The wealth of information we can gather from a small blood or tissue sample is astonishing. Some insights can lead to behavior and lifestyle changes, which can keep a person healthy and out of hospital. Some tests might reveal an imminent threat and lead to a life-saving decision.
By understanding the small things that can happen in our bodies, we can begin to recognise the important role that self-awareness and diagnostics play in supporting clinician decision making that can ultimately save lives and keep us healthy.
Early diagnosis focuses on detecting disease as early as possible for prompt intervention. The three main steps of early diagnosis include: awareness and access to care, clinical evaluation, diagnosis and staging, access to treatment.
Diagnostics are an integral part of decision-making along every step of a person's health, wellness and disease journey. A diagnostic test alone can help clinicians change the course of someone's healthcare experience – and their life.
Whether it's cancer, infectious diseases or other serious health threats, the quest for better solutions to healthcare's greatest challenges depends on diagnostics.
Diagnostics – tests that detect and monitor diseases, conditions and infections – are essential to improving health for people around the world.
However, this field is still significantly undervalued. In fact, despite in vitro-diagnostics playing a foundational role in improving health outcomes, supporting 70% of healthcare decisions throughout a patient's journey, the field accounts for just 2% of global healthcare funding.
It takes self-awareness, care and bravery to address even the smallest issues, many of which can be resolved if caught early.
At Roche, we are committed to not only advancing diagnostic solutions that can support healthcare professionals in making critical decisions for their patients’ health, but also improving the way these essential tools are integrated into health systems around the world, at a lower cost, while still achieving the best possible outcomes.
By helping people understand the value of diagnostics, we hope to change the way every person takes notice of and manages their health.
If any are a cause for concern, don’t ignore it and get it checked.