Short on time? Those are the highlights from our latest Bulletin, or scroll down for the full story.
Nadine Henderson, Principal Economist
Caring at Christmas: Insights on carer burden
As many of us look forward to the holiday break, over 5 million informal carers will continue providing vital support to their loved ones in the UK. These carers provide essential unpaid support to people with long-term conditions, disabilities or age-related needs, filling critical gaps in formal health and social care systems. Yet this responsibility can take a personal toll and lead to isolation, with almost half of carers saying that Christmas made them feel more lonely than usual.
Our recent interviews with 60 carers of people living with acute leukemia revealed three interlinking themes, the impact of the carer-patient dynamic on relationships, balancing multiple roles and putting the patient first. Mental health impacts are significant too; OHE researchers found that 79% of carers of people with cystic fibrosis reported some anxiety or depression.
Carers need practical and emotional support, from flexible employers, integrated health and social care pathways, or through charities. Policymakers should ensure greater consideration of carer burden in health technology assessments to value treatments that reduce carer burden appropriately.
The reality of caring for someone with acute leukemia
Capturing the lived experiences of informal care in acute leukemia
60 carers across 6 countries shared how caring for someone with acute leukemia affects their daily life. Many face emotional, physical, and financial pressures while trying to balance work, relationships, and their own wellbeing. Despite these challenges, carers consistently prioritise the person they support. The findings point to a need for better practical and emotional support, more flexibility from employers, and stronger recognition of carer burden.
The growing gap in end-of-life support across the UK
Latest estimates show that 20 people a day die in unrelieved pain across the UK at the end of their lives
Our research found that in the UK, an estimated 7,329 people per year – or 20 people a day – die with no pain relief in the last 3 months of their life, even if the highest levels of palliative care are available to patients. There is a 15% increase between 2019 to 2023 in the number of people dying in completely unrelieved pain, even at the highest standards of palliative care in England, highlighting the urgent need for investment in high-quality end-of-life support.
Celebrating decades of impact in health economics research
Reflections from Adrian Towse on decades of HEOR research and impact
Adrian Towse, Emeritus Director and Visiting Senior Research Fellow at OHE, has been awarded the Avedis Donabedian Outcomes Research Lifetime Achievement Award by ISPOR. In a personal reflection, he shares how combining economic theory with practical policy work and supporting global health initiatives guided his decades-long impact in HEOR.
We're delighted that Adrian Towse was the recipient of the Avedis Donabedian Outcomes Research Lifetime Award at ISPOR Europe this week. In his honour, we've created an interactive HEOR-themed crossword featuring everyday health economics terms which you can play on our website.
