Precision medicine can contribute to many areas of medicine, and is frequently used in oncology, neurology, pneumology and rheumatology. In precision medicine, patient care is tailored to the individual’s genes, environment and lifestyle. This method can identify the most effective treatment for each person. Precision medicine can increase the value of care for patients and payers since identifying and using the most effective treatment for each case can reduce healthcare expenditures. Through genome-guided care, prevention and treatment can also be more effective, ensuring a better and earlier chance of treatment success. As a result, life expectancy and quality of life for patients may increase.
The landscape of precision medicine in Argentina is still in its early stages. Increasing access would benefit patients with both rare and common diseases and improve the sustainability of the healthcare system. As the resources that were committed to fighting the covid-19 pandemic become available for other healthcare priorities, there is an opportunity for a wider and more equitable implementation of precision medicine in the country.
To realise these benefits and strengthen the implementation of precision medicine in Argentina, the country must address significant barriers to access, including insufficient education, collaboration and policy prioritisation. The first obstacle affects every stakeholder in the healthcare system and can be tackled with awareness-raising activities, training and communication. The second obstacle relates to the country’s highly fragmented healthcare system. In this environment, difficulties in sharing information hinder stakeholders from working in an integrated manner, resulting in a negative impact on the system’s efficiency. The third obstacle concerns the lack of continuity in strategic planning in health policymaking. This difficulty is aggravated by the first two, making it imperative to develop resilience mechanisms for evidence-based health policies.
Argentina has ongoing initiatives to foster precision medicine at the provincial and national levels. Such initiatives include generating a genomics biobank, sequencing and analysing exons of patients with rare diseases, developing a panel of precision genomic oncology, and others. Each effort outlined in this report attempts to address at least one of the obstacles. Taken together, these initiatives show how different stakeholders may contribute to improving health in Argentina.
To foster wide and equitable access to precision medicine, we propose a roadmap with short-, medium- and long-term milestones. In the short term, education plans should be put in place, along with the development of registry tools and investment in bioinformatics capacity. In the medium term, it is important to regulate the use of data, develop sustainable financing mechanisms and implement a pilot study of a national policy. In the long term, Argentina should aim to generate a national database, a generalised understanding of precision medicine and a national strategy that is tailored to regional specificities.
The journey towards health improvement in Argentina: A roadmap for precision medicine
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The journey towards health improvement in Argentina: A roadmap for precision medicine
Maryanne is a consultant in the health team at Economist Impact. Maryanne has a degree in Business Administration from Escola de Administração de São Paulo (FGV), and gained her Master's degree from Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing. She is concluding her MBA degree on Health Management and Innovation from Faculdade de Educação em Ciências da Saúde (Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz). She recently concluded a course on Health Economics and Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Maryanne has experience in market research and management in the healthcare sector. She has conducted and led several projects for multinationals, providers, manufacturers and government organizations.
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