While general drugs exist to tackle common health issues, individuals with rare disorders will have a much tougher time to access the medications they need. Unfortunately, the prices of such specialized drugs are high.
However, precision medicine has been taking hold as of late. Such an approach considers the individual’s specific needs to create a personalized treatment plan to address rare problems better. It has also allowed physicians to detect diseases in the earliest stages and increase the chances of successfully addressing them. Overall, this, along with its affordability, has improved the healthcare system’s quality and efficiency.
The rise of patient-first approaches to treat rare diseases and disorders
Rare diseases and disorders generally require a higher level of support compared to common issues. As such, personalized medicine has paved the way for patients dealing with such issues to access the care they need quickly and affordably. All of these are made possible thanks to technology and data solutions that revolve around the patient’s need. In other words, this is a high-touch approach or the patient-first approach, an approach that revolves around a close relationship between healthcare providers and their patients.
With a patient-first approach implemented, different aspects of healthcare, from distributors to pharmacies, are combined into a single unit rather than separate individuals. This allows for clear and concise communication of the patient’s needs throughout each aspect to ensure informed decisions are made. As a result, the patient receives the care they require and enjoys an excellent patient experience.
This is important, especially now when telehealth has become more popular due to the ongoing pandemic. Telehealth has provided a way for many patients to access the healthcare they need without leaving their home’s comforts. This has been especially helpful for those who are weak or disabled, as going out may not be an option, especially now.
Combining telehealth with the patient-first approach allows healthcare providers to accurately collect information about their patients’ needs and find the correct solution. This has spawned what is known as customized telehealth. This includes frequent discussions between the provider and the patient to understand various things. For instance, frequent communication leads to a better understanding of how a drug impacts a patient’s health, what follow-ups may be needed, what side-effects they are experiencing, and so on.
Overall, it also helps the pharmacist understand how many touchpoints are required each month, and with the high-touch approach, better care can be given. With the support of technology, plenty of data can be recorded during any of these touchpoints in a standardized method, allowing any doctor to receive the same assessment no matter the drug or care plan implemented.
Conclusion
The patient-first model has played an integral role in the healthcare industry, allowing them to provide affordable and effective strategies for patients to recover from rare diseases and disorders. That being said, helping the patient understand that they can receive high-quality care from a mere phone call is also an important thing to achieve. This way, patients will not be afraid to call up a pharmacist and ask for help to address a rare issue. Simultaneously, with the approach, a pharmacist can confidently give them the healthcare solution needed to help patients fully recover.
Dose of Healthcare is a healthcare news provider to keep you updated on the healthcare industry. For more news, updates, and similar articles, check back on our site regularly.
