Investing in high volume labs vital for preventing heart diseases: Joanna Sickler of Roche Diagnostics
In an interview with BT, Vice President of Roche Diagnostics talked about the importance of investments in diagnostic capacity
- Jun 8, 2023,
- Updated Jun 8, 2023 6:02 PM IST
While cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death, affecting over half a billion people worldwide, scientists are now associating serious long-term consequences of heart diseases with Covid-19. Joanna Sickler, Vice President, External Affairs and Global Health Policy at Roche Diagnostics, spoke to BT about the role diagnostics can play in mitigating the impact of the disease, what her company is doing to improve health outcomes in the area. Edited excerpts from an interview:
BT: How can we equip our health systems and economies to manage the surge of cardiovascular disease (CVD)?
JS: The financial cost of cardiometabolic disease is immense as the global economic burden of heart failure alone exceeds $100 billion per year, the major chunk of that is attributable to direct healthcare costs. In India, a study has found that the aggregate medical care cost of CVDs was approximately $7.5 billion in 2010. Its impact continues to grow, putting additional pressure on health systems across the globe. Detecting cardiovascular disease as early as possible and treating it in a timely manner is extremely important to prevent complications and premature deaths, and this starts with improving access to safe, high-quality diagnostics. But 47 per cent of the global population has little or no access to diagnostics. In low- and middle-income countries, only 19 per cent have access.
It’s pivotal to increase the investment in diagnostics capacity, including high volume laboratories to meet the needs of the population. Effective management of CVD should also include making tests accessible for patients and educating clinicians on evolving treatment protocols. In addition to that, establishing national strategies focused on patient education, prevention, early detection, diagnosis and management across the care continuum can enable better disease management.
BT: What role can policy play in the implementation of population-level interventions that can effectively and affordably help people and the health system to move towards preventive care?
JS: Covid-19 has highlighted the critical role of diagnostic capabilities and infrastructure. People saw the importance of diagnostics capacity to support the response. We need to extend this lesson beyond infectious diseases. The pandemic has heightened the need to address CVD and its comorbidities. This entails a multi-sectoral approach to address modifiable risk factors and investment in efficient care delivery along the care continuum. The first step is establishing a national cardiometabolic action plan supported by a diagnostic strategy that focuses on early diagnosis and secondary prevention. Additionally, investing in research is equally important to create a pathway for appropriate disease management for people at risk of CVDs.
BT: How can innovative diagnostic solutions and digital health add value in building a robust preventive health system?
JS: Diagnostic testing provides life-saving information to support healthcare professionals to identify early indicators, and to make accurate and timely decisions on appropriate interventions. Further, prevention of at-risk groups is an efficient way for countries to realise health benefits by providing early identification followed by, cardio-protective treatment in targeted populations and intensive monitoring to prevent disease deterioration or re-hospitalisation. Prevention can be carried out in both primary and hospital care. Therefore, it is important for health systems to put in place comprehensive disease management programmes supported by multidisciplinary teams (cardiologists, diabetologists, endocrinologists, general practitioner and nurses) and use digital tools when appropriate.
BT: How effective are systematic population-level screening programmes in reducing the burden of CVDs, especially in countries like India?
JS: CVDs account for almost 30 per cent of all deaths in India and have only worsened, given the country’s demographic transition. The persistent high burden of classical maladies such as rheumatic heart disease and the increasing prevalence of heart failure need urgent attention and intervention. In order to address the burden of CVD, there is a need to establish a cardiovascular national action plan.
Implementing an effective action plan requires multiple factors such as updating national CVD guidelines, expanding the use of evidence-based risk assessment, diagnostics and treatment strategies. It also means an increased investment in diagnostic capacity, boosting and diversifying the healthcare workforce. Ongoing evidence generation is needed to assess the optimal protocols for screening programmes and for population selection in order to continue optimising these programmes.
Larger disease management programmes for patients at risk of CVDs can be designed through active investment in trials in order to integrate diagnostics into effective disease management and appropriate medical intervention. All of this can be achieved when we work in collaboration with multiple stakeholders, including public-private partnerships, healthcare professionals and associations, besides patient groups.
BT: How is Roche contributing towards ensuring equitable access to diagnostics?
JS: Diagnostics is the key to strengthening healthcare systems. Early diagnosis underpins preventative healthcare and can help improve patient outcomes. High-volume laboratories are the backbone of a resilient preventive health ecosystem complemented by point-of-care testing that is strategically deployed. A key area of focus for Roche is ensuring that the information generated by laboratories and point of care operations are connected to key systems such as the Laboratory Information System (LIS) or Electronic Medical Records.
In India, we have a presence in over 465 cities and being a leader of in vitro diagnostic (IVD) products, we have worked with laboratories, hospitals, government bodies and patient groups to deliver value for patients, healthcare systems, and the nation at large. Our collaborations with governments, healthcare professionals and patients to close the care gaps and transform cardiovascular disease management will go a long way in redefining the care pathway for patients.
While cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death, affecting over half a billion people worldwide, scientists are now associating serious long-term consequences of heart diseases with Covid-19. Joanna Sickler, Vice President, External Affairs and Global Health Policy at Roche Diagnostics, spoke to BT about the role diagnostics can play in mitigating the impact of the disease, what her company is doing to improve health outcomes in the area. Edited excerpts from an interview:
BT: How can we equip our health systems and economies to manage the surge of cardiovascular disease (CVD)?
JS: The financial cost of cardiometabolic disease is immense as the global economic burden of heart failure alone exceeds $100 billion per year, the major chunk of that is attributable to direct healthcare costs. In India, a study has found that the aggregate medical care cost of CVDs was approximately $7.5 billion in 2010. Its impact continues to grow, putting additional pressure on health systems across the globe. Detecting cardiovascular disease as early as possible and treating it in a timely manner is extremely important to prevent complications and premature deaths, and this starts with improving access to safe, high-quality diagnostics. But 47 per cent of the global population has little or no access to diagnostics. In low- and middle-income countries, only 19 per cent have access.
It’s pivotal to increase the investment in diagnostics capacity, including high volume laboratories to meet the needs of the population. Effective management of CVD should also include making tests accessible for patients and educating clinicians on evolving treatment protocols. In addition to that, establishing national strategies focused on patient education, prevention, early detection, diagnosis and management across the care continuum can enable better disease management.
BT: What role can policy play in the implementation of population-level interventions that can effectively and affordably help people and the health system to move towards preventive care?
JS: Covid-19 has highlighted the critical role of diagnostic capabilities and infrastructure. People saw the importance of diagnostics capacity to support the response. We need to extend this lesson beyond infectious diseases. The pandemic has heightened the need to address CVD and its comorbidities. This entails a multi-sectoral approach to address modifiable risk factors and investment in efficient care delivery along the care continuum. The first step is establishing a national cardiometabolic action plan supported by a diagnostic strategy that focuses on early diagnosis and secondary prevention. Additionally, investing in research is equally important to create a pathway for appropriate disease management for people at risk of CVDs.
BT: How can innovative diagnostic solutions and digital health add value in building a robust preventive health system?
JS: Diagnostic testing provides life-saving information to support healthcare professionals to identify early indicators, and to make accurate and timely decisions on appropriate interventions. Further, prevention of at-risk groups is an efficient way for countries to realise health benefits by providing early identification followed by, cardio-protective treatment in targeted populations and intensive monitoring to prevent disease deterioration or re-hospitalisation. Prevention can be carried out in both primary and hospital care. Therefore, it is important for health systems to put in place comprehensive disease management programmes supported by multidisciplinary teams (cardiologists, diabetologists, endocrinologists, general practitioner and nurses) and use digital tools when appropriate.
BT: How effective are systematic population-level screening programmes in reducing the burden of CVDs, especially in countries like India?
JS: CVDs account for almost 30 per cent of all deaths in India and have only worsened, given the country’s demographic transition. The persistent high burden of classical maladies such as rheumatic heart disease and the increasing prevalence of heart failure need urgent attention and intervention. In order to address the burden of CVD, there is a need to establish a cardiovascular national action plan.
Implementing an effective action plan requires multiple factors such as updating national CVD guidelines, expanding the use of evidence-based risk assessment, diagnostics and treatment strategies. It also means an increased investment in diagnostic capacity, boosting and diversifying the healthcare workforce. Ongoing evidence generation is needed to assess the optimal protocols for screening programmes and for population selection in order to continue optimising these programmes.
Larger disease management programmes for patients at risk of CVDs can be designed through active investment in trials in order to integrate diagnostics into effective disease management and appropriate medical intervention. All of this can be achieved when we work in collaboration with multiple stakeholders, including public-private partnerships, healthcare professionals and associations, besides patient groups.
BT: How is Roche contributing towards ensuring equitable access to diagnostics?
JS: Diagnostics is the key to strengthening healthcare systems. Early diagnosis underpins preventative healthcare and can help improve patient outcomes. High-volume laboratories are the backbone of a resilient preventive health ecosystem complemented by point-of-care testing that is strategically deployed. A key area of focus for Roche is ensuring that the information generated by laboratories and point of care operations are connected to key systems such as the Laboratory Information System (LIS) or Electronic Medical Records.
In India, we have a presence in over 465 cities and being a leader of in vitro diagnostic (IVD) products, we have worked with laboratories, hospitals, government bodies and patient groups to deliver value for patients, healthcare systems, and the nation at large. Our collaborations with governments, healthcare professionals and patients to close the care gaps and transform cardiovascular disease management will go a long way in redefining the care pathway for patients.