The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has unveiled a significant tool for assessing healthcare progress in the Asia-Pacific region—the ‘Asia-Pacific Personalised Health Index’. This index serves as a barometer for gauging the readiness and capability of 11 different health systems within the region to integrate and adopt personalised healthcare approaches. By examining various factors that contribute to personalized healthcare, the index provides insights into how these systems can improve to meet individual patient needs more effectively.
Introduction to the Asia-Pacific Personalised Health Index
The Asia-Pacific Personalised Health Index is a pioneering index aimed at measuring the advancement of health systems towards the adoption of personalised healthcare. This approach tailors medical treatment to the individual characteristics of each patient. The index scrutinizes the performance of 11 health systems across the Asia-Pacific region, offering a comprehensive look at their current state in embracing this modern healthcare paradigm.
Evaluation of Health Systems
The 11 health systems evaluated by the index span a wide range of countries, including India, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, and New Zealand. These systems were assessed based on 27 indicators that reflect the degree of personalization in healthcare delivery. These indicators are categorized into four primary areas known as ‘Vital Signs’, which collectively represent the core aspects of personalised health.
Vital Signs Categories
The four Vital Signs categories that form the basis of the index are Health Information, Policy Context, Health Services, and Personalised Technologies. Each category plays a crucial role in determining the effectiveness and efficiency of a health system in providing personalised care:
1. **Health Information** involves the collection, sharing, and analysis of health data, which is essential for understanding patient needs and tailoring healthcare accordingly.
2. **Policy Context** refers to the regulatory and policy environment that either facilitates or hinders the implementation of personalised health strategies.
3. **Health Services** encompasses the availability, quality, and organization of healthcare services that can be adapted to individual patient requirements.
4. **Personalised Technologies** includes the use of advanced technologies such as genomics, biomarkers, and digital health tools that support customized healthcare solutions.
Top Performers and Rankings
Singapore emerged as the top performer in the index, showcasing its robust capabilities in personalised healthcare. Following Singapore, Taiwan secured the second spot, with Japan and Australia closely trailing at third and fourth positions, respectively. These rankings highlight the strengths of these health systems in integrating personalisation into their healthcare practices.
Performance of India and Indonesia
On the lower end of the spectrum, India was positioned at the 10th rank, indicating significant room for improvement in its healthcare system’s move towards personalisation. India’s performance varied across the Vital Signs, ranking 10th in Health Information, 11th in Health Services, 9th in Personalised Technologies, and somewhat higher at 5th in Policy Context.
Indonesia found itself at the bottom of the list, ranked 11th. This suggests that the Indonesian health system faces considerable challenges in adopting personalised healthcare practices and technologies.
Implications of the Index
The Asia-Pacific Personalised Health Index provides valuable insights for policymakers, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders in the health sector. By identifying strengths and weaknesses across the various indicators and categories, the index offers guidance on where health systems need to focus their efforts to advance towards more personalised healthcare. The ultimate goal is to enhance the quality of care for patients by making it more responsive to their individual health needs and circumstances.
