Healthcare decision-making in Europe is not only about whether a new treatment creates value. It is about whether it delivers value for money within healthcare systems that must constantly balance quality of care, universal access, and financial sustainability.
In this short video, Prof. Lieven Annemans explains the core principles behind healthcare decision-making in Europe, and how health economics and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) support better, more sustainable choices.
This short webinar extract is especially relevant for professionals working in market access, pricing, HEOR, public affairs, reimbursement, and healthcare policy, but it is equally valuable for anyone who wants to better understand how European healthcare systems make funding decisions.
🎓 What you will learn in this video
In this short clip, Lieven Annemans explains:
- why healthcare systems in Europe focus on value for money, not value alone
- how policymakers try to balance quality, access, and affordability
- what value means in health economics
- why Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is essential to support reimbursement and access decisions
- how wise investment choices help protect the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems
đź’° Why value for money matters in healthcare
Healthcare systems operate under constant pressure: budgets are limited, patient needs are increasing, and innovation continues to expand treatment possibilities.
This means decision-makers must go beyond clinical value and consider how to allocate resources in a way that maximises health outcomes across the population.
This is the essence of value for money in healthcare, a concept rooted in health economics.
đź“Š The role of health economics
Health economics provides the framework to understand how limited healthcare resources can be used most effectively.
It helps answer critical questions such as:
- Which treatments generate the greatest health benefit for their cost?
- What are the trade-offs when choosing one intervention over another?
- How can healthcare systems maximise impact within constrained budgets?
By quantifying outcomes, costs, and trade-offs, health economics enables more transparent and rational decision-making across healthcare systems.
đź“„ The role of HTA in Europe
Health Technology Assessment (HTA) builds on health economics to evaluate the value of new medicines, diagnostics, and medical technologies.
HTA supports decision-makers in assessing:
- clinical benefit
- comparative effectiveness
- cost-effectiveness
- budget impact
- broader societal value
These insights inform pricing, reimbursement, and access decisions across European healthcare systems.
đź’Š Why this matters for pharma professionals
For professionals in pharma and life sciences, understanding health economics and HTA is essential to navigating the European access landscape.
It directly impacts:
- how value is demonstrated
- how evidence is generated
- how pricing strategies are developed
- how access is achieved across markets
A strong foundation in these disciplines enables more effective collaboration with payers, policymakers, and stakeholders.
Continue your learning from Prof. Dr Lieven Annemans
If you’d like to learn more from Prof. Dr Lieven Annemans, CELforPharma also offers 3 courses:
2-day course in Brussels:
Health Economics for Non-Health-Economists
With Prof. Dr Lieven Annemans
1-day live online course:
Basics of Health Economics
With Prof. Dr Lieven Annemans
1-day live online course:
Critical New HTA Developments in Europe: Challenges & Solutions
With Prof. Dr Lieven Annemans
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