How to gauge the value of precision medicine programs

Every health system understands the potential of precision medicine, but not all of them are quite ready to take the plunge into the complex and expensive project of actually starting a precision medicine initiative. At HIMSS19 on Monday, Dr. James Weese, vice president of Aurora Cancer Care at Milwaukee-based Advocate Aurora Health, offered some up-close perspective on how to assess the success of a precision medicine program and molecular tumor board. Aurora Cancer Care, which treats some 8,000 new cancer patients each year, launched its own precision medicine initiative two years ago, after extensive planning, preparation and goals assessment. What was immediately apparent, Weese said, is that its impact on the bottom line is not the only metric by which a program's worth should be judged. It's key to demonstrate value, he said, and that shows itself in three interlinked but distinct groups. "Value depends on different perspectives," Weese said. "The perspective of the institution, the perspective of the patient and the perspective of the provider."