THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE, healthcare innovation through precision medicine: policy case study of Qatar

M Walid Qoronfleh,Said Ismail,Borbala Mifsud,Maryam Al Emadi,Lotfi Chouchane

doi:10.1186/s40504-020-00107-1

M Walid Qoronfleh, Said Ismail + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40504-020-00107-1

Copy DOI

Abstract

In 2016, the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) published its Forum Report on precision medicine “PRECISION MEDICINE - A GLOBAL ACTION PLAN FOR IMPACT”. Healthcare is undergoing a transformation, and it is imperative to leverage new technologies to generate new data and support the advent of precision medicine (PM). Recent scientific breakthroughs and technological advancements have improved our disease knowledge and altered diagnosis and treatment approaches resulting in a more precise, predictive, preventative and personalized health care that is customized for the individual patient. Consequently, the big data revolution has provided an opportunity to apply artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to mine such a vast data set. Additionally, personalized medicine promises to revolutionize healthcare, with its key goal of providing the right treatment to the right patient at the right time and dose, and thus the potential of improving quality of life and helping to bring down healthcare costs.This policy briefing will look in detail at the issues surrounding continued development, sustained investment, risk factors, testing and approval of innovations for better strategy and faster process. The paper will serve as a policy bridge that is required to enhance a conscious decision among the powers-that-be in Qatar in order to find a way to harmonize multiple strands of activity and responsibility in the health arena. The end goal will be for Qatar to enhance public awareness and engagement and to integrate effectively the incredible advances in research into healthcare systems, for the benefit of all patients.The PM policy briefing provides concrete recommendations on moving forward with PM initiatives in Qatar and internationally. Equally important, integration of PM within a primary care setting, building a coalition of community champions through awareness and advocacy, finally, communicating PM value, patient engagement/empowerment and education/continued professional development programs of the healthcare workforce.Key recommendations for implementation of precision medicine inside and outside Qatar:Create Community Awareness and PM Education ProgramsEngage and Empower PatientsCommunicate PM ValueDevelop appropriate Infrastructure and Information Management SystemsIntegrate PM into standard Healthcare System and Ensure Access to CarePM is no longer futuristic. It is here. Implementing PM in routine clinical care does require some investment and infrastructure development. Invariably, cost and lack of expertise are cited as barriers to PM implementation. Equally consequential, are the curriculum and professional development of medical care experts.Policymakers need to lead and coordinate effort among stakeholders and consider cultural and faith perspectives to ensure success. It is essential that policymakers integrate PM approaches into national strategies to improve health and health care for all, and to drive towards the future of medicine precision health.

Highlights

Overview PM in health care A few years ago, Precision Medicine (PM) was just a promise that we all hoped to achieve
We define PM according to the most widely used definition from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST): “the tailoring of medical treatment to the individual characteristics of each patient to classify individuals into subpopulations that differ in their susceptibility to a particular disease or their response to a specific treatment
The healthcare system is departing from traditional medicine

Summary

Introduction

Overview PM in health care A few years ago, Precision Medicine (PM) was just a promise that we all hoped to achieve. Identification of biomarkers Personalized interventions for the prevention of chronic diseases require robust evidence of efficacy and/or effectiveness of the new technology when implemented in health care. The Q-chip is an example of how data provided by a large-scale genome project like QGP can start to deliver impact at the clinical care level and lead efforts to introduce precision medicine practices into the health care system.

Results

Conclusion