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Can Genomic Medicine Improve Financial Sustainability of Health Systems?

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Abstract

Recent years have seen increased use of genomic technologies in a variety of research and clinical settings. Genomic medicine is not a cost-containment measure per se, but is viewed as having the potential to bend the healthcare cost curve. Currently, it is unknown how systematic adoption of genomic medicine in clinical practice will impact healthcare costs. This article discusses the potential economic impact of genomic medicine and the challenges that lie ahead.

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Author contributions

Christine Lu conceptualized, drafted, and revised the manuscript. Joshua Cohen critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. Christine Lu is the guarantor for the overall content.

Conflict of interest

Christine Lu and Joshua Cohen declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, 6th Floor, 133 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Christine Y. Lu

  2. Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development/Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Joshua P. Cohen

Authors
  1. Christine Y. Lu
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  2. Joshua P. Cohen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christine Y. Lu.

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Lu, C.Y., Cohen, J.P. Can Genomic Medicine Improve Financial Sustainability of Health Systems?. Mol Diagn Ther 19, 71–77 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40291-015-0138-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40291-015-0138-3

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