Events

This one-and-a-half day gathering in Grand Rapids, Michigan represented a first-of- its-kind opportunity for oncologists and regional payer representatives to discuss the issues surrounding the adoption of personalized medicine in the community setting.

“Academic medical centers have been leading the effort to bring the latest molecular information to bear on treatment decisions for oncology patients, while these services have not been as readily available in our communities,” said Jerry Callahan, PhD., CEO at Intervention Insights. “We wanted to address this gap by bringing together 2 key stakeholders in the practice of community oncology.”

The report includes results of a survey designed to gauge attendee mindsets with regard to the current state and future of personalized medicine. For example:

• •94% either somewhat agree or disagree that most practicing oncologists have a firm grasp of currently available molecular tests.
• 88% either disagree of strongly disagree that existing resources provide adequate information on available molecular tests.
• 70% either agree or strongly agree that becoming an early adopter of personalized medicine is essential for the success of their organization or practice.
• 75% either agree or strongly agree that all patients will eventually benefit from a molecularly driven personalized approach to their care.

Other report highlights include a summary of interactive workshops in which the drivers and obstacles to the adoption of PM were established. For instance, almost all participants were aligned in the belief that the promise of improved patient outcomes will drive the adoption of PM. Economics were deemed another major driver, with the rapid emergence of molecularly targeted—and costly—therapies demanding a means of determining a patient’s likelihood of response or failure. However, physicians and payers noted a lack of decision support tools at the point-of-care in the community setting to guide molecularly driven treatment decisions.