{"id":11642,"date":"2018-07-02T11:12:09","date_gmt":"2018-07-02T18:12:09","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2023-05-31T16:39:57","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T23:39:57","slug":"harness-genomic-data-to-provide-patient-centered-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/industry\/blog\/healthcare\/2018\/07\/02\/harness-genomic-data-to-provide-patient-centered-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Harness genomic data to provide patient-centered care"},"content":{"rendered":"
Genomic data provides the foundation for the delivery of personalized medicine, although cost-effective and secure management of this data is challenging. <\/em>BC Platforms<\/a><\/u>, a Microsoft partner and world leader in genomic data management and analysis solutions, created GeneVision for Precision Medicine, Built on Microsoft Cloud technology<\/a>. GeneVision is an end-to-end genomic data management and analysis solution empowering physicians with clear, actionable insights, facilitating evidence-based treatment decisions. <\/em><\/p>\n We interviewed <\/em>Simon Kos, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Director of Worldwide Health at Microsoft<\/a><\/u>, to learn more about how digital transformation is enabling the delivery of personalized medicine at scale.<\/em><\/p>\n David Turcotte: What led to your transition from a clinical provider to a leader within the healthcare technology industry? Given your unique perspective within the healthcare technology industry, how do you see digital transformation progressing in healthcare?<\/strong><\/p>\n Digitization efforts have been underway for more than thirty years. As an industry, healthcare is moving slower than others. It\u2019s heavily regulated, complex, and there is a large legacy of niche systems. However, the shift is occurring, and it needs to happen. We have a fundamental sustainability issue, with healthcare expenditure climbing around the world, and our model of healthcare needs to change emphasis from treating sick people in hospitals to preventing chronic disease in the community setting. Each day I see new clinical models that can only be achieved by leveraging technology, enabling us to treat patients more effectively at lower cost.<\/p>\n How are you and other healthcare leaders managing the shift from fee-for-service to a value-based care model? <\/strong><\/p>\n My role in the shift to value-based care is building capability within the Microsoft Partner Network\u2014which is over 12,000 companies in health worldwide\u2014and bringing visibility to those that support value-based care. For healthcare leaders more directly involved in either the provision or reimbursement side, the challenge is more commercial. Delivering the same kind of care won\u2019t be as profitable, but adapting business processes comes with its own set of risks. I think the stories of organizations that have successfully transitioned to value-based care, the processes they use, and the technology they leverage, will be important for those who desire more clarity before progressing with their own journeys<\/p>\n What role does precision medicine play in delivering value-based care? <\/strong><\/p>\n Right now, precision medicine seems to be narrowly confined to genetic profiling in oncology to determine which chemotherapy agents to use. That\u2019s important since these drugs are expensive, and with cancer it\u2019s imperative to start on a therapy that will work as soon as possible. However, I think the promise of precision medicine is so much broader than this. In understanding an individual\u2019s risk profile through multi-omic analysis (i.e. genomics), we can finally get ahead of disease before it manifests, empower people with more targeted education, screen more diligently, and when patients do get unwell, intervene more effectively. Shifting some of the care burden to the patient, preventing disease, intervening early, and getting therapy right the first time, will drive the return on investment that makes value-based care economically viable.<\/p>\n As genomics continues to become more democratized, how will we continue to see it affect precision medicine?<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s already scaling out beyond oncology. I expect to see genomics have increasing impact in areas like autoimmune disease, rare disease, and chronic disease. In doing so, I think precision medicine will cease to be something that primary care and specialists refer a patient on to a clinical geneticist or oncologist, instead they will integrate it into their model of care. I also see a role for the patients themselves to get more directly involved. As we continue to understand more about the human genome, the value of having your genome sequenced will increase. I see a day when knowing your genome is as common as knowing your blood type.<\/p>\n
\nSimon Kos:<\/strong> It wasn\u2019t intentional. In critical care medicine, having the right information on hand to make patient decisions, and being able to team effectively with other clinicians is essential. I felt that the technology we were using didn\u2019t help, and I saw that as a risk to good quality care. This insight led to an interest, and the hobby eventually became a career as I got more exposure to all the incredible solutions out there that really do improve healthcare.<\/p>\n