Introduction: how will health systems adopt new genetics technology? Online publication date: Thu, 03-May-2007
by Stuart O. Schweitzer
International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management (IJHTM), Vol. 8, No. 5, 2007
Abstract: New discoveries in the field of genetics are announced daily, and the potential impact for particular patients and population groups is unmistakable and exciting. It is less well understood, however, how health systems will adopt these new technologies. Genetics is likely to alter the structure of health systems in fundamental ways. For example, the roles of professions such as health counsellors and educators are likely to expand substantially, while the case mix faced by physicians in both ambulatory and in-patient settings will shift. Health insurers will have to learn how to reimburse for new services, and there will be reductions in the use of other healthcare services. The pharmaceutical industry will have to develop drugs for smaller groups of patients, because the one-size-fits-all model of drug therapy will become obsolete in more and more areas. All this is both exciting and threatening at the same time. Exploring some of these broader pressures is important now, at the early stage of technological development.
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