Precision medicine gaining momentum, HIMSS Analytics says
Implementation of precision medicine programs may be limited today, but initiatives are gaining within the healthcare market, according to a new report from HIMSS Analytics on precision medicine.
The first organizations to focus on precision medicine are large academic medical centers and multi-system hospital health systems with considerable internal and external resources. But as hospitals shift from disease prevention and early disease diagnosis into patient risk assessment, the need and use for precision medicine will increase.
While organizations move into population health initiatives and patient genomic data becomes more essential, the report found EHR software will need to be capable of harnessing data for patient records and incorporate it into the workflow of clinicians.
Precision medicine: Analytics, data science and EHRs in the new age
“The initiation of the Precision Medicine Initiative has certainly helped bring precision medicine to the forefront of healthcare today, especially in research areas such as cancer,” HIMSS Analytics Director of Research Brendan FitzGerald said. “However, the process of conducting precision medicine is still highly specialized and many healthcare organizations rely upon a combination of internal and external (3rd party testing laboratories) resources to aid them in their processes.”
More than 60 percent of respondents indicate the largest challenge to precision medicine is the integration of clinical data systems and clinical and genomic data, according to to HIMSS Analytics 2016 Clinical & Business Intelligence Essentials Brief. This reflects the need for additional EHR integration and better functionality.
What’s more, 43 percent of healthcare organizations have adopted analytics software, according . As more organizations begin to adopt these tools and precision medicine programs increase, precision medicine data and capabilities will become more widespread, the report said.
Partnerships among large academic medical centers and IT startups are driving competitive environments and fueling innovations.
“Specific solution platforms dedicated to precision medicine are now being implemented across the market which should help organizations in the journey toward specific disease treatment and prevention,” Fitzgerald added.
Twitter: @JessieFDavis
Email the writer: jessica.davis@himssmedia.com
