Cost, Lack of Expertise Major Barriers to Precision Medicine Programs

Precision medicine and genomics hold the promise of more personalized care delivery and improved patient outcomes. However, there are still significant challenges to implementing precision medicine initiatives, hindering organizations’ ability to provide better care. Organizations have shown limited establishment of precision medicine programs in the past year, with cost and a lack of expertise as the most commonly cited barriers to these programs, according to a recent survey from Definitive Healthcare. The organization surveyed healthcare leaders at acute care organizations from September to October 2019 to uncover strategic approaches to care, greatest challenges for existing precision medicine programs, and barriers for entry into the space. The survey showed a limited establishment of precision medicine programs in 2019, at just 20.5 percent, and minimal growth over the next few years, at just 13.4 percent. However, the results also showed that the number of disease focus areas have already increased in just a few years’ time.