Research Roundup
Section Editor: Aakash Bipin Gandhi, BPharm, PhD, Methodologist Expert, RWD, Sanofi, Cambridge, MA, USA
Enhanced patient-centricity: how the biopharmaceutical industry is optimizing patient care through AI/ML/DL. Zou KH, Li JZ. Healthcare. 2022;(10;10):1997.
Summary
The study by Zou and Li discusses the application of novel methodologies based on artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL) that can be applied to real-world data to generate patient insights that can help evaluate, predict, and improve patient outcomes.
Relevance
In the absence of disease-related data during the initial stages of the pandemic, AI, ML and DL helped predict disease diagnosis based on underlying patient characteristics, chart disease trajectories, and determine prioritization of scarce resources that could be targeted towards vulnerable populations in need of care. However, pharmaceutical companies and healthcare organizations may face challenges in the adoption of these technologies for the improvement of patient-centric data generation and associated care. First, these organizations may have difficulty setting up systems and infrastructure to support large datasets and the associated computational capacity to analyze the same. Second, organizations may face challenges setting up internal standards or policies to govern real-world datasets and associated processing. Third, although real-world data can help potentiate generation of patient-centric insights through advanced analytical approaches, there is also a requirement to ensure that patient privacy is not compromised and that all necessary privacy standards are met.
A systems approach to person-centric health economics. Kimsey L, Hoburg A, Olaiya S, Jones KD, Richard P. Mil Med. 2018(183;suppl 3):233-238.
Summary
The study by Kimsey et al identifies and discusses 3 approaches that can be adopted to reprioritize the nation’s focus on healthcare that can deliver higher value and utility for individual health. First, the authors propose that if physician and hospital reimbursement is tied to their adoption of cost-effective therapies it could lead to incentive on the supply side of healthcare. Second, similar to pharmaceutical formularies, adopting a tiered copayment system can lead to lower copayments for patients if they decide to adopt cost-effective treatments for their disease conditions. This could, in turn, provide an incentive on the demand side of healthcare. Third, cross-pollination of information, strategies, and ideas with other sectors can ensure that efforts are not duplicated across industries and avoid overspending of financial resources. Instead, different government agencies or business can coordinate and target their efforts in a way that encourages health-enhancing behaviors on an individual level within society.
Relevance
In the present article, the authors discuss that a general supply and demand can help explain factors involved in patient-centric health economics. Overall, the application of cost-effectiveness analysis to healthcare research questions, adopting diverse opinions and inputs across different industries and sectors, and encouraging individuals to take ownership of their health through engagement in healthy behaviors can collectively help deliver value for individual health.
Embedding patient-centricity by collaborating with patients to transform the rare disease ecosystem.
Sharma R, Ahmed S, Campagnari J, Huff W, Lloyd L. E Pharmaceut Med. 2023;37(4):265-273.
Summary
In this article, Sharma et al discuss a novel partnership between pharmaceutical companies and patients that provides a structured framework for understanding patient and caregiver needs and lived experiences. This partnership resulted in the creation of 2 specific design platforms geared towards this initiative on the pharmaceutical manufacturer’s side. The first design platform called STAR (Solutions to Accelerate Results for patients) is aimed at generating patient insights at the global level that aid drug development and product strategies. Further, the platform also helps achieve cross-functional alignment on patient-centric matters internally within the organization and shape engagement plans on this topic with external stakeholders. The second design platform called LEAP (Learn, Evolve, Activate, and deliver for Patients) Immersive Solutions helps produce patient and stakeholder insights at a country-level, describe the patient journey and lived experiences, and support country-level drug launches based on this information.
Relevance
The creation of digital organizational tools and platforms can facilitate the involvement of patients as partners in business strategy and related solutions associated with drug development and launch activities.
Note from the Section Editor: Views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this section are my own and not those of any organization, committee, group, or individual that I am affiliated with.
