The Diagnostic Industry in a Changing Health Care Environment

The diagnostic industry faces environmental changes that will require more focus on the Medical Value (MV) component in the future. MV products deliver actionable and medically relevant information enabling support and guidance in decision-making and justifying the change of current disease management by addressing unmet medical needs. This article analyzes the perception of customers from Emerging (EM) and Developed Markets (DM) on the MV-component in an online-based survey. 231 physicians from 8 countries participated in a survey with 3 pivotal multiple choice questions on MV. Responses from countries have been allocated to income levels according to world-bank data. Answers have been statistically analyzed according to the market subgroups. Clinically validated treatment algorithms were rated as the most important factor qualifying for a MV-product. Physicians emphasized the need for algorithms, predominantly for existing markers. Lower priority has been given to technical excellence in DM comparing to EM. Cost control was more strongly emphasized in DM. Physicians rated result generalizability (global technical standardization and data comparability) as important features of MV. Both, EM and DM demand more clinical trials to establish algorithms for diagnostic tests. MV is a pivotal factor for sustainable business success of the diagnostic industry.