Originally published on EY.com
EY announces the launch of Pointellis, a new solution that supports the provision of individualized therapies that target each cancer patient’s specific treatment needs. The new EY solution is a fully connected data infrastructure that facilitates handoffs of information between unaffiliated entities such as hospitals, laboratories and logistics centers.
By maintaining the chain of custody and identity from when a patient’s tissue and blood samples are first obtained, through to treatment administration and long-term monitoring, Pointellis helps cancer patients get their individual treatment in a faster and more secure way. Built on and powered by Microsoft Azure, using cross-platform open source frameworks, the solution helps enable a full digital ecosphere that services parties involved in individualized cancer therapy.
With the number of new cancer cases per year expected to exceed 23 million worldwide by 2030¹, cancer remains one of the world’s most pressing health care challenges due to the costs involved for health care providers and drug manufacturers. This problem will be exacerbated by an aging and growing population worldwide with more patients with cancer seeking treatment in the future.
From a one-size-fits-all to an individualized cancer care approach
Pamela Spence, EY Global Health Sciences and Wellness Industry Leader, says:
“One of the key requirements to shift cancer care from a one-size-fits-all approach to an individualized treatment model is to have an operating model and supply chain in place that can improve how each therapy is designed, manufactured, delivered and administered to the right patient and at the right time, every time. This changing clinical paradigm in cancer therapy will have significant implications for the various stakeholders involved.”
Adlai Goldberg, EY Global Life Sciences Digital, Social and Commercial Innovation Leader, says:
“Combining EY experience with Microsoft capabilities was fundamental to developing Pointellis, which connects the many stakeholders involved in providing individualized treatments. Pointellis supports a supply chain as bespoke as the treatment itself, one for each and every cancer patient. It maintains the chain of custody and identity; validating every handoff from patient through to drug manufacturer and back again, helping to enable that each patient is treated safely, securely and accurately, every time.”
A digital ecosphere
Bringing together deep analytics knowledge from EY teams with Microsoft technology, Pointellis helps enable the six core function areas of a digital ecosphere. It expedites the timely flow of information and materials along the end-to-end value chain, helping patients to receive the care they need.
The six core functions are:
- Biometric chain of identity/custody, to track and trace biopsy tissue and blood samples from point of care when the patient first enters the system, all the way through medicine administration.
- Supply chain, to allow for enrollment, scheduling, demand and capacity planning as well as coordination of logistics and delivery.
- Patient engagement, to share appropriate information and keep the patient engaged through the waiting process as well as provide disease management information.
- Care management, to provide oncologists and health care providers who treat and support critically ill patients with up-to-date information and decision support based on the wealth of data captured through the platform.
- Health outcomes, to measure more accurately and allow providers, health systems, payers and manufacturers to adapt treatment and improve clinical benefit.
- Funds allotment, to manage the complexities of paying all who are involved with the treatment of a patient.
Neil Jordan, Microsoft Corp. General Manager, Worldwide Health, says:
“Microsoft Azure, using cross-platform open source frameworks, enables a high degree of flexibility as ecosphere stakeholders are integrated into Pointellis. The technology stack helps overcome the biggest challenges in creating a full digital ecosphere that services all parties; manufacturers, pharma logistic providers and most importantly, physicians and patients.”
Spence says: “Individualized therapies, the focal point of Pointellis, can considerably improve patient outcomes and alleviate the burden of cancer and mutation-based diseases. EY teams are bringing multiple parties together, such as Microsoft, that each have specific skills relevant to solving some of the greatest supply chain and operational complexities of these new treatment paradigms. What a privilege to become a more central part of the health industry value chain and working alongside others to build a better working world.”
