Read the Conversation
EF: As we head into 2024, do you think it will be a year of challenges or opportunities?
DJP: I have a positive outlook, and even though it will not be easy, I think 2024 will be a year of opportunity and optimism. The recent pandemic has shown the importance of diagnostics in healthcare – innovative therapies are crucial, but optimizing outcomes depends on timely access to diagnostics and therapeutics. Our mission as a part of the healthcare system, is to do our best to make this easier.
As a company, we are thrilled and determined to look at the healthcare system much broader than it comes from our ‘traditionally’ defined role as a producer of innovative treatment and diagnostics solutions. We aim to provide various types of solutions along the entire patient’s journey – starting from diagnostics, through treatment and patients’ monitoring.
With the combined strengths of pharmaceuticals, data management and diagnostics under one roof, we aspire to be a trusted partner of healthcare systems in our region and cooperate with stakeholders on co-creating more efficient and effective solutions for better health. Now after the parliamentary elections in Poland, there is much new to come, and we are looking forward and willing to work with decision-makers on solutions to further improve healthcare in Poland.
Although there is plenty that we still need to work on and enhance, we are well-positioned to do so. When it comes to challenges, according to the newest OECD report “Health at a Glance 2023”, life expectancy in Poland is below OECD countries' average, by as much as five years. Every year in Poland, over 130,000 deaths are so-called preventable deaths.
There are multiple challenges in both the organization and financing aspects of health. Poland, like every EU country, must face the challenge of an aging population and growing healthcare demand. That is why we need to work together to create stronger, more resilient, and responsive health systems. Roche is committed to engaging in creating sustainable healthcare systems and is open to cooperation with healthcare system stakeholders.
EF: What are the key factors to build and support a sustainable healthcare model?
DJP: By using data, analytics and technology across R&D and the care continuum, we are drawing closer to our goal of advancing healthcare and improving lives at a lower cost to people and to society. In order to bring the promise of personalized healthcare to life, Roche is focusing on key aspects:
- Firstly, understanding the importance of early and accurate diagnosis. This enables patients to receive timely treatment, targeted to their disease, which increases the likelihood of positive health outcomes. A focus on prevention and early diagnosis can prevent diseases from progressing to a stage where required treatments are more intense and less effective.
- Secondly, ensuring access to Healthcare, including diagnostics, treatments, and monitoring. Improving patient outcomes requires timely and appropriate access to healthcare at every step of the patient’s journey. We must acknowledge that, given the aging and expanding population and the ever-accelerating level of innovation, a larger portion of our GDP will need to be spent on Healthcare. We have to change our mindset, that healthcare is not just a cost but an investment in a healthy and productive society.
- Thirdly, setting up a system that makes the best and most efficient use of the available healthcare resources. Data analytics and technologies can support better allocating financial and human healthcare resources. Our goal is to maximize patient outcomes by allocating the resources we have most prudently.
EF: What exactly does access mean from a diagnostics perspective?
DJP: I am very passionate about access. In the past, when we discussed market access, it was frequently associated with “putting products on the market”. That is only a small part of the concept.
We now consider “access” more holistically. For a patient to go from recognising a symptom to being, ideally, cured and healthy, there are a number of steps to be taken. These can include things like; seeing a healthcare professional, being referred to a specialist, undergoing diagnostic testing, receiving treatments, being monitored during the treatment process, etc. When we consider access, we consider each stage of the process and acknowledge that the best possible outcome will not materialize if the process gets interrupted or is too slow. To guarantee the best result, everything must come together in the correct order, at the right time, and quality standards. To best use the resources, it is important to ensure each step is available and started as soon as feasible.
A lot has changed in the area of diagnostics over the last few years in Poland, mostly thanks to the profound reform of primary care, which started a few years ago. As a result, much more attention is now being paid to screening and prevention, as well as coordination between general practitioners and specialists. The need to strengthen coordinated patient care is systematically growing.
Also, recognition of the importance of genetic tests in oncology is increasing as treatments can be more and more tailored to specific cancer profiles. So far, an oncological care package has been introduced – the DILO Card, i.e. an unlimited path for rapid diagnosis and treatment of cancer, National Preventive Programs have been carried out, and new investments in diagnostics and new diagnostic tools are emerging.
However, in the face of increasing healthcare demand and the continuous flow of healthcare innovations, we look forward to continuing collaborative efforts to increase access and patient outcomes across the country and disease areas.
Healthcare systems that benefit from a strong portfolio of diagnostic tests and preventive medical examinations not only see better treatment outcomes for patients but also fewer hospitalizations and fewer unnecessary tests. We will continue to actively build awareness of the value of diagnostics and show the benefit this can bring to the health of society.
EF: Looks like the role of early diagnostics is becoming more important. How do you assess the level of prevention awareness, and what initiatives can be implemented to increase it?
DJP: The focus on prevention is growing but there is still much room for improvement. For diseases like heart failure, there is a direct link between late diagnosis and more hospitalizations. The numbers regarding heart failure – diagnosis and hospitalization in Poland – are disturbing. Cardiovascular diseases are a serious challenge to the healthcare system because they are the main cause of all deaths in Poland (currently approx. 35%). According to the latest data from the Central Statistical Office (GUS) and the Ministry of Health in 2021, heart failure was in the first place among all deaths from cardiovascular causes. From a public health perspective, heart failure is therefore a significant problem. It is associated with high morbidity, and a significant number of hospitalizations and is also associated with high mortality. That is why we are very pleased that cardiology tests have been included in coordinated care in primary care, including the measurement of natriuretic peptides (NT-proBNP) that are used in the diagnosis of heart failure.
Another challenge remains the diagnosis of the human papilloma virus. About 50% of the population is a carrier of the virus and over 80% of the population will be infected with HPV in their lifetime. In most cases, the body is able to eliminate the virus itself after infection. However, if the body is weakened, for example by fighting other infectious diseases such as HIV, the virus can invade and turn healthy cells into cancer cells. Cervical cancer is the 4th most prevalent cancer among women.
Nowadays, it should not be acceptable for cervical cancer to be the cause of death for any woman worldwide. Cervical cancer can be prevented by screening for HPV DNA detection and vaccination programs and is highly curable if treated early. In Poland, screening rates still need improvement and we are waiting for the introduction of a new cervical cancer screening program. Therefore, together with patient organizations, we are implementing educational and awareness campaigns throughout Poland. Patient advocacy organizations and primary care physicians play a significant role in awareness initiatives.
These educational efforts are important as screening programs are only effective in combination with a mindset change from “looking for help when issues occur” to “regularly checking to ensure good health or early intervention”.
EF: How are you leveraging sequencing genomics and artificial intelligence to advance early diagnostics?
DJP: Digitalization, automation and artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly important in diagnostics. New technologies allow for increased efficiency as well as greater depth of analysis, by combining more data points. Through this, we improve our understanding of the patient's profile, the most effective course of treatment, and the likelihood of future complications.
Let me give you a brief example of Roche’s cooperation with Amazon. As the leading provider of pathology lab solutions, Roche delivers an end-to-end digital pathology solution from tissue staining to producing high-quality digital images that can be reliably assessed using automated AI-based clinical image analysis algorithms. We minimize external factors that can impact analysis results, and it is this end-to-end development that produces the quality results healthcare providers and researchers can depend on. With the acceleration of immunotherapy and the development of more complex assays, we are moving these traditionally research-oriented tools into routine clinical practice.
I truly believe that these innovations will support the increased efficiency and effectiveness of diagnostics in Poland. As the implementation of all e-health solutions proves, in a relatively short time we have not only successfully implemented these innovations, but also as a society – we started to widely use them.
EF: Roche had a strong Q3 driven by the uptake of new products. How has this translated into Poland, and what upcoming projects are you most excited about?
DJP: We have plenty of reasons to be enthusiastic. Roche is highly committed to advancing healthcare and improving health. We are working on many innovations that potentially bring further benefits to patients and society. Beyond analyzers and tests, many innovations involve technology that enables us to connect various data sources to algorithms that support healthcare professionals in making the best clinical decisions. This allows us to better harness the data that are generated in the healthcare system. Through this, we can support the timely and appropriate allocation of the right diagnostics, treatments and monitoring support to people, based on a better understanding of an individual’s situation. As such, this contributes to making conscious decisions on how to best deploy the available financial and human healthcare resources.
We cannot forget that according to the OECD data, concerns about shortages in the workforce are becoming even more acute. Population aging is one reason why demand for healthcare and long-term care workers appears to be outstripping supply. Currently, on average, already 18% of the OECD countries’ population is above the age of 65. This percentage is expected to rise to 27% in 2050. This brings across why it is so important to focus more on prevention and early diagnosis as well as on efficient healthcare processes and utilization of healthcare resources.
The drive towards integrated care and the involvement of general practitioners and first-line healthcare providers, to reduce the massive workload in hospitals, is a great example of the latter. We acknowledge that the nation has a sizable general practitioner population, and we must support them in serving society. This would improve the ease and speed of access to healthcare in an economical way, as hospital care is typically more expensive than first-line care. Thanks to this, people have a chance for a faster diagnosis, and in the face of constantly growing queues to specialist doctors in Poland, it relieves the system and improves its efficiency. We also believe that coordinated care emphasizes the importance of early diagnostics, as it is a key fundamental element to each sustainable and resilient healthcare system.
We believe that in vitro diagnostics is the key to effective therapy and appropriate allocation of funds. Meanwhile, only approximately 3% of total healthcare spending is allocated to in vitro diagnostics, whilst it affects approximately 70% of doctors' decisions. Correct and timely diagnosis drives most treatment decisions and, as such, drives health outcomes for patients. Ensuring the right treatment approach at the earliest stage of the disease helps manage healthcare spending.
We offer comprehensive and personalized solutions in the field of in vitro diagnostics. Our diagnostic tests are available in almost every Polish hospital and laboratory. Over 179 million tests have already been performed in Poland using Roche equipment and reagents. We are taking steps to make modern, innovative, and effective diagnostics even more available to Polish patients and we develop close collaborations with diagnosticians, doctors, patients, institutions, and public administration. We make every effort to be a partner and an active participant in the process of shaping solutions for the healthcare system, showing the role of rapid diagnostics in the entire patient journey. Investing in prevention and early diagnosis contributes to maintaining the health of society. We believe that universal access to diagnostics creates a healthier future.
EF: You will be celebrating 20 years with Roche in two years. What would you like to celebrate most and could you elaborate on Roche's footprint and what drives the company's growth?
DJP: I have been with Roche for over 18 years of which the last three years in Poland. Roche Diagnostics Poland started some 20 years ago with 4 people. Today, we have over 250 people in Poland. We are well established and connected with customers in the labs and hospitals but also with other stakeholders who aim to develop a high-quality and sustainable healthcare system.
Each year, Roche touches millions of lives with our diagnostics and treatments. This includes those individuals directly undergoing testing or treatment but also the people around them. Behind every child we test, are parents looking for peace of mind. Behind every grandparent we treat is a family who wants to spend more quality time with them.
I'm proud to be part of Roche. I sincerely believe in our purpose and this has kept me here for over 18 years. Roche's tagline, "Doing now what patients need next," is a purpose we live every day. We all know people who are going through illnesses and are being challenged to get the right healthcare support at the right time to end up with the best possible health outcomes. People are counting on us, every day. I can not think of a greater inspiration to come to work every morning. We have lots to be proud of but there is also still a lot of unmet need remaining that we aim to find solutions for in the years to come.
EF: What final message would you like to send?
DJP: European health systems are under strain from an aging population, non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, rising antimicrobial resistance, and the threat of another system-straining pandemic. This comes with pressure on budgets and staffing challenges. To address these challenges, while further improving health and well-being overall, health systems must become more patient-centric, digitally advanced, resilient, and sustainable. Medical and diagnostic technologies enable this transformation, provided they reach patients and healthcare systems.
Healthcare is undergoing tremendous changes, but our vision is clear. We are doing now what patients need next. From developing diagnostics and treatments to harnessing the power of data to shape innovations of the future, we are an integrated healthcare company with a culture of integrity, courage, and passion.
For over 125 years, Roche has been developing diagnostics and medicines for a wide range of chronic and life-threatening health conditions that continue to revolutionize healthcare. Being a family-owned company allows us to focus on long-term investments and explore innovative ways to improve people’s health around the world.
As healthcare and the healthcare system are changing, we are adapting our organization accordingly. In our efforts to be more customer- and patient-centric and to act faster, we have changed our ways of working here in Poland over the recent years. Looking at our local organization, we have created a set-up that drives more cross-functional collaboration and a focus on customer-experience and -outcomes. This has come with stronger empowerment of teams and less hierarchy to allow for faster decision-making and action. We are confident that this will make us an even better partner to customers and healthcare system stakeholders in the future as we aim to continuously elevate company- and healthcare standards.
