It was planned to host the next dental-statistical meeting in New York in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic ruined that idea! After lengthy discussions, the decision was made to postpone the meeting to 2021 and to organize it as an online meeting.

Despite practical issues and a less ideal setting (online meetings are not the best way to stimulate discussions and start-up collaborations), an almost regular meeting was organized with as central topic Translating research into practice and policy: Health economics. Pre-recorded lectures were made available online for the participants to watch before the interactive live panel discussions with the speakers at a time convenient for participants from around the world, an opportunity not possible for in-person meetings.

The meeting in this unique format allowed participants from different continents to connect simultaneously. The meeting counted on the exceptional contribution of John P. A. Ioannidis, one of the distinguished speakers of this unique event.