and provides practical recommendations to support more consistent, transparent, and patient-centered application of HEOR methods.

The report was developed by ISPOR's Special Task Force on Value-Based Healthcare Implementation, comprising experts from academia, industry, research organizations, and ISPOR across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. According to the Task Force, despite growing international interest in VBHC, implementation has been hindered by inconsistent definitions and measurement of outcomes, costs, and value. Although VBHC and HEOR share the goal of improving patient outcomes while making better use of healthcare resources, the report argues that the two fields have largely evolved independently, limiting the application of established HEOR methods within VBHC initiatives.

The report was developed using a mixed-methods approach that combined a targeted review of 109 studies, semistructured interviews with 24 international experts, and a structured survey of a nine-member Expert Advisory Board. The review found that while around two-thirds of empirical studies describing value-based healthcare initiatives incorporated some form of HEOR, this was largely limited to cost analyses, with comprehensive economic evaluations used relatively infrequently.

Building on these findings, the Task Force developed the IMPACT framework, identifies six methodological domains where HEOR can strengthen the design, implementation, and evaluation of VBHC initiatives. The six components are:

1. Incentives, using HEOR to inform payment and incentive structures
2. Modeling, to simulate and evaluate program design before implementation
3. Patient-Centered, incorporating patient-centered outcomes research and comparative effectiveness methods to assess whether initiatives deliver meaningful benefits
4. Assessment Methods, using data-driven approaches to evaluate performance over time
5. Costing, examining economic impact from the perspectives of providers, payers, and patients
6. Transparency, ensuring methods and evidence are clearly reported so stakeholders can contribute to the design and refinement of value-based healthcare programs.

The IMPACT framework is intended as a practical planning tool rather than a reporting standard, compliance checklist, or formal evaluation instrument. Instead, it is designed to help organizations identify the HEOR methods most appropriate for their specific VBHC initiatives.

Commenting on the report, ISPOR President-Elect for 2026–2027, Lotte Steuten (Office of Health Economics), said that "HEOR provides a robust methodological foundation for value-based healthcare by improving measurement of outcomes, costs, and value across care pathways." She added that bringing the two disciplines closer together can support "transparent, evidence-based, and patient-centered healthcare transformation" while contributing to more sustainable, high-value health systems.

Beyond demonstrating how HEOR can strengthen the implementation of VBHC, the report also argues that the relationship should be reciprocal. It suggests that VBHC's emphasis on outcomes that matter to patients could encourage more patient-centered approaches within HEOR and health technology assessment. Reflecting on this theme during his Patti's People interview, Task Force member Jens Grueger, of the CHOICE Institute at the University of Washington, said:

"That's something which we can learn from value-based health care, how you put patients at the center of the design of your process of care. I think that's something which also in our field from an industry perspective, from a health economics perspective, we have to do more."

For HEOR professionals, the report positions the IMPACT framework as a practical roadmap for integrating established methodological approaches into VBHC initiatives. The Task Force concludes that closer integration between HEOR and VBHC could strengthen the measurement of outcomes, costs, and value across care pathways while promoting more transparent, evidence-informed, and patient-centered approaches to healthcare design, implementation, and decision-making.