Fostering Transdisciplinary Collaborations in Cancer Health Economics Research

Abstract Health economics research, defined as research that evaluates how patients, health-care providers, and governments make health-care decisions using economic theory, models, and empirical techniques, requires broad domains of knowledge that are not fully encompassed by a single discipline. Collaboration between disciplines provides different perspectives on problems, creates more comprehensive research questions, allows for more complex understanding of multifaceted determinants and processes, and thus, provides more realistic recommendations to address difficult questions of health economics. Realizing the importance of collaboration, the National Cancer Institute virtual conference on the Future of Cancer Health Economics included an interactive panel exploring how to foster effective collaborations in cancer health economics research. This manuscript summarizes the panel and participants’ discussion regarding the value, barriers, and potential facilitators to transdisciplinary collaboration within health economics research.