• Asia Spotlight: Beijing Forum

    Eric Wu - Headshot

    Eric Q. Wu: Managing Principal, Analysis Group

    Analysis Group helped organize a conference with more than 100 government officials, academics, and industry stakeholders from around the world to discuss medical big data, health economics, and health technology assessment (HTA) research.

    Presenters at the Forum, which took place in 2018 in Beijing, included leading academics from some of the foremost universities and medical institutions in China, the US, and the UK, as well as senior officials from government organizations. The conference was organized jointly by the Medical Big Data Center (an entity formed by Tsinghua University’s Center for Statistical Science and Analysis Group) and Fudan University’s Health Technology Assessment Center.

    The Forum was chaired by Professor Ke Deng, Deputy Director of the Center for Statistical Science at Tsinghua University. Professor Xihong Lin, Head of Harvard University’s Department of Biostatistics and Co-director of the Center of Statistical Science at Tsinghua University, delivered opening remarks. In an academic session focused on the current status and prospects of, and international cooperation related to, HTAs in China, discussion topics included the reform of the medical insurance access system in China; techniques for identifying optimal target populations; the current status of HTAs in China; and HTA collaboration between China and Britain. In a session focused on the technological frontier of medical big data research, presenters discussed the prospect of combining electronic medical records (EMRs) with genomic data, the application of big data technology in medical practice, and innovation in personal medical data sharing.

    Simeng Han - Headshot

    Simeng Han: Director of China, Analysis Group

    The Forum also featured a roundtable discussion with several experts about the challenges of incorporating health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) results into medical insurance reimbursement, improving research quality, and strengthening the cooperation between China and the US with respect to HTAs. Closing remarks were presented by Professor Yingyao Chen, Vice Dean of Fudan University’s School of Public Health and Director of the Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment (National Health and Family Planning Commission). ■

    Selected speakers from the Beijing Forum

    Current status, prospects, and international cooperation related to HTAs in China

    Xianjun Xiong (Keynote)

    Secretary, Social Insurance Management Center, China Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security

    Gordon Liu - Headshot

    Professor Gordon Liu: Peking University

    Gordon Liu (Keynote)

    Director, China Center for Health Economics Research, Peking University National School of Development; Affiliate, Analysis Group

    Eric Q. Wu

    Managing Principal, Analysis Group

    Praveen Thokala

    Research Fellow, University of Sheffield


    The technological frontier of medical big data research

    Wing Hung Wong

    Professor in Science and Human Health, Professor of Statistics, and Professor of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University

    Jing Wu - Headshot

    Professor Jing Wu: Tianjin University

    Shan Wang

    Professor of Surgery, Peking University People’s Hospital

    Simeng Han

    Director of China, Analysis Group

    Hui Xiao

    Chief Application Officer, CEC DATA Systems


    Roundtable discussion on HEOR challenges

    Jing Wu (Discussion Leader)

    Professor of School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University