Date: December 6, 2022
Behind the Scenes with Elle Pope: Senior Reader for the CEA Registry
Ever wonder how the Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) Registry keeps up with the ever-growing number of cost-effectiveness analyses published each year? CEVR is fortunate to work with a small army of reviewers (“readers”) who steadfastly read and collect information from CEAs on a variety of interventions and clinical areas. We wanted to put a face to these efforts by highlighting one of the CEA Registry’s senior readers, Elle Pope.
Elle is a PhD candidate in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the University of Maryland. Her research interests include health policy, the clinical workforce, social/organizational behavior, mental health, pain management, and substance use disorders.
We recently connected with Elle over Zoom to discuss her experiences and observations reading for the CEA Registry.
CEVR: How did you first get involved with CEVR and the CEA Registry?
EP: After I finished my MPH at BU, I applied for a research position at CEVR. I got my master’s in epidemiology and global health and thought I would work more in the global health sphere. The experience at CEVR helped me realize my interest in health policy and health economics research. That led me to pursue a PhD.
CEVR was the first place where I got to do quantitative research and be involved in publications. It was really beneficial for getting into a PhD program and has continued to be beneficial while I was in the program.
CEVR: What changes have you observed with the CEA Registry since you began as a reader?
EP: When I first started at CEVR, we were using Microsoft Access. It was old and glitchy. I had to print out our data collection forms and collect information using pen and paper. Our data collection has improved and evolved. It is exciting to have a brand new website.
CEVR: Have you observed any trends in the CEA literature?
EP: The quality of the articles has gotten better, making it easier to review them for the CEA Registry. I have noticed more authors following the recommendations from the Second Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine. It is almost like they know the CEA Registry readers will be reviewing their article because they seem to be citing the recommendations and stating things in a more standardized way. It is very encouraging to see.
CEVR: If you could give advice to CEA authors, what would it be?
EP: Read the Second Panel recommendations and follow standard methods of reporting. It is frustrating when you cannot discern the methods or the authors don’t provide disaggregated costs or QALYs. Transparency in reporting is so important!
CEVR: What should people know about the CEA Registry?
EP: It is a great resource to use for literature reviews and to gather information about value. It can also be used for data analyses, especially if you want to pull out information about QALYs or utility information. It is a really rich data source; if you are just getting started on a research project, it is a good place to start.
I tell people in my PhD program about the CEA Registry. I opted out of the health economics class, given my experience at CEVR, but the class uses the Second Panel book and the CEA Registry in its curriculum.
CEVR: Tell us about your PhD studies and plans for after graduation.
EP: I'll complete my PhD in the Spring of 2023 after defending my dissertation in a few months. My dissertation focuses on physician opioid prescribing and subsequent influences on prescribing behavior from peer networks or industry. After graduation, I'll be doing a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the VA Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research (CHOIR) where I'll continue researching opioids and mental health care coordination. My husband and I are also hoping to do an international trip somewhere in Asia next year!
