How Patient-Driven Insights are Shaping HEOR: A Q&A With Experts

Payers, policymakers, and manufacturers alike are demanding evidence that reflects real-world patient experiences and outcomes across diverse populations. Within health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), this shift is reshaping how evidence is generated, evaluated, and applied.

At Precision AQ, patient-driven insights sit at the center of how we approach HEOR and evidence generation. By integrating robust primary data collection with methodological rigor and policy-aware strategy, we help life sciences teams bring the patient voice into access, reimbursement, and policy conversations in meaningful ways.

Ahead of ISPOR North America 2026, where HEOR will take center stage as a driving force behind patient‑centered care, resilient health systems, and solutions to affordability, innovation uptake, we sat down with Melissa Maravic, PhD, MPH, Vice President in HEOR and Jacki Chou, MPP, MPL, Vice President in HEOR. These leaders within Precision AQ specialize in patient-driven insights, primary data collection (PDC), and decision-relevant HEOR. Together, they share how patient-centered evidence is shaping the future of HEOR.

Precision AQ: Tell us about yourself and your professional focus.

Melissa Maravic: I focus on primary data collection, mixed-methods research, and survey design. I specialize in generating high-quality, fit-for-purpose evidence that illuminates the quality of healthcare delivery and the value of therapeutic interventions for key healthcare stakeholders.

I’ve worked across both academic research and industry settings, including roles supporting pharmaceutical, biotech, and payer organizations. This background enables me to bring methodological rigor and thoughtful population-level considerations to every research question.

I’m a true mixed-methods researcher, something relatively uncommon. With a doctorate in medical anthropology and social science research methods and a master’s degree in epidemiology and biostatistics, I’m equally adept at conducting advanced statistical analyses as I am leading in-depth qualitative interviews and ethnographic research.

Jacki Chou: I lead our teams conducting primary data collection, strategy, and policy work. My work centers on generating decision‑relevant evidence that informs access, reimbursement, and policy discussions. I specialize in creative solutions to demonstrate and communicate the value of novel innovations.

I bring a policy‑aware, decision‑maker–centric perspective to evidence generation. Rather than viewing HEOR as a downstream validation exercise, I focus on designing research programs that anticipate how evidence will be scrutinized, interpreted, and used in real access and policy decisions.

AQ: How is your team helping to ensure HEOR and patient-driven insights remain at the forefront of policy and access conversations?

MM: Our goal is to keep HEOR at the forefront by generating timely, high-quality evidence through primary data collection. By capturing real patient and clinician experiences directly from the source, rather than relying solely on existing datasets, we can deliver nuanced, up-to-date insights that align with evolving payer and policy priorities.

Our team proactively designs fit-for-purpose studies that illuminate unmet needs, treatment patterns, and outcomes, ensuring HEOR leaders have the credible, relevant data needed to influence value, access, and policy decisions as the healthcare environment continues to shift.

JC: Our team works upstream, aligning evidence generation with emerging policy questions, affordability concerns, and access frameworks. By integrating primary data, real‑world evidence, and expert input early, we help ensure HEOR insights are timely, credible, and directly applicable to evolving reimbursement and policy debates.

AQ: What recent methodological innovation in PDC has had the greatest impact on demonstrating value to payers and policymakers?

MM: A key innovation has been the modernization of technology-enabled primary data collection. Tools like ePROs, real-time clinician surveys, and mobile-based longitudinal tracking allow us to gather precise, timely insights directly from patients and providers. This creates more relevant and credible evidence, giving payers and policymakers the context-rich information they need to make informed decisions.

JC: The growing sophistication of primary data collection and expert elicitation has been particularly impactful. When rigorously designed, these approaches can fill evidence gaps that traditional data sources cannot — especially regarding unmet need, clinical practice variation, and future-state assumptions that are central to policy and coverage decisions.

AQ: ISPOR 2026 highlights the increasing demand for affordability, equity, and transparency in evidence generation. How is PDC addressing these pressures in a meaningful way?

MM: We have seen an increased need and interest in understanding the impact of social determinants of health and equity on access across several therapeutic areas. Our team is currently looking at these issues in oncology and hopes to disseminate our results soon. It’s been a fascinating and insightful piece of research that I fully believe can be used to increase access for the population of interest.

JC: We place a great emphasis on transparency, both in methods and in how evidence is communicated. This includes clearer articulation of assumptions, uncertainties, and trade‑offs so that decision-makers can better understand how and why conclusions were reached.

AQ: What forward-looking trend do you believe will most influence HEOR practice over the next 3–5 years, and how should life sciences teams prepare for it?  

JC: The rise of artificial intelligence and real‑world evidence are the two most influential trends in HEOR, shaping both the questions we ask and how evidence is generated. As these tools are increasingly used to inform policy and access decisions, it is critical that research adheres to the highest standards of quality, transparency, and reproducibility to ensure the evidence base is credible and trustworthy.

Life sciences teams must pair innovation with strong methodological governance so that faster insights do not come at the expense of confidence in the results.

Bringing Patient-Driven Insights to ISPOR 2026

As HEOR continues to evolve, patient-driven insights will play an increasingly central role in shaping access, reimbursement, and policy decisions. The work led by Melissa and Jacki underscores Precision AQ’s dedication to integrating patient perspectives into evidence generation with rigor and purpose

At ISPOR 2026, conversations around advancing patient-centered care are expected to emerge as a central theme. If you’re looking to understand how patient-driven insights can strengthen your HEOR strategy and support more effective access decisions, we invite you to connect with Melissa and Jacki.

Schedule time to meet with our team at ISPOR 2026 to learn how Precision AQ helps turn patient, provider, and caregiver insights into decision-ready evidence.