New Online Tool Helps Patient Advocates Navigate Medicines Development and Evaluation Process

Indianapolis (ots/PRNewswire) -

A new online, interactive training programme designed to help
patient advocates better influence decisions related to access to new
medicines was launched today in advance of the 6th Global Patient
Congress at Ascot, United Kingdom.

Developed by Eli Lilly and Company in collaboration with
internationally renowned experts in the fields of patient involvement
and health technology assessment (HTA), the eMEET (Medicine
Evaluation Educational Training) online resource is a unique tool
designed to help patient advocates navigate the complex world of
medicines development, evaluation and assessment. eMEET is endorsed
by Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi), the global
scientific and professional society for those who produce, use, or
encounter HTA.[1]

"The growing role of patient engagement in the medicines
evaluation process is one of the key drivers to improving access -
and patient advocates have much to contribute," commented clinical
expert Professor Ken Paterson, Former Chair, Scottish Medicines
Consortium. "By helping ensure patients have a voice, it's a win for
the healthcare system, a win for the HTA process and most
importantly, a win for patients."

Patients have unique knowledge about what it's like to live with
an illness, the possible limitations of existing treatments and the
potential of new therapies. However, ensuring that patients'
experiences are considered can be challenging in an environment where
decisions are scientifically based.

"It's absolutely crucial that patient advocates understand the
medicine development and HTA processes. Advocates can then make a
more robust contribution to the medicines evaluation discussion and
be accepted as an equal and knowledgeable stakeholder in healthcare
decisions," said Kathy Oliver, Co-director for the International
Brain Tumour Alliance (IBTA). "eMEET is a great resource. It's easily
accessible online, you can learn at your own pace, and it's an
enjoyable and valuable educational tool."

eMEET uses a variety of tools, such as video presentations,
animations and exercises to show how patients' experiences can be
integrated into these complex processes. The programme helps patient
advocates ensure, in the most productive and meaningful way, that
their input to the medicines evaluation process successfully
highlights patient issues, informs decision-making and aligns with
the scientific evidence.

"Evidence from patients can help us understand the challenges
associated with current therapies and what they would want from new
treatments," said Dr. Karen Facey, HTAi Interest Group for
Patient/Citizen involvement in HTA. "This can help us put the
scientific evidence into context and understand the true value of a
treatment."

The eMEET training programme is presented in modules focused on:

1) Introduction and scene-setting - the true value of the patient voice
2) The journey of a medicine - the complex process of medicines discovery,
development and evaluation
3) An introduction to HTA
4) HTA in practice - an illustration of the complexities of health technology
assessment
5) Patient advocacy group participation in HTA - how to engage effectively to
ensure that HTA panels understand patients' needs and preferences

eMEET is the online component of the broader MEET programme.
Translated into multiple languages, MEET was developed as an
interactive one-day training workshop designed to help patient
advocacy group leaders understand and engage in the journey of a
medicine, including: clinical trials, regulatory evaluation and HTA.
eMEET does not focus on any specific disease state. MEET and eMEET
are part of the advocacy component of PACE (Patient Access to Cancer
care Excellence), a Lilly Oncology initiative. For more information,
please visit http://www.meetforpatients.com.

To view the multi-media press release, including the MEET video
testimonials, eMEET teaser video and eMEET brochure please click the
link below.

www.epresspack.net/mmr/news/5296
[http://www.epresspack.net/mmr/news/5296 ]

About HTA

According to Health Technology Assessment International's "HTAi
Patient and Consumer Glossary," health technology assessment is the
"systematic evaluation of the clinical effectiveness and/or
cost-effectiveness and/or the social and ethical impact of a health
technology" (such as a medicine) "on the lives of patients and the
healthcare system." Its aim is to educate healthcare policymakers.HTA
organisations, such as NICE (National Institute for Health and Care
Excellence) in the United Kingdom, recommend whether a specific
health technology should be used, and if so, in which setting and for
which patients. According to the glossary, "assessments vary, but
most look at the health benefits and risks of using the technology.
They also look at costs and any wider impacts that the technology
might have on a population or on society."[2]

About PACE

Created by Lilly Oncology as a global collaboration spanning
diverse sectors, PACE (Patient Access to Cancer care Excellence)
exists to encourage public policies and healthcare decisions that
speed the development of new medicines, assure cancer treatments
respond to the needs and qualities of individual patients, and
improve patient access to the most effective cancer medicines. PACE
is engaging key oncology stakeholders: patients, advocacy, payers,
policymakers, providers, the public, researchers and politicians. To
learn more about PACE and the PACE Cancer Perception Index, please
visit http://www.pacenetwork.com.

About Lilly Oncology

For more than fifty years, Lilly has been dedicated to delivering
life-changing medicines and support to people living with cancer and
those who care for them. Lilly is determined to build on this
heritage and continue making life better for all those affected by
cancer around the world. To learn more about Lilly's commitment to
people with cancer, please visit http://www.LillyOncology.com.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with
discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were
founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating
high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true
to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees
work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need
them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give
back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn
more about Lilly, please visit us at http://www.lilly.com and
http://newsroom.lilly.com/social-channels.

References:

1. Health Technology Assessment International. What is HTAi?
Available at http://www.htai.org/index.php?id=428. Accessed 21 March
2014.

2. Health Technology Assessment International. HTAi Patient and
Consumer Glossary: A beginner's guide to words used in health
technology assessment. October 2009. Available at http://www.ihe.ca/d
ocuments/HTAiPatientAndConsumerGlossaryOctober2009_01.pdf. Accessed
21 March 2014.

ots Originaltext: Eli Lilly and Company
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Contact: Corina Ramers-Verhoeven, Lilly, +31-30-6025-828 (office)
/ +31-6-1500-6046 (mobile), Email: ramers_corina@lilly.com. Liliana
Coletti, TogoRun, +1-212-453-2061 (office) / +1-914-671-4712
(mobile),
Email: l.coletti@togorun.com