Embracing Precision Medicine: The Heart of Value-Based Care
Sarah Heming
At Diaceutics, we believe value-based care hinges on delivering the right treatment to the right patient at the right time. Precision medicine is at the core of this vision, tailoring medical treatment to the unique characteristics of each patient.
At Diaceutics, we believe value-based care hinges on delivering the right treatment to the right patient at the right time. Precision medicine is at the core of this vision, tailoring medical treatment to the unique characteristics of each patient. However, realizing the full potential of precision medicine requires both technological innovation and a paradigm shift in healthcare delivery.
Our mission is to dismantle the current siloed data systems and create a seamless ecosystem where data flows freely among laboratories, healthcare providers, and payers, ensuring patients receive the most effective treatments based on the latest genomics and biomarker insights.
During the recent Precision Medicine Practice Gaps Economic, Policy, and Operational Solutions Global Summit hosted by DXRX, global leaders and stakeholders gathered to address the economic and operational challenges hindering patient access to precision medicine. Key insights and recommendations were shared to solve these practice gaps, which currently prevent 64% of patients from receiving optimal precision medicine treatments.
Precision Medicine Global Summit: Key outputs
A significant focus of the summit was the necessity of robust data integration to streamline the patient journey from diagnosis to treatment. Enhancing interoperability between health systems for comprehensive genomic data collection and analysis is fundamental for advancing precision medicine.
Additionally, new reimbursement frameworks recognizing the value of precision diagnostics were proposed, encouraging investment in innovative testing technologies and methods essential for personalized treatment plans.
Brenda Yanak, Founder, Clinical Transformation Partners
“The challenge is that scientifically, we’re in this transition phase from blockbuster medicine to precision medicine; the science and technology are advancing faster than the operations and reimbursement frameworks”
Education was highlighted as pivotal in this transformation. Healthcare professionals require ongoing training to effectively incorporate genetic insights into their treatment plans, and patients need support to navigate the complexities of precision medicine.
Key recommendations included implementing pathology-driven testing for better patient outcomes and optimizing current testing approaches. Advocating for inclusive policy development processes, particularly involving patients and pharmacists, was also emphasized.
The summit underscored the urgency of incorporating precision oncology into institutional settings, ensuring doctors have the necessary training, resources, and support for informed decisions regarding precision testing and treatment.
Future outlook
As we look to the future, we are committed to a collaborative, innovative, and patient-centric approach to fully integrate precision medicine into a value-based care model. The rewards—improved outcomes, lower healthcare costs, and a system truly meeting the needs of each individual patient—are well worth the effort.
We encourage stakeholders at all levels to continue the dialogue and unlock the power of precision testing to deliver value-based care.
About Diaceutics
At Diaceutics we believe that every patient should get the opportunity to receive the right test and the right therapy to positively impact their disease outcome.
We provide the world's leading pharma and biotech companies with an end-to-end commercialisation solution for precision medicines through data analytics, scientific and advisory services enabled by our platform DXRX – The Diagnostics Network ®
Why does clinical utility awareness affect biomarker testing adoption?
If a biomarker's clinical utility isn't widely known or endorsed by clinical guidelines and key opinion leaders, healthcare providers may not order the test or know how to act on results, leading to missed patient identification and slower treatment adoption. Strong clinical validity data and published outcomes linking the biomarker to improved survival are essential for building this awareness.
Why is sample availability a barrier to biomarker testing, and how can it be addressed?
Sample availability becomes a barrier when biopsies are difficult to obtain, as in NSCLC, or when the wrong biopsy type is used, leading to inaccurate results. Tissue-sparing methodologies like next-generation sequencing (NGS), which tests multiple biomarkers simultaneously, and liquid biopsy (LBx), a less invasive alternative, both help address this challenge.
How does test availability within labs impact precision medicine adoption?
A test's adoption depends on whether it's readily available in labs preferred by physicians, whether the testing methodology adequately covers the relevant biomarker alterations, and how clearly the test is described in requisition forms and reports. Unclear or overly complex test menus can lead to inaccurate ordering and misinformed treatment decisions.
Why does test quality matter, and how can false positives and negatives be minimized?
Low-quality testing can lead to missed, incorrect or sub-optimal treatment decisions and erode confidence in precision medicine overall. Key factors for ensuring accuracy include using accredited labs, active participation in External Quality Assurance (EQA) programs, and understanding the differences between companion diagnostics (CDx) and laboratory-developed tests (LDTs), particularly given LDTs face less regulatory oversight.
Why is test turnaround time critical in precision medicine decision-making?
Delayed test results can push physicians toward non-personalized treatment options before comprehensive molecular testing results, such as NGS, are available. Common causes of delay include sample logistics, testing methodology, sample batching, and whether testing is performed in-house or sent to an external lab.
How does test reimbursement affect access to precision medicine and healthcare equity?
Written By Sarah Heming
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