AIES Events 2026

AIES Health Economics Webinar Series

“Navigating Turbulence through Social Innovation in Health and Social Care”

Abstract: Contemporary societies are increasingly shaped by disruptive events—ranging from global pandemics to climate emergencies—that generate socio-economic turbulence and challenge traditional governance models. This seminar explores how society-based responses, particularly social innovation and co-creation, emerge and function under such conditions.
Starting from a systematic literature review of social innovation initiatives during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the seminar will identify key mechanisms and contextual factors that enabled communities to respond to the crisis. Building on these insights, empirical findings from the Horizon Europe-funded ENCASE project will be discussed, which investigates co-creation processes in carbon capture and storage (CCUS) initiatives across five European countries. Using a realist evaluation approach, the analysis focuses on how collaborative governance fosters knowledge exchange, stakeholder engagement, and public value creation in the green transition. By bridging crisis-driven social innovation with climate-focused co-creation, the aim is to reflect on the potential role of social innovation in addressing complex societal challenges and shaping more resilient, inclusive futures.

INVITED SPEAKER: Francesca Calò, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK 

AIES Health Economics Webinar Series

“Cost-utility analysis of the NeuroSAFE versus standard Robotic Assisted Radical Prostatectomy in men with localised prostate cancer in England”

Abstract

Background
Robotic radical prostatectomy (RARP) is a first-line curative treatment option for localized prostate cancer.  Preserving the lateral neurovascular bundles (NS) during RARP improves functional outcomes and in particular erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence that commonly affect patients after surgery. The NeuroSAFE technique (intraoperative frozen section examination of the neurovascular structure adjacent prostate margin) can provide real-time pathological consult to promote optimal NS. NeuroSAFE PROOF is a single-blinded, multi-centre, randomised controlled trial (RCT) in which men are randomly allocated to either NeuroSAFE RARP or standard RARP.

Aims
Aim of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of NeuroSAFE RARP compared to standard RARP using both the NHS perspective and the societal perspective.

Methods
A within trial economic evaluation has been conducted using data from the NeuroSAFE trial adopting both the NHS and PSS and the societal perspective. The cost of the intervention and control has been assessed using data on the consumption of healthcare resources at patient level collected during the trial at different time points. The costs of resources used have been assessed using the unit cost data available from published sources. Private costs and productivity losses have been estimated using data from the trial. Outcomes have been measured in terms of erectile function, incontinence and quality of life measured through EQ5D5L questionnaires. The results are expressed in terms of Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) and Net Monetary Benefits. Multiple imputation has been used to deal with missing data. Extensive sensitivity analysis has been performed to test the robustness of the results.

Main results
The trial has randomised 407 patients in total, while the modified intention to treat population is 381 patients. Preliminary results show that the NeuroSAFE intervention is more expensive compared to standard treatment but improve outcomes in patients, reducing incontinence and quality of life. NEUROSAFE has an ICER of £27,970 per QALY and £28,176 per QALY when adopting the NHS and the societal perspectives, respectively.  From the NHS perspective the likelihood of being cost-effective and acceptable is 22% and 53.4% according to NICE lower and upper thresholds. The sensitivity analyses confirm the results. A subgroup analysis on patients that were not recommended bilateral nerve sparing before surgery has demonstrated that the intervention is no longer cost-effective.

Conclusions
NeuroSAFE PROOF is the first RCT of intra-operative frozen section during radical prostatectomy in the world. It is properly powered to evaluate a difference in the recovery of EF for men undergoing RARP assessed by patient-reported outcome measures. It will provide evidence to guide the use of the NeuroSAFE technique around the world.

INVITED SPEAKER: Elena Pizzo, University College London 

Riunione Intermedia AIES

“Riforma e riordino della legislazione farmaceutica: dai tetti di spesa e revisione dei meccanismi di payback al rafforzamento delle farmacie di comunità”

AIES Health Economics Webinar Series

“The determinants of health expenditure: a machine learning approach”

Abstract: Accurate prediction of healthcare costs is essential for making decisions, shaping policies, preparing finances, and managing resources effectively, but traditional econometric models fall short in addressing this policy challenge adequately. This paper uses machine learning (ML) to predict healthcare expenditure in systems with heterogeneous regional needs. The Italian NHS is used as a case study, with administrative data spanning the years 1996 to 2019. The empirical analysis implements four ML algorithms (Elastic-Net, Gradient Boosting, Random Forest, and Support Vector Regression) and a multivariate regression as a baseline. Gradient boosting emerges as the superior algorithm in out-of-the-sample prediction performances; even when applied to 2019 data, the models trained up to 2018 demonstrate robust forecasting abilities. Important predictors of expenditure include temporal factors and technological progress, average family size and share of public expenditure over the total, regional area, population and share of foreign residents, GDP per capita and labour activity, and share of elderly population (75 years old and over). The remarkable effectiveness of the model demonstrates that ML can be efficiently employed to predict and then distribute national healthcare funds to areas with heterogeneous needs.

INVITED SPEAKER: Giuliano Resce, Associate Professor at University of Molise, Italy

AIES Health Economics Webinar Series

“Driving Global Health Equity: Strategies for Effective SDG 3 Implementation – Status quo and future directions, insights from Austria”

Abstract: Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 focuses on promoting health and well-being for all. Despite global efforts, achieving SDG 3 and its sub-goals remains a challenging task, marked by numerous obstacles, including inequalities in access to healthcare, a shortage of medical professionals, declining vaccination rates, the spread of infectious diseases, and an increase in mental illness and substance abuse.
In view of these problems, this research paper analyses the strategies of the province of Upper Austria for achieving SDG 3. The first step was to conduct a literature review to identify the state of the art in scientific literature on this topic. In addition, experts were interviewed to identify the strategies and specific measures taken by the province of Upper Austria to implement the goals and subgoals of SDG 3.

INVITED SPEAKER: Birgit Grüb-Martin, Associated Professor at Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria

AIES Health Economics Webinar Series

“Is caring productive? The effect of Adult Social Care on paid production in England”

Abstract: Long-term care (LTC) provides essential support to service users and informal carers to improve their quality of life. By improving quality of life, LTC can potentially impact economic growth, for example, it may enable service users of working age and their carers to spend more time in paid employment. This study investigates the effect of publicly-funded LTC expenditure on a measure of paid production across local authorities in England. We analyse yearly data from 2014/15 to 2019/20 using a dynamic panel model estimated by the Arellano-Bond estimator. We find that a £1,000 increase in LTC expenditure per client increases paid production per capita by £216 in the short run and by £670 in the long run. These findings may inform policy makers interested in assessing the financial sustainability of LTC policies.

SPEAKER: Francesco Longo, Centre for Health Economics, University of York, UK