The programme of the Symposium will be implemented in five thematic sessions over the course of two days:

1. A roadmap for the process of reimbursement and tariffing of health benefits
2. CEE Forum: Value-based decision making in CEE countries
3. Tools for managing the guaranteed benefits package
4. Medical devices: prices, benefits, tariffs
5. Better access to services of rare diseases

Przyjęta formuła Sympozjum zakładała dłuższy czas na dyskusję z wybitnymi ekspertami zagranicznymi, co umożliwiło uczestnikom skorzystanie z ich wiedzy w szerszym zakresie niż ma to zazwyczaj miejsce w ramach tego rodzaju spotkań.

Session 1. A roadmap for the process of reimbursement and tariffing of health benefits

The first session titled: “A roadmap for the process of reimbursement and tariffing of health benefits” will cover the planned changes in the field of reimbursement solutions for drugs and medical devices. We will also investigate tools for their implementation – HTA and tariffing and ways to unclutter the package, including elimination of technologies. Apart from national experts, we will host speakers from Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria – countries which are currently building the basis for future changes and are undergoing a constant transformation. .
Due to its exceptional educational value, the participation in the first session will be free of charge. This way we want to encourage those who cannot take part in the entire Symposium – students and fellow scientists – to participate in the event. It is an opportunity to establish direct contact with representatives of the Polish Ministry of Health and The Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tariff System (AOTMiT). We hope for a lively discussion after the session. do góry

Session 2. CEE Forum: Value-based decision making in CEE countries

Due to constant modifications of drug policies in CEE countries, during the 11th edition of the Symposium we decided to make the annual meeting of evidence-based healthcare experts from this region a permanent item on the agenda.
A periodic discussion on pricing and reimbursement decision-making in the CEE countries enabled an interchange of experiences related to the introduction of particular modifications and allowed us to learn about existing good practices used in specific European countries. The EBHC Symposium, which is a forum for meetings, serves as a platform for an interchange of experiences and helps improve and creatively adjust the best solutions which have been implemented in other countries.
We invite experts in the field of Health Technology Assessment from countries such as: Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Serbia and Romania.

The session was moderated by Brian Godman – an expert cooperating with the WHO, the government administration and health insurance companies with the aim to optimise the benefits from using limited resources. His speech presented value-based reimbursement decision-making in European countries, with particular focus on the Central and Eastern Europe countries (CEE).

• Dávid Dankó – partner in a Hungarian research and consulting company which provides advisory in the area of pharmaceutical policy and analyses the medical devices market in the CEE region. He delivered a speech on the principles of sustainable development in reimbursement systems of Central and Eastern Europe countries.
• Maria Psenkova presented the Slovakian reimbursement system. She also talked about her experiences gained in the many years of managing pharmaceutical companies.
• Jaroslav Duba shared his experience of the nine-year-long process of introducing a transparent pricing and reimbursement system in the Czech Republic. He also shared his thoughts on sustainability and stability of access to the market from today’s perspective.
• Tanja Novakovic – an expert specialist in the field of Health Technology Assessment, President of the Pharmacoeconomics Section within the Pharmaceutical Association of Serbia, explained the importance of innovation in decision-making processes.
• Ileana Mardare presented the solutions, both existing and those planned for the nearest future, used in health technology assessment and reimbursement decision-making in Romania.
• Magdalena Władysiuk – President of CEESTAHC, delivered a speech on Poland's experiences.

Wystąpienia wszystkich prelegentów zostały podsumowane dyskusją kończącą pierwszy dzień Sympozjum. top

Session 5. Better access to services of rare diseases

This year’s Symposium paid special attention to rare diseases.
Rare diseases are, in accordance with the definition adopted in the European Union, severe and often life-threatening conditions which affect not more than 5 in 10,000 people.
Currently about 8,000 rare diseases have been identified. This number is still growing due to the progress made in the field of genetics. It allows us to understand the mechanism of diseases which previously remained unexplained. Over 80% of rare diseases are genetic disorders and 50% of new diagnoses concern children. Many patients suffer from co-morbidities – this makes diagnosis and treatment even more difficult.
In accordance with the European Commission’s estimates, rare diseases affect 6-8% of the population. Thus there may be even 2-3 million people suffering from rare diseases in Poland, which makes us wonder whether rare diseases are becoming, to some extent, common conditions. Brought together, rare diseases constitute a serious social problem and an extraordinary challenge for the health care and social security system. Only a few rare diseases such as haemophilia and cystic fibrosis have been covered with multi-specialist treatment programmes.
Rare diseases are not as appealing as common conditions to the medical environment because even medical practitioners interested in the topic may never come across such a case. Knowledge about these diseases is still relatively limited and dispersed in narrowly specialised centres. This limited knowledge and scarcity of experts specialising in specific conditions result in difficult access to diagnosis and treatment – the diagnosis itself may drag on for many years. This is why it is vital to implement actions thanks to which patients suffering from rare diseases will no longer face hindered access to healthcare.
The last session focused on answering questions about the current situation as to access to health technologies used in rare diseases, what actions should be taken to facilitate access to primary and secondary healthcare and the challenges faced by researches and the government in connection with the specificity of such conditions.
Both Polish and foreign experts were invited to the discussion.

• Alastair Kent – director of Genetic Alliance UK – an organisation which supports patients and families affected by genetic conditions.
• Piotr Czauderna – paediatric surgeon, former President of the Polish Association of Paediatric Surgeons and the International Childhood Liver Tumours Strategy Group (SIOPEL). Currently, he is a member of the National Development Council established by the President of Poland.
• Alicia Granados Navarrete – Head of Global Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Scientific Strategy at Sanofi Genzyme, lecturer at the Medical Facility of University of Barcelona.
• Mieczysław Walczak – national consultant in the field of paediatric endocrinology and diabetology and head of the Clinic of Paediatrics, Endocrinology, Diabetology, Metabolic Diseases and Cardiology of the Developmental Age at the Pomeranian Medical University.
• Maria Libura – head of the Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies on Rare Diseases at Łazarski University, lecturer at the Centre for Postgraduate Education at Łazarski University, President of the Polish Association for Patients with Prader-Willi Syndrome, health expert of the Centre of Analysis of the Jagiellonian Club.

We have also invited non-governmental organisations to participate in the discussion to help cover all aspects and problems regarding availability of diagnostics and treatment of rare diseases. To date the following organisations have confirmed their participation:

• Watch Health Care Foundation (WHC) http://www.korektorzdrowia.pl/
• SMA Foundation https://www.fsma.pl/
• Dina Radziwiłłowa The Heart of a Child Foundation http://www.sercedziecka.org.pl/
• Alba-JuliaAssociation of patients suffering from Neurofibromatosis type I and other neurocutaneous disorders http://alba-julia.pl/
• Orphan Rare Diseases Poland http://www.rzadkiechoroby.pl/
• Healthy Aging Foundation http://www.zdrowestarzenie.org/
• Polish Association for Patients with Phenylketonuria and Rare Diseases Ars Vivendi http://www.fenyloketonuria.org/
• Polish Association of Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension and Friends http://www.tetniczenadcisnienieplucne.pl/

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