Abt Associates conducted the first phase of a landscape analysis of personalized medicine sponsored by PMC. The study provided a detailed assessment of the U.S. healthcare environment that PMC and its constituents can use to help shape the discovery, development, and marketplace acceptance of new personalized medicine products and services. The data and insights obtained from the study helped position PMC as a source for objective information regarding personalized medicine and its appropriate integration into clinical practice. The study also supported the organization's efforts to develop a strategic roadmap for advancing the personalized medicine agenda.
Objectives for the first phase of analysis included:
- Describing the existing level of knowledge and involvement in personalized medicine across the entire stakeholder spectrum
- Gaining an understanding of how personalized medicine is likely to impact the various groups over time
- Identifying factors in the current environment that will facilitate or hinder the appropriate integration of personalized medicine into clinical practice
- Compiling a list of specific recommendations or policies to address existing and potential barriers to integration
Abt Associates staff conducted 60 in-depth interviews with key informants from eight major stakeholder groups: government agencies, payers, healthcare providers, professional societies, consumers, academics, investment companies, and industries (diagnostic, pharmaceutical, information technology, and biotechnology).
The team gathered information about participants' definition and understanding of personalized medicine, their roles and responsibilities related to personalized medicine and how they expect them to evolve, and barriers and facilitators to the integration of personalized medicine into clinical practice. Interview participants also provided specific policy recommendations related to regulation, reimbursement, ethical and legal issues, academic education/programs and leadership, marketplace acceptance and readiness, providers, consumers, and business interests. Abt Associates prepared a summary report of the analysis to be used as the basis for a publishable manuscript.
The Personalized Medicine Coalition is a nonprofit group of academic, industrial, patient, and healthcare provider constituencies that works to advance the understanding and adoption of personalized medicine for patient benefit.