On this episode of the podcast, Terry and Bob discuss the power of precision medicine to harness genetic data to improve treatment regimens and overall outcomes for patients. However, they explain that accessing that data remains a challenge.
They discuss the 2022 increase in Medicare premiums. They call this a political price hike stemming from a new Alzheimer’s drug. They warn about the bad precedent of the government finding a new justification to raise premiums. They argue there’s no mathematical sense for this price hike and that the government shouldn’t hike premiums using political math.
They discuss FDA user fee changes that may impact the accelerated approval pathway. Bob explains how very little has changed except to ensure clinical trial endpoints. And they note new bipartisan legislation to rein in pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Terry highlights Patients Rising’s efforts to get the Federal Trade Commission to investigate inflationary PBM practices.
Bob reveals a new project to give cancer patients more access to their own data. His new company provides cancer survivors with access to their data and information about treatment selections. This data will eventually help inform clinical pathway best practices.
Field correspondent Kate Pecora speaks with Christine Von Raesfeld, CEO and Founder of People With Empathy, about how patient access to data can be a game-changer and what can be done to expand it across the chronic disease community. Christine explains how investigating how her body responds to treatments has helped her understand her condition. She highlights how technology can develop real answers and solutions for patients and calls for making this data easier to access.
One of the first steps to achieving this goal is educating physicians. She explains how the future of medicine is in the value of our collective data. Looking out for our communities, she argues, is vital to making this vision a reality.
Listen to the The Power of Patient Data
