IHE Publications

Headache Self-Management factsheet - 2013, revised 2016 Link to Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program

Headache Pain factsheet - 2013, revised 2016 Link to Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program

Medication Overuse Headache factsheet - 2013, revised 2016 Link to Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program

Migraine Headache factsheet - 2013, revised 2016 Link to Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program

Migraine Preventive Medications factsheet - 2013, revised 2016 Link to Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program

Tension-type Headache factsheet - 2013, revised 2016 Link to Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program

Headache During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding factsheet - 2016 Link to Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program

What You Should Know About Your Headache - Patient Brochure - 2016 Link to Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program

Objective: Public health decision makers not only consider health benefits but also economic implications when articulating and issuing lifestyle recommendations. Whereas various estimates exist for the economic burden of physical inactivity, excess body weight and smoking, estimates of the economic burden associated with our diet are rare. In the present study, we estimated the…

12 December 2016 Ottawa, Ontario On December 12th, 2016, the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) held a roundtable discussion regarding the role of real-world evidence (RWE) in decision-making in Canada, with a focus on RWE generated for pricing and reimbursement. Download Summary Report Real-world evidence: What role can it play in real-world decision making? Summary Report The…

On December 12th, 2016, the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) held a roundtable discussion regarding the role of real-world evidence (RWE) in decision-making in Canada, with a focus on RWE generated for pricing and reimbursement. The meeting brought together 11 representatives of key stakeholders: experts in evidence assessment, payers, and those generating RWE including academia…

This overview report provides a summary of the published information on the oxygen therapy issues studied in the past 10 years in the acute care settings. The report includes a summary of audit studies that aimed to address appropriate/inappropriate use of oxygen, and explores the safety and quality issues identified in the literature about oxygen prescription, administration,…

This report provides a summary of the IHE Biosimilars Forum engagement exercise that took place on October 6, 2016 in Edmonton. The intent of the forum was to inform Alberta biosimilar reimbursement policy by sharing international experiences in this area, and the perspectives of key stakeholders.

This rapid report provides a summary of current evidence on the application of gainsharing shared savings strategies in healthcare systems and the barriers and facilitators related to their implementation.

Economic evaluation helps policy makers and healthcare payers make decisions on drug listing, coverage, and reimbursement. When economic evaluations are conducted before a product launch, the prices of the pharmaceuticals have to be forecast.

7 November 2016Edmonton, Alberta Welcome and Greetings Master of CeremoniesDr. Lorne Tyrrell, Chair, Institute of Health Economics Greetings from GovernmentMr. Martin Chamberlain, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry Operations and Financial and Corporate Services, Alberta Health https://vimeo.com/channels/907291/191869994 Keynote presentations Assessing European Efforts…

7 November 2016Edmonton, Alberta Controlling Health Care Costs – Wisely is the 16th IHE Innovation Forum, a semi-annual event bringing together senior public- and private-sector experts and decision-makers to address health care policy issues. Our 16th IHE Innovation Forum Keynote Speakers were Dr. Richard B. Saltman, Co-founder of the European Observatory on Health Systems…

Speaker Biographies Keynote Speakers Dr. Gregory P. Marchildon, PhD Ontario Research Chair in Health Policy and System Design and Professor, Institute of Health, Policy and Evaluation, University of Toronto Associate Editor of the Health Reform Observer and originating member of the Pan-Canadian Health Reform Analysis Network (PHRAN) Dr. Marchildon is Ontario Research Chair in…

Controlling Health Care Costs – Wisely is the 16th IHE Innovation Forum, a semi-annual event bringing together senior public- and private-sector experts and decision-makers to address health care policy issues.

PDF of a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Gregory P. Marchildon, Ontario Research Chair in Health Policy and System Design and Professor, Institute of Health, Policy and Evaluation, University of Toronto; Associate Editor of the Health Reform Observer and originating member of the Pan-Canadian Health Reform Analysis Network (PHRAN). IHE Innovation Forum XVI – Controlling Health…

The Institute of Health Economics (IHE), in partnership with the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (CPFF), held a forum on April 25th, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, entitled Optimizing access to care for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A multi-stakeholder national forum, to discuss the need for patient-led policy recommendations and a patient charter for idiopathic…

IHE Industry Partnerships The IHE has two key platforms that support partnership with industry and other stakeholders: the Health Technology Innovation Platform (HTIP), the Life Sciences SME Commercialization Platform. Health Technology Innovation Platform (HTIP) facilitates collaboration between a number of innovative pharmaceutical organizations…

  BACKGROUND: In February 2013, Alberta Health Services established an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) implementation program for adopting the ERAS Society colorectal guidelines into 6 sites (initial phase) that perform more than 75% of all colorectal surgeries in the province. We conducted an economic evaluation of this initiative to not only determine its cost-effectiveness,…

Thursday, 6 October 2016 Edmonton, Alberta 09:00 – 09:15 Introduction & WelcomeDr. Richard Fedorak 09:15 –10:15 The International Biosimilars Experience: Lessons for AlbertaMr. Murray AitkenSenior VP and Executive Director, IMS Institute for Healthcare InformaticsDownload Presentationhttps://vimeo.com/album/4209638/video/187499107 10:15 – 10:45 Table Reflection…

Biographies Dr. Richard N Fedorak, MD, FRCPC, FRCP (London), FRSC Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Dr. Richard N Fedorak is Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He is also Professor of Medicine in the…

6 October 2016 Edmonton, Alberta This IHE Invitational Forum provided the perspective of international, national, and Alberta speakers and panellists to describe the biosimilar reimbursement approach taken and outcomes achieved by other jurisdictions, guiding principles and policy options for Alberta, and key performance indicators and targets for reimbursement policy going forward.…

Summary Report Towards an Alberta approach for biosimilar reimbursement – Summary report of the IHE Biosimilars ForumDownload Summary Report Program IHE Biosimilars Forum – Final ProgramDownload Final Program

This IHE Invitational Forum provided the perspective of international, national, and Alberta speakers and panellists who described the biosimilar reimbursement approach taken and outcomes achieved by other jurisdictions, guiding principles and policy options for Alberta, and key performance indicators and targets for reimbursement policy going forward.

PDF of a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Asbjørn Mack, Chief Negotiator Pharamaceuticals, LIS, Norway. 6 Oct 2016 – IHE Biosimilars Forum

PDF of a PowerPoint presentation by Mr. Murray Aitken, Senior VP and Executive Director, IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics. 6 Oct 2016 – IHE Biosimilars Forum

This white paper follows on from the 2016 IHE report, Economic surveillance for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Alberta. It provides a summary of main gaps in COPD care across Canada and, in the context of a broad economic framework, it surveys important examples of programs and policies designed to address these gaps.

Headache History Guide - September 2016 Link to Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program

  OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the trends and regional variation of stroke hospital care in 30-day in-hospital mortality, hospital length of stay (LOS), and 1-year total hospitalization cost after implementation of the Alberta Provincial Stroke Strategy.

“The Canadian Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Patient Charter is a way to call upon policymakers, health care providers and private payers to recognize IPF as a rare, rapidly lethal, chronic disease and to join in the campaign for greater awareness of this illness. The ultimate goal is to improve the overall quality and standards of care and ensure equal access to a continuum…

Speaker Biographies Keynote Speakers Dr. Clemens Hong, MD, MPHMedical Director, Community Health Improvement, Community Health & Integrated Programs, County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services Dr. Hong is a primary care physician and the Medical Director of Community Health Improvement at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. His work centers on approaches…

22 June 2016Edmonton, Alberta High Needs & High Cost Patients in Healthcare – How do we improve outcomes for these patients? is the 15th IHE Innovation Forum, a semi-annual event bringing together senior public- and private-sector experts and decision-makers to address health care policy issues. Our 15th IHE Innovation Forum Keynote Speakers were Dr. Clemens Hong, Medical…

22 June 2016Edmonton, Alberta Welcome and Greetings Master of CeremoniesDr. Lorne Tyrrell, Chair, Institute of Health Economics Welcome RemarksMs. Heather Sweet, Member of Legislative Assembly, Edmonton-Manning; Dr. Alan Casson, Interim Assistant Deputy Minister of Health Standards, Quality and Performance and Senior Provincial Medical Advisor, Ministry of Health, Government of…

High Needs & High Cost Patients in Healthcare – How do we improve outcomes for these patients? is the 15th IHE Innovation Forum, a semi-annual event bringing together senior public- and private-sector experts and decision-makers to address health care policy issues.

PDF of a PowerPoint presentation by Mr. Truman Severson, Vice President, Innovation and Business Development, Covenant Health. IHE Innovation Forum XV – High Needs & High Cost Patients in Healthcare – How do we improve outcomes for these patients?

PDF of a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Clemens Hong, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Community Health Improvement, Community Health & Integrated Programs, County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services. IHE Innovation Forum XV – High Needs & High Cost Patients in Healthcare – How do we improve outcomes for these patients?

PDF of a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Richard Lewanczuk, Senior Medical Director, Provincial Primary Health Care, Alberta Health Services; Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta. IHE Innovation Forum XV – High Needs & High Cost Patients in Healthcare – How do we improve outcomes for these patients?

  BACKGROUND: Eplerenone has been demonstrated as being cost effective for the treatment of patients with systolic heart failure (HF) and mild symptoms in several jurisdictions; however, its cost effectiveness is unknown in the context of Alberta, Canada.

  Objective: The objective of this paper is to estimate the additional mental health service costs incurred within the criminal justice system that are incurred because of people with mental illnesses who go through the system. Our focus is on costs in Alberta.

The Institute of Health Economics (IHE) together with the O’Brien Institute for Public Health (O’Brien Institute) held a policy forum on February 8th, 2016, entitled Physicians as Stewards of Resources: Roles, Responsibilities, and Remuneration to inform decision-making regarding the fiscal sustainability of theprovincial healthcare system, with a specific…

This PDF is a summary infographic related to the Economic surveillance for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Alberta report.

Objectives: In 2006, the Alberta Ministry of Health issued a policy to implement fetal fibronectin (fFN) testing as a publicly funded service for pregnant women. The goals were to reduce maternity health care utilization and unnecessary treatment, which would result in cost-savings for the health system by more accurately diagnosing false preterm labour. We conducted a post-policy…

This guide has been developed by the information specialists at the Institute of Health Economics in Edmonton Alberta and is intended to facilitate searching for health technology assessments (HTAs) or systematic reviews by providing the list of current and reliable internet-based resources that we regularly use in our work. We have tried as much as possible to match this guide…

Summary Report Optimizing access to care for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis multi-stakeholder national forum – Summary report and recommendations for policy-makingDownload Summary Report Program Optimizing Access to Care for Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Multi-stakeholder National Forum – AgendaDownload Agenda Background Document Optimizing…

Monday, 25 April 2016 Toronto, Ontario Moderator: Chris Henshall Opening and Opening Remarks Don Husereau, IHEMehmood Alibhai, Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd./LtéeDr. Chris Henshall, Chair, Health Technology Assessment International Policy Forumhttps://vimeo.com/album/3989243/video/169906196 Health care policy and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Values of patients…

25 April 2016 Toronto, Ontario On April 25th, The Institute of Health Economics (IHE), in partnership with the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (CPFF) and supported by an unrestricted grant from Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. (BI), held a national, multi-stakeholder roundtable forum to discuss policy recommendations on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) care. The forum…

PDF of a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Martin Kolb, MD, PhD, Professor, Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University. Optimizing Access to Care for Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Multi-stakeholder National Forum

PDF of a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Meena Kalluri, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Alberta. Optimizing Access to Care for Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Multi-stakeholder National Forum

PDF of a PowerPoint presentation by Mr. Robert Davidson, President, Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (CPFF). Optimizing Access to Care for Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Multi-stakeholder National Forum

In October 2015, we held the first Canadian consensus discussion that led to provisional recommendations regarding special considerations for policy-making and healthcare decisionmaking for interventions in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The meeting included 11 representatives of key stakeholders: patients, care providers, and policy researchers from across…

On April 25th, The Institute of Health Economics (IHE), in partnership with the Canadian Foundation for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPFF) and supported by an unrestricted grant from Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. (BI), held a national, multi-stakeholder roundtable forum to discuss policy recommendations on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) care.

This report provides the results of an economic surveillance analysis on the components of the Alberta healthcare system that are devoted to COPD prevention and treatment. It focuses on epidemiology (prevalence and incidence), service use, and cost indicators, and identifies gaps in the system that presumably add to the overall economic burden of COPD. PDF of the above image:  IHE…

IHE brochure discussing a study on the use of technology to prevent FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder). FASD Ongoing Initiative Prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder by the Use of Technology Study

Alberta STE Report written under contract with the Alberta Health Technologies Decision Process (AHTDP). This STE report examines the safety, screening accuracy, therapeutic efficacy/effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, budget impact, and health system readiness of newborn screening for seven conditions (galactosemia, tyrosinemia type I, homocystinuria, sickle cell anemia, sickle…

  Objectives: To estimate the life expectancy and specify the causes of death among people with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Methods: Included were all patients recorded in Alberta provincial databases of inpatients, outpatients, or practitioner claims from 2003 to 2012. People with FAS were identified by ICD-9 code 760.71 and ICD-10 codes Q86.0 and P04.3, and were linked…

The IHE quality appraisal checklist for case series studies developed by a group of researchers at the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) in collaboration with researchers from two other health technology assessment (HTA) agencies in Australia and Spain.

The IHE Quality Appraisal Checklist for Case Series Studies and guidance document developed by a group of researchers at the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) in collaboration with researchers from two other health technology assessment (HTA) agencies in Australia and Spain.

Alberta STE Report written under contract with the Alberta Health Technologies Decision Process (AHTDP). This rapid report has been produced in response to a request from Alberta Health to provide an update on the new published research evidence on the efficacy/effectiveness, efficiency, and safety of hysteroscopic tubal sterilization (HTS) using the Essure® system for permanent…

Alberta STE Report written under contract with the Alberta Health Technologies Decision Process (AHTDP). This report is an update of the “Technological efficacy/effectiveness analysis” (T) section of the 2014 Alberta STE report, which was an evidence assessment of the clinical effectiveness and safety of endovenous ablation interventions for symptomatic varicose veins…

Career and Award Opportunities Work for us The IHE is proud to employ exceptional, experienced professionals. We welcome applications from all qualified persons for our posted career opportunities. The IHE is building capacity in research The IHE's focus on capacity building, by supporting health researchers, students, and economists with internships, fellowships, bursaries, and…

  Abstract: Canada having a universal health insurance plan that provides hospital and physician benefits offers a natural experiment of whether continuity ofcare actually provides lower or higher utilization of services. The question we are evaluating is whether Canadians, who have a regular physician, use more health resources than those who do not have one? Using two statistical…

The Institute of Health Economics (IHE) together with the O’Brien Institute for Public Health (O’Brien Institute) held a policy forum on February 8th, 2016, entitled Physicians as Stewards of Resources: Roles, Responsibilities, and Remuneration to inform decision-making regarding the fiscal sustainability of the provincial healthcare system, with a specific focus…

The checklist has been used by researchers at IHE in HTA reports as well as by professionals in other organizations from various countries. Listed in reverse chronological order and updated on March 3rd, 2016. IHE Publications Institute of Health Economics. Hysteroscopic Tubal Sterilization. Edmonton AB: Institute of Health Economics. 2014. Download IHE Report Institute of Health…

The process by which the tool was developed, as well as a brief review of other published checklists and the results of a pilot test of the quality appraisal checklist are described in a 2012 IHE methodology paper. A preliminary validation study of the tool using factor analysis has also been conducted. Publications Listed in reverse chronological order. Guo B, Moga C, Harstall…

Policy Forum Summary Report Physicians as Stewards of Resources: Roles, Responsibilities and Remuneration Policy Forum – Summary Report Download Summary Report Program Policy Forum – Final ProgramDownload Final Program Background Document Alberta Fact SheetDownload Alberta Fact Sheet Forum Summary Policy Forum InfographicDownload Infographic

Monday, 8 February 2016 Edmonton, Alberta Please click the following link to watch video of afternoon sessions: Event Video 09:00 – 09:10 Welcome and Opening RemarksIHE and O'Brien Institute Leadershiphttps://vimeo.com/album/3800131/video/155338361 Morning Session: Understanding Our Shared Challenges 09:10 – 09:25 Setting the Stage: An Overview of Health Spending, Physician…

Biographies Dr. William Ghali, MD, MPH, FRCPCScientific Director, O'Brien Institute for Public Health Dr. Ghali is the Scientific Director of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health at the University of Calgary. He is also a Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary, and a practicing physician specialized in Internal Medicine.…

8 February 2016 Edmonton, Alberta The IHE/O’Brien Physicians as Stewards of Resources: Roles, Responsibilities, and Remuneration Policy Forum aimed to inform decision-making regarding the fiscal sustainability of the provincial healthcare system, with a specific focus on physicians as stewards of public resources. The forum, which was attended by Health Minister Sarah Hoffman…

The IHE/O’Brien Physicians as Stewards of Resources: Roles, Responsibilities and Remuneration Policy Forum aims to inform decision-making regarding the fiscal sustainability of the provincial healthcare system, with a specific focus on physicians as stewards of public resources. The forum, which will also be attended by Health Minister Sarah Hoffman as lunch keynote speaker,…

PDF of a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. William Ghali, MD, MPH, FRCPC, Scientific Director, O'Brien Institute for Public Health. IHE/O’Brien Physicians as Stewards of Resources: Roles, Responsibilities, and Remuneration Policy Forum

PDF of a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. David Naylor, President Emeritus and Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto. IHE/O’Brien Physicians as Stewards of Resources: Roles, Responsibilities, and Remuneration Policy Forum

PDF of a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Peter Kaboli, Hospitalist and Chief of Medicine, Iowa City VA Healthcare System. IHE/O’Brien Physicians as Stewards of Resources: Roles, Responsibilities, and Remuneration Policy Forum

PDF of a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. David Price, Professor and Chair, Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University. IHE/O’Brien Physicians as Stewards of Resources: Roles, Responsibilities, and Remuneration Policy Forum

PDF of a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Sharon Straus, Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto. IHE/O’Brien Physicians as Stewards of Resources: Roles, Responsibilities, and Remuneration Policy Forum

PDF of a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Carl Nohr, President, Alberta Medical Association, and Mr. Mike Gormley, Executive Director, Alberta Medical Association. IHE/O’Brien Physicians as Stewards of Resources: Roles, Responsibilities, and Remuneration Policy Forum

2018 | 2017 |2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 The Institute of Health Economics joined with Alberta Innovates (formerly known as Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions) in 2013 to create a new forum to bring stakeholders together to discuss health policy. The AI/IHE Health Policy Speaker Series features perspectives from leaders in the health system across the spectrum of health evidence,…

Acute Low Back Pain Brochure - 2016 Link to Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program

Chronic Low Back Pain Brochure - 2016 Link to Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program

Low Back Pain companion document - 2016 Link to Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program