Medical Affairs and Research
Abbott Nutrition
Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) provides a robust framework to demonstrate the clinical and economic value of nutrition interventions across health care settings. By integrating cost-effectiveness analysis with patient outcomes, HEOR helps quantify the burden of malnutrition and the impact of targeted nutrition strategies on system performance metrics—such as reduced length of stay, improved patient flow, and enhanced access to care. Building on recent evidence published in Nutrition in Clinical Practice (Schuetz et al., 2024), this session will: • Introduce HEOR methodology and its relevance to nutrition care. • Review compelling findings from nutrition care studies showing that interventions are clinically effective and often cost-saving. • Translate these insights into actionable strategies for Canadian health care leaders and policymakers. Malnutrition remains highly prevalent and underdiagnosed in Canadian hospitals (1 in 2 patients on admission) and communities (1 in 3 older adults), significantly impacting patient outcomes and health care costs. Despite progress led by the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force (CMTF), awareness among health care executives and policymakers is limited. HEOR offers a language that resonates with decision-makers—connecting nutrition care to key performance indicators (KPIs) like patient flow, access, and cost containment. This session will inspire Canadian researchers to generate local HEOR data and equip clinicians, managers, and organizations with tools to elevate nutrition in policy discussions. By making the burden of malnutrition visible and quantifying its economic impact, HEOR empowers stakeholders to position nutrition as a cost-effective solution for improving outcomes and efficiency.
Kirk W. Kerr joined the Abbott Nutrition’s Health Economics and Outcomes Research team in June 2019. While at Abbott, Dr. Kerr has researched the impact of nutrition interventions in improving patient outcomes in different populations and settings of care. Prior to joining Abbott, Dr. Kerr worked in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research advising FDA leadership on the impact of FDA policies on drug development, drug prices, patient access to medicines, and drug user fees. Dr. Kerr has over 30 peer reviewed publications and has served as the president of the ISPOR Nutrition Economics Community of Interest (the health economics professional society’s forum for researchers of nutrition and economics). He has a PhD and MA in Economics from Ohio State University, and an MA and BS in Economics from the University of Missouri.