IMPACT REPORT
Livestream Sponsor Networking Cocktail Sponsor
Silver Sponsors
To discuss these matters, top industry leaders met at Mexico Health Summit 2022 ECHO for in person and virtual conversations that resulted in innovative proposals for policy makers and private sector providers. These leaders aim to create a transformative ecosystem of true partners that put the patient at the center, while supporting each other as they work to improve the sector. As healthcare transitions from traditional methods of care provision and access, the adoption of technology was discussed as a strategy to strengthen patient-centric views and develop collaborative approaches.
Mexico Health Summit 2022 ECHO allowed leaders to engage in enriching conversations that will allow the sector to continue innovating because, while challenges still persist, opportunities are also numerous.
The Mexican health sector continues to evolve and transform itself after the eye-opening experience that was the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, the sector was forced to urgently tackle a pressing health emergency while dealing with historic burdens such as limited access to services, smaller budgets, chronic diseases and the lack of opportunities for medical professionals. Moreover, the entire healthcare sector is undergoing a transformation as digital practices take hold.
125 companies 378 participantsconference 158 participants 70 speakers 6 sponsors 4,118 visitors to the websiteconference 107 attendancein-person 611 communicationsmatchmaking 39 1:1 conductedmeetings 29.2% Manager 21.4% Director 20.7% CEO/General Directors 10% Associate/Executive 6.4% VP/CFO/COO 5.7% Member/PartnerPresident/Board 4.2% Doctors 2.1% Research/Analyst Matchmaking intentions Breakdown
job
3.03%
4
55,819
Conference social media impact Pre-conference social media impact 11,434
1.53%
Delivering intent-based matchmaking powered by Artificial Intelligence that connects the right people. Network, no matter where you are. by title direct impressionsduringMHS direct pre-conference impressions click through rate during MHS pre-conference click through rate engagementconferencerate
6.28%
Mexico’s leading B2B conference organizer introduces the world’s leading event networking platform.
5.79% engagementpre-conferencerateTotal 1,323 298 Networking 306 Investment 661 Trading 58 Recruitment
• MED CONGRESS
• Sociedad Mexicana de Salud pública
•
•
• SocialDiabetes
• private
•
•
• probiomed SA de CV
• iSana
• Orange Box
• Mexican Kidney Foundation
• Randall Laboratories
• Investigación Biomédica para el Desarrollo de Fármacos
• SAFTÜ
Enlace S de R L de C V •
•
• RGA
•
• Medikit
•
• Funsalud
• nutriADN
•
• Fundación Dibujando un Mañana
•
• Integralia Consultores
• Glenmark pharmaceuticals
• HEM pMEDS
• yEp SEGUROS (Insurtech)
• Sánchez Devanny
• Hera Diagnostics
• SOIMB
• Schwabe México S.A. de C.V.
•
C OM p AN y A TTENDANCE5 • Abeile Med • Advisory Network for Wellbeing • AMEIFAC • ANAFARMEX • AOLM • Apotex • asesoriaenfarmacias.com
•
• HLC
• ICAN
Operativa,ResponsableS.C. •
• Gobierno de Ontario, Embajada de Canadá en México
• Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica
• Seis Grados C
•
• Sofia
• Happy Clinic Ideas
• Nabu Technologies SRL de CV
•
• Mediform
• Eolis América Latina SApI De CV
• MAG Medical Group
•
•
• MeetingDoctors
• QbD Mexico
• WeeCompany
• Fundación Mexicana del Riñón A.C.
• LLyC
•
• Signufarma S.A. de C.V.
• GS1 México
• Instituto de Salud pública Chile
• parque pharma
• Global Health Intelligence
• Nuevo Sanatorio Durango
•
•
• Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
• MexicoView
• Internacional Farmacéutica
• National Academy of Medical Education and Continuing professional Development.
• INFINITE
• Asociación HealthTech mexico Asociación Mexicana de pediatría A.C. avena health Bayer BD Bionexo Latam Bms Boehringer Ingelheim Boston Scientific de Mexico B pF part of QbD group Breakthrough Ip Intelligence Brella Ltd Bristol Myers Squibb Mexico Bupa C Minds Cancer Center Tec 100 CANIFARMA Cardinal Health Carestream Carl Zeiss de Mexico. CCE - Consejo Coordinador Empresarial Central Media CHG-Meridian México CidVID CIEp Clínica Clinica DEDALUS Deloitte DHL Docred DocTour DROX Ecolab elery.co Elipse
•
• MEDISI America
• Mino Labs
• Farmalisto
•
•
• Health Sanitary Consulting
• IMSS
• Olympus Mexico
•
•
• Mamotest
• Nosotrxs
• ZEISS Mexico
• Roche
• INMEGEN
• Netherlands Embassy in Mexico
•
• Qrantio - pharma Division
• TuoTempo
• Laboratorios de Especialidades Inmunológicas S.A. de C.V.
• Doctoralia •
• Holland House Mexico
•
• The CloseUp Company
•
• Olivares
•
• MEDICE Arzneimittel
•
• Welbe Care
• Siemens Healthineers
•
•
• HClinical
• Merck Group
•
• Stendhal pharma
• RM pharma Specialists
•
• Elsevier
• Independiente
• Hospitales San Ángel Inn
• Hacking Health Monterrey
• Medtronic
16:30
Speaker: Julio Sánchez y Tépoz, Health Sanitary Consulting
09:00
Panelists: Miguel Lombera, CANIFARMA Rodrigo Fernández, Teva pharmaceuticals Juan De Villafranca, Asociación Mexicana de Laboratorios Farmacéuticos
MEXICO’S STATE OF THE INDUSTRY AND TRENDS FOR 2023
MARKET ACCESS FOR ONCOLOGY INNOVATION
Moderator: Camila de Pamphilis, Mamotest
PATIENT-CENTRIC MEDICAL DEVICE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
Panelists: Natalia Díaz, nutriADN Gerardo Jiménez, Genómica Médica Maria Salido, SocialDiabetes Jaen Velázquez, Siemens Healthineers
Panelists: Alejandro Paolini, Siemens Healthineers Agustin Zabulanes, BSCI Montserrat Galindo, Masimo
15:45
RETHINKING LOCAL AND GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS TO SECURE ACCESS
PHARMACOECONOMICS: INNOVATION AND ACCESS
Panelists: Rafael Gual, CANIFARMA Mauricio Rodríguez-Leal, Apotex Cristian Von Schulz-Hausmann, Merck David de Pinho, Sanofi Sandra Sánchez-Oldenhage, pharmAdvice
QUALITY MANUFACTURING PROCESSES IN THE MEDICAL SECTOR BASED IN OPERATIONS
Moderator: Pablo Fuentes, Breakthrough I p Intelligence Panelists: Martin Quintero Rubio, ZEISS Sealtiel Vera, ATRAMAT Víctor Rivera, Visional Technology
10:15
Moderator: Pablo Fuentes, Breakthrough I p Intelligence
09:30
12:45
BETTER DIAGNOSIS FOR COMMON CHRONIC DISEASES
CLOSING ATTENTION GAPS FOR NCDS AFTER COVID-19
Moderator: Juan Luis Serrano, Sánchez Devanny
Teofilo Tijerina, Hera Diagnosis Isabela Rivas, Roche
Panelists: Cristian Von Schulz-Hausmann, Merck Fernando Cruz, Novartis
Moderator: Javier Pico, Lifesciences Consultants
Moderator: Gabriela Zúñiga, Stendhal pharma Panelists: Santiago March, Funsalud Fernanda González, INCMNSZ Patrick Devlyn, CCE Olga Martínez Montañez, IMSS
15:00
Moderator: Jaime Castro, QbD
pROGRAM D A y 16
12:00
DIGITALIZATION IN THE CENTER OF HEALTH ACQUISITIONS
p ROGRAM DA y 27
08:30
Moderator: Adriana Vallejo, Hacking Health Mexico
Panelists: Luis Alonso Herrera, INMEGEN Eliseo Ruiz, Med Congress Gabriela Clavel, Abeile Med Jorge Valdez García, Tecnológico de Monterrey
MARKET ACCESS FOR A RESEARCH-BASED PHARMA INDUSTRY
10:15
Moderator: Claudia Del Pozo, Eon Resilience Lab Panelists: Alejandro Luna, Olivares Brenda Zetina, DataDog Alexandro Arias, Deloitte
Panelists: Sonia López, SMS p Javier Marín, LLyC
KEY PRIORITIES IN HEALTH DATA USE AND PROTECTION
INTEROPERABILITY AS THE BASIS OF HEALTH SYSTEMS
12:00
HOSPITAL ACCESS, COMPETITIVENESS AND RESPONSE FOR THE POPULATION OF 2022
Moderator: Vanessa Lara, Mexican Consortium of Hospitals
Moderator: Judith Méndez, CIEp
Speaker: Florencia Davel, Bristol Myers Squibb
Panelists: Guillaume Corpart, Global Health Intelligence Juan Manuel Fraga, Cancer Center Tec 100
Speaker: Alejandro Valerio, FrontierView
Andrés González-Silén, Asistensi Andrés Castañeda, Nosotrxs
12:45
13:15
Panelists: Jesús Hernández, Asociación HealthTech Victor Medina, HL7 José Arriaga, Orange Box Agustín López, Dedalus
ASSESSING MEXICO´S ONGOING RECOVERY
09:30
Moderator: Janet Real Ramírez, National Academy of Medical Education and Continuing professional Development
15:45
ENHANCING MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS’ TECH ADOPTION
FINANCING CARE: ROLE OF PUBLIC COVERAGE IN HEALTH EXPENDITURE
Speaker: Jose Alarcón, p wC
09:00
INTEGRATING HEALTHTECH, INNOVATION IN REGULATION
p ROGRAM DA y 28
15:00
ENTREPRENEUR SPIRIT IN HEALTH: HOW TO SUCCEED IN THE MARKET
15:45
Panelists: Mijail Tapia Moreno, youTube Channel Dr Mijail Tapia Enrique Culebro, Central Media Andrés Galofre, DocRed Francisco Corpi, Elsevier
INFODEMIC: SCIENTIFIC BASED-INFORMATION AND EDUCATION
Speaker: Heriberto García Escorza, Chile public Health Institute
16:15
Moderator: Andrea Arozamena, GS1 México
Panelists: Juana Ramírez, Grupo SOHIN Juan Camilo Garay, TuoTempo Javier Esquivel, Saftu Gabriel Garza, DocTour
Moderator: Carolina Gómez, Excélsior
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS9
p rior to the pandemic, healthtech was a vision for the future. Today, it is present in diagnosis, treatment, management and innovation. p harmaceutical companies are leading the way in tech integration. “We are convinced that technology facilitates business. Adapting to changes, opportunities, trends, requirements, regulations and controls is easier using technology,” said to MBN Fernando Gamallo, CIO, Sanfer.
As Mexico continues facing healthcare challenges, the country must adapt to the main global trends. “Digital health has become essential. p atients are more informed than ever before. On the other hand, AI must be leveraged to make datadriven decisions and, finally, biotechnology must be fostered in Mexico,” said Sánchez.
The Mexican pharmaceutical sector has undergone several changes over the past few years, as the COVID-19 pandemic changed medicine distribution patterns in the public and private sectors, allowing the latter to grow considerably. The health industry is increasingly adopting digitization, AI and biotechnology, while people’s life expectancy increases. Thus, the pharmaceutical sector must adapt to meet the market’s changing needs, said Julio Sánchez y Tepoz, p artner, Health Sanitary C Consideringonsulting.Mexico’s increase in life expectancy and its problem with chronic diseases, it is expected for 63 percent of the pharmaceutical market to be directed to the treatment of chronic noncommunicable diseases (CNCDs), said Sánchez: “The industry must pay attention to several factors. By 2024, 30 percent of the population will be over 45 years old, which is about 39 million people. In addition, 12.6 percent will be over 60 years Mexico’sold.”National Health p lan 2019-2024 identifies CNCDs, in particular cancer and cardio-metabolic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes, as the main challenge for the health system due to their magnitude, great impact on premature mortality and quality of life and the costs of treating the disease and its complications. “In Mexico, the concern is not limited to getting sick, but mainly with how to assume the expenses of a disease. This is a problem that has not been solved for years,” said Sánchez.
In fact, if the value chain and logistics had not suffered problems, the private market would have grown twice,” he added.
While the pharmaceutical sector does not represent the entire health industry, it plays an essential role in providing the necessary medicines to both the private and public sectors, said Sánchez. p revention, public sector planning and participation of all industry players, among others, complement the health ecosystem, he added.
PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR TO GROW, FOCUS ON CHRONI C DISEASES
In 2018, over 2.7 billion medicine units were commercialized in Mexico, with 41 percent of them going to the private sector and 59 percent to the public sector, said Sánchez. In 2021, the number of units commercialized “was similar” but the private sector took 51 percent of the market. “The pandemic accelerated commercialization of medicines, particularly in the private sector.
Julio Sánchez y Tépoz Partner | Health Sanitary Consulting
In Mexico, all actors participating within the health ecosystem must participate in decision-making processes to overcome challenges. “The private sector plays a critical role. We must participate and contribute on health decisions,” said Sánchez.
“The pharmaceutical sector must adapt to meet the changingmarket’sneeds”
Authorities, health professionals and, most importantly, patients have a right and obligation to access information that will allow them to make better decisions regarding healthcare. Authorities have to understand how this approach improves healthcare through the provision of services
The health sector is acquiring a patientcentric perspective as stakeholders are recognizing the need for consumer participation, while patients demand a seat in the decision-making table. Authorities, health professionals and patients are now part of the same ecosystem, which implies a commitment to continuous education on the latest trends. Although the shift towards patient-centric business models aims to increase access to health services, regulations and lack of information is hampering this approach.
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS10
devices have acknowledged their responsibility to boost the patient-centric approach across the sector and have committed to educate the multiple actors that partake in shaping the health industry. “We have a responsibility to educate the whole sector on this matter, not only doctors,” said Agustín Zabulanes, Country Direc tor, BSCI.
based on value, which can reduce costs and improve efficiency. Meanwhile, health professionals ought to be educated in the new technological trends such as AI and machine learning. Technology is no longer an option, said Jaime Castro, General Director, QbD.
“Health professionals have to understand the differentiation among concepts. Although they have to be involved in conceptualization, they do not have to become experts,” said Montserrat Galindo, Market Access Leader, Masimo.
Currently, 85 percent of companies plan to increase their investment in patientcentric capabilities over the next 18 months, according to Accenture. A patient-centric approach increases engagement, enhances understanding among patients and allows health providers to make better decisions regarding a patient’s health, as reported by Mercury ManufacturersHealthcare.ofmedical
DESIGN OF PATIENT-CENTRIC MEDICAL DEVICES REQUIRES COLLABORATION
After the pandemic, the adoption of technology accelerated. The digital progress that was expected for the upcoming 10 years was achieved in only one. This scenario is forcing health professionals to be part of the technological transformation to adapt to the digital transition.
“Health professionals have to be involved in this process to survive because there are specialties that are being threatened, such as radiology. AI is now part of imaging, which supports diagnosis. In the future, it will be possible for machines to provide a diagnosis. Adapting to technology is essential for survival,” said Zabulanes.
Digitalization and technology facilitate the job of health professionals and reduce human error, but technology is not expected to replace doctors. “Machines are not going to replace doctors. The only health professionals that are going to disappear are those that do not acquire technology and waste the invaluable support that technology offers them by helping them gain time and have more precision,” said Alejandro p aolini, Managing Director, Siemens Healthineers.
The patient-centric approach is also transforming the patient into a wellinformed consumer. After the pandemic, people realized that everyone can require
“We have a responsibility to educate the whole sector on this matter, not only doctors”
Agustín Zabulanes Country Director | BSCI
Mexico’s National Health p lan 2019-2024 cites chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs, in particular cancer and cardiometabolic diseases, as the greatest challenge for the country’s healthcare system. Due to their magnitude, great impact on premature mortality, quality of life and the high treatment costs associated with treating these diseases and their complications. Underrunning their prevalence is the limited and inequitable access to health services, which disproportionately affects marginalized, vulnerable and often discriminated groups. Mexico also faces a cultural prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle choices, high rates of multidimensional poverty among its aging population and an institutional emphasis on corrective actions instead of prevention. Moreover, most of these trends were magnified during the pandemic, compounding to present the public and private health sector with a sizable challenge.
an informed consumer who participates in decisions and gets involved thanks to digitization and access to information,” said paolini.
“The COVID-19 arrived in Mexico at a time when the country had the worst health index indicators of all thirty-eight OECD members. That is, Mexico is the country with the least investment in health per capita, highest mortality rate, greatest proclivity towards diabetes, obesity, low rate of practitioners and many more”,
medical attention at any time and that they have to be committed to their own health and wellbeing. “The patient used to be a “captive” but now the patient has become
said Olga Martínez Montañez, Regulatory Coordinator and Direction of Economic and Social Benefits, IMSS.
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS11
The public health crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic diverted traditional health priorities and scarce resources, devastating Mexico’s already fragile healthcare system. This shift undermined the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCD). As economies overcome the acute phase of the outbreak, industry experts expect a wave of attributable mortality rates associated with the discontinued treatment of these diseases. As health experts aim to bridge the gap, the continued synergy between public and private institutions, financial investment and technology applications is fundamental.
CLOSING THE CNCD CARE GAP EXACERBATED BY COVID-19
AsTechnologyindicated by the digital transformation that came on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, technology will play a central role in combating the foreshadowed wave of CNCDs to come. Currently, technology is moving much faster than the health sector’s ability to understand and implement it effectively. p remised on this fact, a large portion of immediate financing will have to be directed towards both the purchase of new technologies and the education of operating personnel as well. “The good news is that most of the technologies and digital solutions in the market have the potential to address many of the existing challenges aforementioned: however, their adoption is moving much slower than
public- private Synergy
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS12
The observed inter-collaboration of all public and private institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic outlined the productive capacity that can be achieved when these parties come together. “To address this
“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, almost 1 billion people were spending more than 10 percent of their household budget on health,” said Juan pablo Uribe, Global Director for Health, Nutrition and p opulation, World Bank. “This is not acceptable, especially since the poorest people are hit hardest. Within a constrained fiscal space, governments will have to make tough choices to protect and increase health budgets,” he added.
sizable gap and increase efficiencies, public and private investment will be fundamental to produce higher quality, cost-effective care,” said patrick Devlyn, president of the Health Commission, CCE. This is especially relevant in a public healthcare system that demands greater out-of-pocket costs that, during the pandemic, pushed millions into debt and poverty.
“During the COVID-19 there was a loss of roughly 20 percent of consultations related to diabetes and hypertension resulting in the patients deteriorating health, according to data from IMSS. This trend was reflected in other detection and diagnosis consultations that will likely lead to a wave of CNCD cases in the following years if we fail to address the gaps created,” said Fernanda González, Head of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, INCMNSZ.
The sector and its players are beginning to pivot away from a complete, undivided focus on COVID-19. For example, Funsalud is working to “strengthen Mexico’s publicprivate partnership through its first ever agreement to address hospital reconversion, allowing people not suffering from symptoms related to COVID-19 to receive medical attention and, while woefully insufficient at a macro level, it is a step in the right direction,” said Santiago March, Health Technologies Coordinator, Funsalud. On the other side of the coin, the foundation also wants to facilitate the transmission of the private sector’s four ps model–prevention, predictive, personalized and participatory healthcare–to Mexico’s public sector, most importantly its first two levels of patient care. This model is at the root of the most successful and efficient healthcare systems in developed nations, added March.
LEVERAGING TECH TO IMPROVE CHRONIC DISEASE DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT
Worldwide, health systems face several difficulties managing chronic diseases.
Globally, 537 million adults have diabetes and this number is expected to increase to 643 million by the next decade. These large numbers of patients cost global health systems US$966 billion in health expenditure, according to IDF Diabetes Atlas. In Mexico, the most common and costly chronic diseases are diabetes and high blood pressure, which often derive in kidney failure. In 2019 (prepandemic figures), the IMSS spent MX$77.5 billion (US$3.9 billion) treating these diseases, reported TreatmentForbes.fordiabetes, which “is a data disease par excellence,” required innovation several years ago, said María Salido, CoFounder and CEO, Social Diabetes. “There is no health system that can be next to the patient the entire time. patients have to be co-responsible for their health. We must put the patient at the center and provide them with the tools to self-manage and generate enough data to make the smartest decisions.”
Technology and digitization continue advancing rapidly, impacting most aspects of everyday life and all industries, including the healthcare sector. patients across the world have benefited from tech, from software and medical equipment to personal medical devices to monitor their vitals. While these devices have proven effective in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases, democratization and availability remain the main challenge that the Mexican healthcare system faces, agreed industry experts.
anticipated due to their needed adaptability to the Mexican context,” said Gonzalez. Consequently, Mexican health personnel need to take initiative to understand these
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS13
technologies like AI and ML so that they can use and directly inform subsequent iterations of products and services as needed by Mexican patients.
“ prevention and technology penetration in Mexico face several barriers. The country has a severe inequality in education, access and financing. Healtech implementation is very difficult and there is a considerable lag in democratization. Only a small group of people can access innovations,” said Gerardo Jiménez, CEO, Genómica Médica.
and products must adapt to the different markets they are directed to, said Jaen Velázquez, Head of Business Development, Siemens Healthineers. “We bring this innovation to Mexico, but we cannot stop there. We focus on the patients, change and adapt our products to make them more patientfriendly. Tech has completely changed and we have become part of the patient journey,” he
“Innovations must adapt to the target market in terms of speed of results, costs and need of CEOGerardoguidance”Jiménez|GenómicaMédica
Although technology helps throughout the entire patient journey, from prevention to treatment, it is still far from being available to everyone. In addition to the inequity that prevails in Mexico, “innovations must adapt to the target market in terms of speed of results, costs and need of
Technology,Jiménez.devices
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS14
ThroughnutriADN.technology,
guidance,” said Jiménez. Mexico needs a public policy that stimulates scientific and technological innovation to prevent national health problems, fostering the appropriate implementation according to local needs, he added.
Genómica Médica offers saliva-based DNA tests for risk assessment of common diseases, prediction of responses to common medications and diagnosis of genetic diseases. “We sequence DNA to offer personalized recommendations for prevention and treatment of those diseases. Mexico should leverage the technologies that people already understand to bring value to the patient,” sai d
prediction becomes possible, genetic risks for many diseases can be identified and signs of illness can be recognized before manifesting. Through prevention, individuals are given the tools to recognize the earliest signs of disease, when it is the easiest to treat. p ersonalization represents the focus of care on the individual and the optimization of wellness by predicting disease and designing tailored treatments to prevent it. Finally, participatory means that patients are well informed about their health and better prepared to make decisions about it.
SocialDiabetes is a medical digital platform that delivers personalized care and optimized outcomes. With over 500,000 users, SocialDiabetes is considered a digital therapy tool that provides efficient diabetes management at scale. The mobile application integrates with devices and supports decision-making, helping patients control their diabetes through the measurement of sugar levels and other critical indicators.
Technologyadded.firms
such as Siemens Healthineers team up with diagnostics laboratories and several actors of the healthcare ecosystem to build digital solutions to reduce diagnostic costs. “We must work together through alliances to improve patients’ lives. The point is to make the cutting-edge technology that already exists available for everyone,” said
is already available, it remains far from full democratization but only patients themselves will change this, said Javier p ico, p artner, Life Sciences Consultants. “Citizens, people become the best agents of change by demanding health services and forcing public and private systems or even their families to change habits, from their daily diets to the healthcare culture and approach.”
WhileVelázquez.technology
An optimal treatment that heavily involves patient participation results in a better life and becomes less costly to the healthcare system. For that reason, p 4 medicine (participatory, personalized, predictive and preventive) is set to transform the health sector, said Natalia Díaz, Head of Nutrition,
PHARMACOECONOMICS: TOOL FOR INNOVATION AND ACCESS
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS15
“ p harmacoeconomics should drive the conversation between countries to facilitate healthcare access and increase investment,” said Mauricio Rodríguez, Commercial Director, Apotex. Collaboration between countries should also be encouraged to improve and accelerate access to treatments, as it normally takes between 10 and 15 years to launch a new Nonetheless,medication.
“With pharmacoeconomics, we can know how many lives a product can save and how long it can prolong the patient’s life”
Rafael Gual Director General | CANIFARMA
In the past few years, pharmacoeconomic studies have become more common in Mexico due to the pressure the health sector faces from limited budgets and changing reimbursement incentives, explained Sandra Sánchez-Oldenhage, p resident and CEO, p harmAdvice. These studies allow for the analysis of cost minimization, cost effectiveness, cost benefit and cost utility. “The main objective of pharmacoeconomics is not to provide less expensive products and services, but to improve health at a lower cost,” said Sánchez-Oldenhage. Its proper application offers useful information to decision makers regarding public health. It has also been leveraged for the R&D of new medicines, as the industry wants to develop products with greater efficacy and fewer sid e effects.
However, decision makers are sometimes discouraged by the fact that pharmacoeconomic analysis is mostly focused on the long term, while the need to save costs can be urgent. “The development of pharmacoeconomics in Latin America is incipient. This topic has been discussed during the past 20 years but more technical training is necessary to make decisions. When these cost-effectiveness conversations are held, it is thought that they only involve savings, but innovation always entails costs,” said Cristian Von Schulz-Hausmann, Managing Director and General Manager, Merck.
“The pharmaceutical industry is increasingly performing pharmacoeconomic analysis prior to presenting a product to the market,” said Rafael Gual, Director General, CANIFARMA. “With pharmacoeconomics, we can know how many lives a product can save and how long it can prolong the t’s life.”
healthcare budgets will always be limited. “The constitution tells us about the right to health framed in laws that define the distribution of resources, funds and budgets that must be allocated for the provision of health services,” said Juan Luis Serrano, partner Life Sciences, Sánchez Devanny.
A growing number of entities are embracing pharmacoeconomic studies to determine if the cost of a medication or medical device is justified in comparison with the benefits it brings, allowing them to make decisions considering the real value of a product. Despite the benefits that this field offers, the lack of communication between healthcare providers and companies is limiting the adoption of new m edicines.
Mexico spends US$1,300 per capita on healthcare, but only 50 percent of that amount is covered by the government while the rest is paid out of pocket. In other countries, healthcare investment per capita can rise up to US$5,000, with over 80 percent of it covered by the state.
Moreover, the fragmentation of the Mexican health system and the lack of efficient regulatory processes are hampering the capabilities of pharmaceutical companies to accelerate access to the latest treatments. Although the system is not perfect, David De pinho, Country Lead, Sanofi, said that there is no such thing as an ideal health system and that collaboration ought to be the focus of the
“This is a conversation that is happening across all global economies. Domestic companies are already discussing it and we congruently agree that it should begin with a state of the sector diagnosis with special attention to logistical discrepancies and essential medicines,” said Rodrigo Fernández, Director General and LATAM Head, Teva pharmaceuticals.
The COVID-19 pandemic broke down global and domestic health supply chains, leading to shortages and bottlenecks in medicines that undercut accessibility, inflated out-ofpocket costs and amplified hospitalization rates. While the most acute phase of the pandemic has seemingly passed, new challenges have arisen, rendering Mexico’s supply chain model obsolete. In light of this reality, industry leaders look towards the public sector to build a balanced, certified and sustainable purchase and distribution models for the short, medium and long-term.
Aside from a constructive dialogue, experts agree that patient centricity is essential for the health system to improve. “It has been demonstrated that taking the patient into account has a positive impact on the efficiency of the treatment, quality of life and costs,” said Sánchez-Oldenhage.
“The change in IMSS-Bienestar is a hopeful message as its starting point is the constitutional right to health, which must be the same throughout the whole system,” said WhileSerrano.thesector needs an independent entity to standardize regulation, the pharmacoeconomics field has limitations that must be addressed. Today the studies are done in a controlled, short-term context, which assumes and adherence of 100 percent. This is not a reflection of real life and real-life evidence is fundamental to offer an effective scientific and clinical judgment, explained Sánchez-Oldenhage.
Initially, inconsistent drug deliveries were followed by changes to the Acquisition Law for medicines and medical supplies. This unleashed irregularities among local medicine
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS16
Today, Zoe Robledo, Director General, IMSS, announced that IMSS-Bienestar would become a decentralized body, giving it technical autonomy and capabilities to expand throughout the entire country.
REINVENTING MEXICO’S SUPPLY CHAIN MODEL
industry. “We have to change our demanding tone to a more constructive one,” he said.
there are still numerous challenges slowing down research and stopping treatments and medicines from reaching patients, ranging from regulatory bureaucracy to fragmented healthcare systems and economic hurdles, agreed industry experts.
supply chain that is capable of guaranteed growth and generating added value, said DuringLombera.thisprocess
a key role in ensuring access to medications. In the case of generics, authorities need to work faster so generic drugs can reach the population on time,” says Américo García, Vice p resident and General Manager for Latin America, Apotex. By accelerating this process, regulators will further promote a framework that will propel quick access to new medications and supplies , he says.
immediate concerns include how to augment domestic production, how to balance global and local supply chains and the need to differentiate medications through standards or certifications. Moreover, it is imperative that the public sector is willing to reconsider the current overregulation of the sector that has generated unintended impacts along the supply chain over the last year and a half, say industry experts.
“Other considerations involve the expected wave of nearshoring and the start of a new political cycle, all of which point to the rapidly evolving nature of this macro challenge,” says Juan De Villafranca, president, Asociación Mexicana de Laboratorios Farmacéuticos (AMELAF). In light of this, he recommends that the challenge be approached in multiple stages so that the constructed system, regulatory standards and stakeholders can adapt to the evolving reality produced by changing domestic and global conditions. Furthermore, given the urgency of this challenge and implied investment costs, the process should be followed by transparency and
manufacturers and distributors as they struggled to navigate the new consolidated purchasing model that centralized operations through the Institute of Health for Wellbeing (INSABI). By intentionally cutting out distribution companies, public institutions and state entities were left to compute their own orders. The federal government anticipated that the new acquisition system would generate savings and help combat corruption, but a year after going into effect it had failed demonstrably: by October 2021, INSABI had only delivered 9.5 percent of all drugs requested by states, according to an investigation by Animal politico. During this time, shareholders including laboratories, logistics and distributors were forced to work hand in hand to ensure the best distribution practices for drugs and medical equipment.
BeforeConsiderationsevenattempting
COLLABORATION, DIGITIZATION CRUCIAL FOR ONCOLOGY INNOVATION
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS17
However, as evidenced by the rollout of this regulatory amendment, “this is not a problem that can be solved unilaterally, from either the private, public or civil sector; it requires interaction on behalf of all three to generate ideas free of as many blind spots as possible,” said Miguel Lombera, president, CANIFARMA.
to formulate a new supply chain model, industry experts agree that they need more data to identify pitfalls, risks and opportunities. Furthermore, they recognize the central role Mexican public health institutions and possibly even international agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) will play during this reformation process. Overall, this process should ideally involve as many stakeholders as possible in order to build a global and local
“Regulatorsaccountability.alsoplay
The outcomes for people diagnosed with cancer have transformed drastically over the past 50 years. Innovation within oncology has led to breakthroughs in the detection, understanding and treatment of cancer. While there have been notable advances,
ICH brings together regulatory authorities and the pharmaceutical industry to discuss scientific and technical aspects of therapeutics and develop guidelines. The international council’s mission is to achieve greater global harmonization to ensure that safe, effective and high-quality medicines are developed and registered in the most efficient manner. “[COFEp RIS joining ICH] enables easier approval processes for therapeutics in Mexico. Based on globally recognized regulatory agencies, such as the US FDA and the EU’s EMA, ICH members can harmonize and streamline processes. It is all about reliance, trust in other institutions,” said Rivas.
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS18
“Regulatory agencies play an essential role. These organizations review the safety, quality and efficacy of treatments. Although there is a long way to go in Mexico, there have been advances. Recently, COFEpRIS entered the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH),” said Isabela Rivas, Medical Value Lead Lung Cancer, Roche.
p harmaceutical giants and multinational companies have great opportunities to support the local development of regulation and create synergies, leveraging their global experience and best practices, said Cristian Von Schulz-Hausmann, Managing Director and GM, Merck. While innovation progresses rapidly, regulations tend to lag behind, especially in highly specialized areas, such as cancer, he added: “Today, innovation progresses twice as fast as regulations. Digitization is a key step, but working together and creating synergies is the right path for improvement.”
Agreements and collaborations that strengthen COFEpRIS also benefit Mexican companies, said Teófilo Tijerina, CEO, Hera Diagnostics: “Sometimes, healthcare professionals show a lack of trust when a product is manufactured in Mexico. In the medical devices segment, we have found inconsistencies in regulation, which add costs and time and limit the industry.
In Mexico, it takes over 2,000 days for an innovative therapy to be fully accessible to the public and private health system, according to IQVIA. “COFEpRIS is a pillar. It regulates between 10-12 percent of Mexico’s GDp. We must seek to create a favorable ecosystem, focusing on regulatory improvement. Digitization of processes plays an important role in their acceleration,” said Fernando Cruz, Director General of public Affairs and Communications, Novartis.
COFEp RIS should be more pragmatic and consistent between the consumer and medical sectors.”
Innovation and the right ecosystem to innovate are important to the development of specialized treatments for complex diseases, such as cancer. In 1970, of those diagnosed with cancer in the US, about half would have been alive five years later. For those diagnosed in 2009, the figure was closer to 70 percent, according to McKinsey. Oncology therapeutics amounted to US$143 billion in global branded pharmaceutical sales in 2019 and analysts’ figures indicate that global oncology therapeutics sales will hit US$250 billion by 2024.
+ Adherence: once patients have access to the treatment, they must adhere to it.
HARMONIZED REGULATIONS NEEDED TO STRENGTHEN MEDICAL DEVICE SECTOR
prevention and disease awareness must also improve in Mexico, said Cruz, as access to medicines and the public purchase model represent additional hurdles. In addition, collaboration between players within the health industry and other sectors plays a pivotal role in the arrival and availability of innovative therapies, he concluded.
In 2021, the global medical device industry was valued at US$500 billion. Thanks to its steady growth, the sector is expected to be valued at US$800 billion by 2030. Currently, Mexico is the eighth largest manufacturer of medical devices in the world, but its contribution consists mainly of manufacturing. However, the industry is also working on the development of new technologies.
Cancer treatments, according to Rivas, must involve:
As the industry grows, its relevance increases, leading to the establishment of more strict quality standards. “As we move forward, it has been achieved to map every part of the process and identify where mistakes are being made which is the result of implementing quality systems,” said Martin Quintero, Regional Sales Manager and Medical Business Development, Zeiss.
Mexico faces several overall healthcare system problems, which impact oncology treatments, said Cruz. The country has one bed per 1,000 inhabitants, according to the OECD, which has an average of three beds. OECD member South Korea, for example, has 12.7 beds per 1,000 inhabitants. Regarding healthcare professionals, Mexico has 2.5 physicians per 1,000 inhabitants, while the OECD’s average is 3.5.
While regulations are necessary, excessive regulations can hamper the development and introduction of new products to the market. To face this problem, manufacturers must have flexible operations. “A strong manufacturing process, together with flexible
+ Prevention in cancer is paramount. If not, timely diagnosis is key.
+ Access: patients must receive innovative medicine or clinical studies through healthcare institutions. This is where Mexico falls behind. However, through more studies in Mexico, more innovations would enter the country.
Mexico’s medical device industry, one of the largest in the world, has been constrained by the perception of the country as a lowcost manufacturing destination. Investment on design and R&D, alongside efficient regulations, can help the country take the next step and become a technology developer, according to industry experts.
Manufacturing of medical devices is subject to compliance with rigorous quality standards and regulations. “There are two ways in which
companies operate their quality systems. There are those that are only concerned with complying with regulations and those that are also motivated by productivity,” said Víctor Rivera, Vice president, Visional Technology. Companies that are only focused on regulatory compliance operate quality systems that comply with regulatory provisions but fail to develop significantly in the industry. But those that also prioritize productivity manage to implement robust quality systems.
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS19
“Guadalajara has is one of the most important hubs for medical devices. Within Breakthrough Ip Intelligence, we have realized that technology is gaining more importance in the country,” said pablo Fuentes, partner, Breakthrough Ip Intelligence.
While regulations may delay access to these treatments, a considerable part of the population does not have access due to the fragmentation of the health systems. Limited infrastructure and economy, among other factors, also play a role, said Camila de pamphilis, Chief Data and patient Experience, Mamotest.
In these post-pandemic times, Mexico needs to build a resilient supply chain by understanding the market, its needs and trends. “The starting point is to understand the needs and determine which actors within Mexico can carry out this role,” said Rivera. Aside from a strong supply chain, the participation of the private sector is essential to boost the growth of the industry and to stop relying on the efforts of the government.
Theenvironment.”pandemic
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS20
MEXICO’S ECONOMY TO CONTINUE GROWING IN 2022, 2023
p rior to the pandemic, Mexico had been growing at a 2 percent annual rate, slightly
Martin Quintero Regional Sales Manager and Medical Business Development | Zeiss
“A strong manufacturing process, together with flexible implementation, would help to develop new technology at a low production cost with fast implementation and fast access to market”
Moreover, Mexico stands to gain relevance as a developer of medical devices and not just a manufacturer. “We have to show ourselves to the world as developers and stop thinking solely like manufacturers,” said Quintero.
The disruption of supply chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic forced countries to shift from a global to a regional perspective. Harmonization is helping companies to adapt more easily to the transformation of the global supply chain, as it is making it easier to enter new markets. “Companies need to be ready and informed about the regulations and key players in the chain in which they participate,” said Vera. “If we develop strategies based on regulatory intelligence, we can overcome some
of the restrictions of a highly regulated
FrontierView expects Mexico to grow 1.3 percent in 2023 and 1.8 percent in 2022. So far, the country’s recovery has been better
also opened the door for new actors to enter the industry amid the shortage of supplies. “Before the pandemic, it was difficult to supply manufacturing industries, but now it is more viable. New suppliers can enter the market and existing ones have been able to expand,” said Rivera.
While this scenario is bringing opportunities to manufacturers, it also poses challenges. Companies can make mistakes because “when resources suddenly arrive after shortages, the operation of a company turns into a race,” said Rivera. Additionally, manufacturers must find the balance between ensuring supply and quality through the correct development of suppliers, explained Vera.
The global economic impact forecasted during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic is now materializing and, alongside other conflicts, putting high pressure on national and international economies. Mexico is no exception but its outlook is more promising than that of other countries in the region, explained Alejandro Valerio, practice Leader, FrontierView.
over what Latin America had been growing as a region but less than what Mexico’s government expected at the time. With the pandemic, “Mexico had the worst economic drop since 1932, which will complicate its recovery. The country is not expected to recover until 2024 due to the great volatility of the markets at the moment,” Valerio said.
implementation, would help to develop new technology at a low production cost with fast implementation and fast access to market,” said HarmonizingQuintero.
regulations contributes to technology development, as it leads to uniform technical guidelines across participating authorities, according to the FDA. “Harmonization is the gateway to the markets and the expectation is good because the agreements between regulatory entities and certifying bodies are increasing,” said Sealtiel Vera, Business Development Director, ATRAMAT.
The third variable is policy changes by the US Federal Reserve System (Fed), as
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS21
also explained that over 60 percent of the average expenditure of a Mexican household goes to food, alcohol, transportation, housing and utilities.
There are three variables affecting the recovery in Mexico and the world, said Valerio. The first is China’s zero-COVID-19 strategy, which will continue until the second half of 2023 and will keep disrupting global supply chains. FrontierView’s “downside” scenario forecasts a 30-45 percent chance that this policy will not end, while its “base line” scenario forecasts a 50 percent chance that the Chinese government enhances vaccine distribution by the end of 2023. Its “upside” scenario forecasts a 15-10 percent chance that China will allow the use of other vaccines to accelerate reactivation.
“Today, the country has an inflation of 8.5 percent, which is not ideal, but it is better in comparison to inflation in Brazil, Colombia or Chile, which are already in double digits.”
In Mexico, inflation is mostly seen in food prices since the government has a gasoline subsidy policy. “The best thing would be for the value of the Mexican mix to remain at US$85,” said Valerio. About 32-34 percent on average is spent on discretionary spending and purchasing power factors in the country.
FrontierView forecasts a 15-10 percent chance that accelerating inflation drives the Fed to further increase its base rates. On the other hand, there is a 55-30 percent chance of a rapid monetary tightening slightly below current expectations. These changes will likely influence Mexican policy, which often follows the ValerioFed’s.
Mexico’s purchasing power factors, which are real wages, household savings and remittances, among others, have been affected by inflation. “Remittances remain positive, it is estimated that US$54 million will arrive this year, despite the fact that there is unemployment in the US. This year, Mexico has received US$28 million in remittances,” said Valerio.
than preliminary estimates. “Unlike the US, Mexico will not enter a recession at the end of this year. For the first two quarters of 2023, economic activity will be lower but the second half will be better. This is related to the bad outlook that is expected in the US.”
The second variable is the rationalization of gas and oil by the EU in the wake of the conflict against Ukraine, which is putting pressure on global energy markets. FrontierView’s downside scenario projects that there is a 40 percent chance that Russia bans all gas exports to the EU, while its base line scenario forecasts a 50-60 percent chance that sanctions on oil lead to a reduction in gas supplies to the EU.
and Colombia, a variable that depends also on the political state of the country, said Valerio. In the last elections where six governorships were contested, MORENA won four and now governs over more than two thirds of the country. In addition, the party is likely to retain the presidency in 2024, added Valerio.
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS22
All states in Mexico benefit from remittances, some more than others. Other states have also received large public spending, such as Tabasco for the construction of a refinery. States such as Nuevo Leon, Queretaro or San Luis potosi have benefited due to a larger demand from the US. Employment levels in the latter states are at pre-pandemic levels, despite the loss of 650,000 formal jobs and 2.2 million informal ones during the crisis. In this period, auto exports, plastics and food are the backbone of the market.
“From this result, it is inferred that Mexico has a lot of work to do, but digitization is essential to address these problems costeffectively,” sai d Alarcón.
among other risks. In Mexico and the world, life expectancy fell by approximately four years due to the pandemic.
In 1995, emerging countries represented only about 10 percent of total expenditure on health. By 2022, this percentage will climb to 33 percent. Mexico currently ranks 51st in the Bloomberg Global Health Index, which measures specific health risks such as tobacco use, high blood pressure, obesity, the availability of drinking water, the average life expectancy and malnutrition,
Mexico is also facing an aging population and is getting closer to losing its demographic bonus. However, the country still has an active middle class composed of 50 million people, twice as many as the total population of Chile. The country, however, has a limited health budget.
“Mexico needs greater regulatory certainty in order to attract more foreign direct investment,” said Valerio. The manufacturing sector is currently the sector that receives the most foreign investment and the continuity of government might reduce regulatory uncertainty, he added.
Accelerated digitalization in the health sector is urgent but requires an increase in public health spending. While the initial expenditure might be high, digitalization could be a watershed for this industry, explained José Alarcón, p ar tner, p wC.
Mexico is also better positioned in terms of indebtedness compared to p eru, Brazil
DIGITALIZATION MUST BE AT THE CENTER OF HEALTHCARE
In addition, 84 percent of doctors in Mexico are connected to the internet and of these, 80 percent use it in their professional practice. pwC found that:
The public sector is also beginning to adopt digitization initiatives. For example, COFEpRIS has been offering workshops on the digitization of its practices and processes since last year.
+ 61 percent use it for electronic clinical records
“We need to move towards homecare models in terms of therapy and recovery, mobile health (mHealth) andJosépreventivehealth”AlarcónPartner|PwC
“We need to move towards homecare models in terms of therapy and recovery, mobile health (mHealth) and preventive health,” said Alarcón. This will greatly reduce the amount of personnel required and the general investment necessary for the sector. Instead of requiring an investment of US$245 billion, only US$156 billion will be required, explaine d Alarcón.
WhatsApp is the most used medium for medical practice, reporting 90 percent use. Facebook followed it with 6 4 percent.
TECH, PATIENT EXPERIENCE TO SHAPE THE HOSPITAL OF THE FUTURE
“These trends, if addressed with the current care model, will require an excessively large number of personnel, infrastructure and health supplies, something that will be unsustainable for any government,” said Alarcón. Under the current model, the system would require an additional 3.5 million hospital beds, 3 million more doctors and 6 million more nurses. But there is another, more costeffective model to achieve the desired care for patients: the digitalization of services.
In addition to putting digitization at the center of acquisitions, digitalization must be at the center of the regulatory conversation. The country has a limited response in terms of regulation of telemedicine and electronic perception, added Alarcón. “Mexico needs to strongly increase investment in health, in general, to potentialize the use of digitization with a human approach so that the results are much greater,” Ala rcón said.
+ 44 percent use it for virtual consultations
Technology is now being used to promote prevention and increase accessibility, even in the most marginalized areas since some medical care does not require a physical
As populations around the world get older, technology advances and healthcare transforms following the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals will evolve their operations starting
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS23
+ 95 percent use it to search for information for prescriptions
from their structural design. While the transformation will take time, the healthcare of the future will be very different to what we know nowadays, agreed industry experts.
Telemedicine is one of the strongest trends in the sector, with a growing number of new players entering every year. For example, the p revita platform provided care to 2,000 patients using a home care model, while also providing over 3 million digital consultations, said Alarcón.
Digital pharmacy is also transforming the dynamics of the market.
+ 97 percent of doctors use the internet to read relevant content
Moreover, doctors have observed that when patients search the internet before their consultation, the dynamics of their conversation change, often allowing for a better diagnosis in 83 percent of cases, shared Alarcón. In 42 percent of cases, the patient’s previous research influenced the prescription, demonstrating the shared responsibility between patients and doctors.
In addition to the digitization and streamlining of appointments and processes, personalized care has become a top trend. An ideal healthcare experience “requires a personal touch, whether that encounter occurs virtually or in person,” according to a 2020 survey of health care consumers. p atients say it is paramount that physicians take time to listen, show they care and communicate clearly.
Quality and efficiency in most parts of the patient journey can be improved through data analytics, AI and automation. AI is having “an amazing impact in radiology, with solutions to reduce redundant tasks, eliminate biasbased reading errors, identify data patterns in images to predict risk and enhance workflow processes,” says Fraga. While the positive impact of these technologies is clear, a prior step is yet to be taken: digitization and interoperability within healthcare institutions.
The infrastructure and structural design of hospitals could be outdated soon, said Juan Manuel Fraga, Director General, Cancer Center Tec 100: “Hospitals will become more versatile in the use of physical spaces, such as flexible rooms with different purposes. In addition, home care has allowed hospitals to use beds for smaller periods per patient. We must leverage these resources.” The hospital of the future, added Fraga, will be datadriven and include new talent in different disciplines, from geneticists to data managers and AI specialists. “Over time, some rooms may even be replaced with big data and analytics rooms,” s aid Fraga.
Today’s patients expect high levels of efficiency and transparency from their healthcare providers, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA). Organizations must assess their current barriers to consumer satisfaction and deploy analytics and patient-centric technologies to improve the convenience, speed and transparency of care, says the association. Currently, some patients wait months for an appointment. “The patient journey is very long from diagnosis to the reception of primary care. It is unthinkable that a patient with cancer should wait six months for an appointment. Time is critical,” said Corpart.
“The hospital plays an important role because it is the meeting point between doctors and patients. Despite the growth of telemedicine, hospitals remain important. However, hospitals will change dramatically in the future, leveraging all types of technology to improve healthcare and give patients the control of their health. Within this dynamic, interactions with patients will include complete interdisciplinary teams, not only physicians,” said Guillaume Corpart, Founder and CEO, GHI.
While AI and automation are still penetrating the health industry, telemedicine already took the spotlight during the pandemic and after it. Telemedicine was born as an alternative to face-to-face consultation and, while the model still faces several challenges, it has grown significantly. However, it will not substitute in-person healthcare, said Corpart: “Telemedicine can be a capacity buffer in times of crisis, doubling our capacity to provide healthcare access.”
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS24
INTEROPERABILITY IMPROVES PATIENT’S EXPERIENCE, REDUCES COSTS
The future opportunities that technology opens are yet to be explored. However, some serious state-of-the-art disruptions are already happening. During the COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, pharmaceutical companies regionalized production across the world to ethically distribute vaccines, s aid Fraga.
medical device companies worked ethically, not taking advantage of the situation and consciously distributing their life-saving products,” sai d Corpart.
“Interoperability can guarantee sectorial co-participation between the public and private sectors, which would guarantee the improvement of patient care and
Culture plays a pivotal role in the adoption of all types of technologies too, said Fraga. “Local culture heavily influences the introduction of new technologies. Local healthcare professionals must adapt to the new trends. Technology is not the barrier; the barrier is who is oper ating it.”
The pandemic exposed vulnerabilities across healthcare organizations and in the entire ecosystem, from safety to equipment, data availability and infrastructure. Hospitals, care providers and all-level suppliers had to collaborate to address the crisis, even including collaboration with non-healthcare companies. “During the crisis, several
break segmentation paradigms. This would help improve the quality and safety of patient care throughout their lives,” said Agustín López, Business Development Director, Dedalus.
To date, the most common example of health data management systems and the first step to interoperability are Electronic Health Records (EHR), which compile data from multiple sources into one central hub for a comprehensive view of the patient’s history, as reported by MBN. EHRs provide patient documentation in a digital format thus allowing providers to record and store patient information in a centralized location and securely share that information with other c aregivers.
New supply chain strategies and models are required within healthcare institutions. Increasing storage and self-distribution could replace just-in-time delivery, said Corpart. In addition, deep relationships with sellers, back-up suppliers and the use of smarter, faster and predictive information through AI and ML improve the entire hospital operation, he added.
Strategic, Agile Supply Chains
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS25
Interoperability uses technology to exchange information for the improvement of different sectors. In healthcare, it can transform the patient’s experience, provide continuity in medical care, reduce costs and integrate health systems. Although efforts have been made in Mexico to leverage interoperability, the lack of a solid legal framework and technological preparedness is hampering its adoption among the health sector.
The concept of interoperability appeared in the 1990s and refers to the ability to exchange information through technological components. The term has evolved to include coordination within the boundaries of an organization to cooperate in the use and transfer of data among stakeholders, allowing care providers to optimize the provision of healthcare services to individuals and po pulations.
The next step that could disrupt supply chains is additive manufacturing, which offers affordability and immediate availability for surgical equipment, said Fraga: “In the future, hospitals could print surgical equipment in-house. The only supply they will need is the 3D printer and the material.”
multiple benefits that connectivity can bring to the health sector, being part of a connected world makes systems possible victims of cyberattacks. For this reason, cybersecurity has taken an important role in everything related to data management, specifically in the health sector. “Before, cybersecurity was not thought of. But when attacks increased, this issue began to be taken more seriously,” said Victor Medina, p resi dent, HL7.
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS26
This concept goes beyond a legal and technology issue. One must not lose sight of the fact that interoperability in the health system does not have a technological objective; it mainly seeks to improve health services. Interoperability involves technical, semantic, legal and human aspects. The technical aspect involves the establishment of standards and the classification of illnesses and hospital admissions. The semantic part refers to the ability to safeguard the information that is exchanged so that it can be used in any system. Meanwhile, the legal side of interoperability considers the institutional application, the protection of data and intellectual property and the freedom of information, among others. The political and human part involves the will to build ca pacities.
“Establishing the technology is not enough; it requires will, budget, cooperation agreements, the establishment of networks and the provision of specific services,” said José Arriaga, Co-Founder, O range InformationBox.exchange is possible without interoperability, but including it greatly improves performance, effectiveness and security, while reducing costs. Interoperability improves the patient’s experience, ensures transparency in processes and delineates who is responsible for a specific patient.
The Mexican Official Standard NOM-024SSA3-2010 establishes the functional objectives and functionalities that the Electronic Clinical Record Systems must observe to guarantee interoperability, processing, interpretation, confidentiality, security and use of information standards and catalogs of electronic health records. However, this norm has not been updated since 2010. “A standard must be defined for all systems in the country with a national digital health strategy. As long as we do not have a guideline that establishes obligations and has consequences, we will continue to have gaps in information security at any level but, above all, in health,” sa id Medina.
Several other problems are hampering the full adoption of interoperability in Mexico. Experts agree that the country needs to reach a higher level of maturity before implementing this technology.
“Interoperability can guarantee sectorial co-participation between the public and private Agustínsectors”López
Despiteuaranteed.the
“Health handles very sensitive data. Security has a cost because it entails constant updates as every week a new cybersecurity threat arises,” said Jesús Hernández, president, Asociación HealthTech.
The integration of the system would avoid the repetition of processes and reduce costs while improving access to patient information. Continuity in care is important, especially in the case of chronic diseases managed at home. In addition, people are living longer and this demands that quality of life and care at home can be g
Interoperability can also improve the continuity of attention within the Mexican health system. Due to its fragmentation, patient data does not travel with the patient. The duplication of data across hospitals involves added costs and reduces e fficiency.
Business Development Director | Dedalus
Healthcare budgets “have been falling year after year. This year we only saw it increase for IMSS-Bienestar because this group was prioritized by the federal government,” said IMSS-BienestarMéndez.
Additionally, the sector has been suffering from evident inequality between subsystems for a long time due to its fragmentation. For example, pEMEX’s affiliates have access to health services valued at over MX$20,000 (US$991.4), including aesthetic and cosmetic surgeries, while those affiliated to IMSS-
has recently become the official provider of healthcare for those without social security. “IMSS-Bienestar is a primary care model for rural communities, very different to what p EMEX offers,” said Sonia López, Executive Director, SMS p “However, individuals do not know what they have access to and how much they have to pay for services under this new scheme.” Coverage needs to be equitable at IMSS-Bienestar to include promotion, prevention, treatment and long-term care equally, she added.
The Mexican health sector currently offers unequal coverage and services. “The current system has Mexicans of first, second and third class, which is unacceptable,” said Andrés Castañeda, Health and Wellness Coordinator, Nosotrxs. Moreover, “the last
Financing in healthcare must consider the number of people active in the system and the services they have access to, explained Judith Méndez, Health and p ublic Finance Coordinator, CIEp proper consideration of these aspects is a key step in the allocation of healthcare budgets. “Mexico was close to achieving universal affiliation. Additionally, Seguro p opular did have good coverage, which was of 49 ailments when it began and then expanded its services to a total of 66 in 2019. But, the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the gap in services,” Méndez said.
of information to be more effective, said Hernández. Meanwhile, laws must be created to protect health data and mandate how it should be distributed among the public and private health sectors.
Once the country is prepared and has the necessary technology, Mexico will need a governmental entity that can validate compliance and an institution in charge of storing data for the exchange
Bienestar have an average expenditure of MX$2,000 (US$99.1), explained Méndez.
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS27
FINANCING CARE: THE CHALLENGE OF INCREASING COVERAGE
Health financing plays a fundamental role in the provision of health services and while it is not the only determinant factor, it is the first step in the universalization of care provision. However, public health models have to evolve to make the most out of public finances in health, say industry experts.
“A good first step to improve equity is the recentralization of Andréssubsystems”Castañeda
Another signal of the system’s inability to meet the population’s needs is the increased use of private services. “ people are stopping using public services at the first level of care, the National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT) reports that the opening of private general medical offices has increased overwhelmingly. In 2018 around 3,500 new offices opened per year and in 2021, it increased to 8,200. This could be due to COVID-19 but could also reflect the shortages of many services and supplies in the public sector,” said Castañeda.
Health and Wellness Coordinator | Nosotrxs
survey on affiliation to Mexican subsystems revealed that one of four Mexicans do not have access to any public health service, which contradicts the subsystems’ official figures,” he said. According to Castañeda, IMSS-Bienestar reported 12 million affiliates in 2020, but only 1 million people claimed they were affiliated to this program. Offering similar quality across all subsystems is also fundamental, as is increasing the budget to cover more people under a more equal system, he added.
“ p harmacy adjacent medical offices are responding to the needs unmet by public services. However, more regulation is then necessary to guarantee their quality,” said Javier Marín, Senior Director Healthcare Americas, LLyC. Moreover, out-of-pocket expenditure and public expenditure in healthcare are almost the same in Mexico. “ private expenditure is at 47 percent while public expenditure is at 53 percent, which is very close,” said Marín.
A recent study by CIE p found that health services have been reduced during the past decade. For Mexico, this has led to a reduction of the health fund for catastrophic expenses, which are the ones with the highest costs, explained Méndez.
Another problem is that physicians are preferring to work in pharmacy adjacent medical offices than in first-level clinics, said Castañeda. “The question here is how to create a better environment that offers dignified opportunities to medical professionals and that responds to the population’s actual needs,” he added.
Most out-of-pocket spending is for medicines, López explained. “In the Americas, the number of people falling into poverty is increasing because of out-ofpocket spending in health, but the sector is still ignoring other payment methods such as pre-payment and co-payment, which are already in use in countries like Costa Rica and Chile,” she said.
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS28
Use of private Health Services Increases
“A good first step to improve equity is the recentralization of subsystems. This could put on equal ground the quality, infrastructure and services. It could also consider the specific needs of each region in the country, which are different and need a response that fits accordingly,” said
In the private sector, providers are increasingly relying on tech to increase access. “Tech has actually been an ally for the private sector to offer accessible, quality services for those in need,” said Andrés González-Silen, Executive p resident, Asistensi. Tech has improved admissibility processes that facilitate access to services and enable more efficient health models, which allow patients and doctors to connect in real-time without having to go to a clinic,” he said.
López called for stewardship and governance to expand equitable access and improve opportunities for medical professionals. “We do not meet the quota for doctors and nurses and despite the current efforts to recruit specialists, no one wants to work in rural areas because there is no security, supplies or support,” said López.
Embracing tech development in healthcare has been challenging in Mexico. Digitization has been advancing slowly but steadily and digital health solutions boomed in the market following the COVID-19 pandemic. While tech and health data provide uncountable benefits, there are also security risks that could threaten a patient’s wellbeing. Cybersecurity investments, regulation improvement and education for all actors involved will lead the industry to a proper, ethical and beneficial use of data, agreed experts.
“Data plays a key role in the future of healthcare. p atients must own their data. Owning our clinical history and sharing it with the physicians we consult brings many efficiencies, from better clinical studies and smaller costs to improved diagnosis and better care from healthcare professionals. In a larger scale, data helps researchers to reshape the healthcare system. However, it must be interconnected and secure,” said Alexandro Arias, partner Life Sciences and Health Care Leader, Deloitte.
of therapies and treatments for patients, powered by information technologies that enable seamless integration and communication between patients, providers, payers, researchers and health information depositories, as reported by MBN.
Digital health encompasses mobile health, health information technology (IT), wearable devices, telehealth, telemedicine and personalized medicine, according to the FDA: “From mobile medical apps and software that support the clinical decisions doctors make every day to artificial intelligence and machine learning, digital technology has been driving a revolution in health care.” Digital health systems lead to data-driven healthcare solutions for the individualized delivery
Data is collected by all industry players, including pharmacies, hospitals, insurers and private physicians, among others. “As a patient, I would like my data to be collected for research and beneficial purposes,” said Brenda Zetina, Territory Director, DataDog. Data goes beyond personalized medicine and better care, she added: “Companies use stateof-the-art technology for R&D that will benefit the entire sector. However, these companies must also invest in cybersecurity to protect the
Thedata.”cybersecurity
risks within health data are massive, so having the appropriate normative framework is crucial, said Claudia Del pozo, Executive Director, Eon Resilience Lab. Companies often see cybersecurity as an extra expense and tend to have different priorities, especially when going through difficult times, she added.
The management of personal data and the broad protection of it must comply with certain ethical and legal pillars, said Alejandro Luna, partner, Olivares: “Specificity takes us further. Companies and the public sector must comply with the law. There must be good faith and consideration for the rights of the individual as a person.”
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS29
CYBERSECURITY INVESTMENT, EDUCATION: KEYS FOR DATA PROTECTION
“The management of personal data and the broad protection of it must comply with certain ethical and legal Alejandropillars”LunaPartner|Olivares
Manager for North Latin America, IQVIA, told MBN that “we are completely lagging behind in establishing regulation that is transparent but at the same time contemplates all the necessary aspects involved.”
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS30
TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES MEDICAL EDUCATION BUT CAN CREATE GAPS
Despite the presence of digital health and data protection in different laws and norms, regulation can be the first hurdle when it comes to the introduction of new technologies in healthcare, according to other industry players. Mario Muniz, Regional General
As technology and digitization continue moving forward, all actors involved, from users/patients to institutions, doctors and insurers, must be aware of the importance of data privacy, said Arias: “It is all about education. Sometimes we normalize it and we do not read the small letters. All actors involved must be educated on data protection and cybersecurity.”
Luis Alonso Herrera, Director, INMEGEN. Technology has been used to support medical education and facilitate the acquisition of basic knowledge, the improvement of decision making, psychomotor skill and coordination, the enhancement of perceptual variation and the practice for critical events, among other skills.
physicians in training are easily adapting to this type of teaching because they are very fond of technology. The mission of academia is to provide them with the educational spaces offered by digital scenarios and the technological tools that they will need to serve patients. “Doctors need to start adopting tech during their residency to generate the necessary skills and exercise them in their whole career,” said Herrera. To keep promoting the use of technology by medical students, they ought to be encouraged to get involved in innovation as early as possible.
In Mexico, the General Health Law, the Federal Law of p ersonal Data p rotection, NOM004, 024 and 035 address digital health. “Mexico has a solid legal framework for the observance and protection of our personal data. It is considered as a human right within articles 6 and 16 of the Constitution. In addition, the country has signed several international treaties for good practices in biology and medicine,” said Luna.
Many educational institutions are prioritizing training in new technologies in their academic programs during the education of new health professionals. The use of digital technologies in medicine can reduce the access gaps, offer high quality processes and boost preventive medicine. However, digital education plans have to be homologated across universities so technology can reach everyone despite their Afterlocation.theCOVID-19
pandemic, education cannot be thought of separately from digital tools and technology. The educational sector was transformed across all disciplines and levels and medicine was not an exception. AI, virtual reality and other technologies are being used to improve medical learning.
“Technology needs to support the development of an easier way of learning and teaching in the health sector,” said
Emerging trends and solutions call for regulatory issues to be addressed, says the International Comparative Legal Guides (ICLG). In the US, these priorities include data privacy and compliance with the Health Insurance p ortability and Accountability Act (HI pAA), which other countries use as a model for regulation, such as Mexico.
“We must shift to a competency-based education model, specifically regarding digital competencies in health professionals to help them move from passive to active users. The scenario is very challenging but full of great possibilities. The obligation of training institutions is to generate these digital health skills,” said Jorge Valdéz García, Dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at TecSalud, Tecnológico de M onterrey.
Technology is also helping to pave the path toward preventive medicine, helping strengthen prevention of certain diseases, reducing mortality levels and hospital admissions, treating patients in a more personalized way and increasing adherence to treatments. Unfortunately, these advances are not reaching all the regions of the country equally.
“Technological developments are being developed in the country’s largest cities, affecting primary care as they cannot reach everywhere,” said Eliseo Ruiz, Founder, Med Congress.
Another danger lays in the creation of an educational gap, as not all universities are already offering tech education. “These technologies must be implemented in all medical schools because, if they are not, a very large disparity can be created and we are going to have generations of doctors with very different training,” said Herrera.
Likewise, teachers must continue to receive training on the emerging digital tools. “Health professionals have to be involved in this process to survive because there are specialties that are being threatened, such as radiology. AI is now part of imaging, which supports diagnosis. In the future, it will be possible for machines to provide a diagnosis. Adapting to technology is essential for survival,” said Agustín Zabulanes, Country Director, BSCI. p rofessionals often get acquainted with these new technologies through medical congresses, but these are commonly held in the central cities so the access to this information remains centralized.
All actors are committed to partake in the digitalization of medical education to achieve the ultimate goal: improving patient experience. “Digitization of medical services will improve follow-ups and will result in better care for patients,” said Ruiz. “We have to consider the digitization of pre-hospital care, hospital care and medical e ducation.”
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS31
The health sector relies on collaboration to successfully shift towards digitization. “Tech adoption is an interdisciplinary work that requires efforts from all actors in the sector,” said Gabriela Clavel, CEO, Abeile Med.
“Extracting added-value, however, is contingent on an institutional effort to make resulting medicines and Florenciaaccessible”treatmentDavel
are and should be tied with an ambition to foment accessibility to individualized care as a preventative mechanism. To accomplish this, industry leaders and public health professionals are looking to advance Mexico’s status as a producing country to one of innovation so that medicines can be adapted to the needs and reality of its Concertedpopulation.
Traversing the medical health industry is the overarching, collective goal to accelerate patient access to quality healthcare. To accomplish this, clinical research has, is and will continue to play a central, public role in its Mexico’srealization.investment in healthcare is about seven times higher than its investment in the aerospace industry and almost three times more than in the technology industry. Healthcare investments “have also generated direct employment for 93,000 people,” said Davel.
Industry leaders and public health figures aim to mold the future of Mexico’s healthcare system by improving the quality of manufacturing, the fluidity of supply chains and interoperability. All of these efforts
Clinical investigation in the last years has generated talent, direct and indirect employment and investment in clinical studies and research. Every dollar invested in clinical research generates four times the cost-savings for the medical system, according to multiple studies. In other words, clinical research alleviates pressure, both for Mexico’s medical system and for patients. “This established, I would like to make a call to action: Mexico needs to foment the development of a more robust clinical research sector,” s aid Davel.
Vice President for Latin America and General Manager of the Center of Excellence for Distributor Markets, Bristol Myers Squibb
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS32
financial investment towards clinical research has the potential to accelerate this ambition and, most importantly, help save or lengthen the lives of millions, which will have a direct impact on Mexico’s productive capacity and competitiveness. “Since the late 1940s to early 1950s, life expectancy has increased dramatically and if we want to continue augmenting it, clinical innovation accompanied by timely, individual treatments will be essential,” s aid Davel.
CLINICAL INNOVATION ONLY COUNTS IF ACCESSIBLE
The accelerated development of ‘miracle’ COVID-19 vaccines was a result of compounding advances in clinical research. Having bypassed the most acute phase of the pandemic, health institutions and laboratories are resuming or pursuing new areas of clinical research that stand to benefit from greater public investment, especially if Mexico wants to move away from production and towards “Extractingdevelopment.added-value, however, is contingent on an institutional effort to make resulting medicines and treatment accessible,” said Florencia Davel, Vice p resident for Latin America and General Manager of the Center of Excellence for Distributor Markets, Bristol Mye rs Squibb.
Bristol Myers Squibb puts forward some pillars to guide this next transformative phase in Mexico, starting with greater diversity and inclusion in clinical studies, which require the development of proper institutional mechanisms. The second is greater institutional coordination between all stakeholders in Mexico’s healthcare system. The third is building an ecosystem based on collaboration, which aims to harness and encourage the interdisciplinary collaboration known to produce more holi stic care.
“At Association of Entrepreneurs of Mexico (ASEM), we have found that the main challenge that we face as health entrepreneurs is access to financing sources,” said Juana Ramírez, CEO, Grupo SOHIN. “About 37 percent of entrepreneurs in Mexico have access to some type of financing, but only 3 percent of health companies have access to these financing tunities.”
Healthtech entrepreneurs should also consider that it may not be possible to fully automate all processes, explained Gabriel Garza, Co-Founder and Managing Director,
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS33
“About 37 percent of entrepreneurs in Mexico have access to some type of financing, but only 3 percent of health companies have access to these financing
There are also regulatory barriers. “Regulation is made to protect the patient, but there are many lags in technological understanding that delay the introduction of innovative tools such as genetic tests, telemedicine or electronic prescriptions,” said Ramírez. To accelerate development, the sector needs a faster regulator to address the value propositions that entrepreneurs have.
In health, processes to get to the market and scale up solutions take longer than in many other sectors such as fintech. These longer periods can make healthcare projects less attractive to investors, which consider health startups a high-credit risk, Ramírez said.
Entrepreneurs in healthcare face unique challenges when introducing their products into the market. While it is a journey with many challenges, a strong value proposition and reliable financing can help a new product or service succeed. But finding investors can be difficult for health startups.
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT: HOW TO SUCCEED IN THE HEALTH MARKET
Mexico’s low digital maturity is also a challenge, as there are products that have no market because people are unfamiliar with them despite their ability to solve problems, said Garza. Many niche products cannot be validated in the market, which also reduces feedback, he added. “Within this scenario, educating people and financing funds would be fundamental to scale our products in the market,” said Garza.
Due to their limited knowledge of the healthcare sector, some venture capital (VC) funds might fear that projects will not be profitable and sustainable. “However, we are now seeing more specific funds that invest in health,” said Javier Esquivel, Founder and General Manager, Saftu. This is greatly benefiting entrepreneurs and the funds themselves because they understand the timelines involved and plan their financial sustainability with this in mind, said Esquivel.
Juanaopportunities”RamírezCEO|GrupoSOHIN
DocTour: “In healthcare, not everything is automatable because person-to-person services must continue to exist. Thus, there needs to be a balance between traditional in-person and digital health models.”
“VCs must understand that in health there is no ‘fake it till you make it.’ Our solutions have to work and if they do not, there can be many legal and financial consequences,” Esquivel said. For that reason, most initial investors in health projects are often the friends and family of the entrepreneur. “Then, after you have validated your market, you can then go to specialized funds,” said Globally,Esquivel.there has been a record in investment for entrepreneurial projects, “but this is not reflected in Mexico and even less in health,” said Juan Camilo Garay, Team Leader, TuoTempo. As uncertainty permeates numerous productive sectors, “health will continue to be seen as a stable and safe sector in which it is possible to invest. Even if it is slow, it will be safe and sustainable,” said Garay.
Havingprograms.hospitals
“Mexico has large hospital chains and could become a hotbed for startups. Selling to a hospital here is difficult if you are not supported by others, but when they are already in a hospital, accessing other clients will be much faster,” said Esquivel.
PUBLIC-PRIVATE COLLABORATION FOSTERS, ACCELERATES INNOVATION
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS34
barriers that exist in healthcare and getting market expertise is easier when entrepreneurs work in a truly supportive ecosystem. “One person alone is not going to change the world, but if several come together and create a collaborative health community they might be able to,” said Garay.
Sinovac’s CoronaVac before WHO and became a point of reference in the region,” said Heriberto García Escorza, Director, p ublic Health Institute of Chile (IS p CH).
not ignore the power of data. “We have to democratize and make data interoperable. It should not remain as a hidden treasure because it does not belong to companies; it belongs to the patient more than to the institution,” said Garza. Through the exchange of information, startups can support the patient’s health journey across
“The healthcare ecosystem would not be complete without diversity,” said Andrea Arozamena, Healthcare Linkage Leader, GS1 México. Diversity comes hand in hand with inclusion. It involves gender, culture and race, among many other characteristics. It also involves diversity of ideas and behaviors. Knowing how to listen, share and integrate opinions is also essential, said TacklingArozamena.the
Innovation is the cornerstone of the healthcare industry but with today’s ultrafast proliferation of new technologies and therapies, governmental regulations are lagging behind and slowing down innovation. However, in certain countries, the COVID-19 pandemic opened the eyes of governments and regulatory agencies, which reinvented their processes and collaborated with academia and the private sector to accelerate processes and foster innovation.
Diversity and Inclusion: Keys to Healthcare
While CoronaVac studies were held in China, Turkey and Indonesia, Chile carried in-house clinical trials too, in collaboration with Sinovac and different universities that worked together with IS p CH to authorize the vaccine. Several countries in the region reached out to Chile to request its records, including Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico, aiming to leverage the work that IS p CH had already done to approve the CoronaVac vaccine.
Technology is becoming increasingly critical for entrepreneurs to succeed and many are investing in the development of apps, platforms, software, devices or treatments heavily based on technology, explained EntrepreneursRamírez.should
invest in their own solutions would also transform the entrepreneurial ecosystem, while also greatly benefiting patients. For example, many hospitals in the US work as seedbeds for startups, explained Esquivel. This way, hospitals become investors in startups, giving the latter a place to test their products. This also facilitates access to financing, he added.
“In May 2022, Sinovac began the construction of its first laboratory in Chile,
“The pandemic taught us the importance of facilitating processes to have a rapid response and access to vaccines. Chile was able to vaccinate a large percentage of its population thanks to the collaborative work between the private sector, public sector and our universities. Chile approved
Technology: An Entrepreneur’s Ally
“Strong markets, such as the US and the EU’s can produce for their own population. However, we must collaborate with all Latin American players to benefit the entire region,” sa id García.
In Mexico, regulation lags behind and does not enable a complete patient journey through telemedicine. E-prescriptions are yet to be fully regulated and play an essential role in the practice of telehealth. An e-prescription connects the activity of the physician with the activity of a pharmacy, allowing the latter to provide a product.
“E-prescriptions were an important innovation, allowing the e-commerce of medicines. Chile is one of the few countries with complete regulation in this regard. pharmacies must be authorized to sell online. In addition, Chile has a system managed by the Ministry of Health to have a complete telemedicine journey,” said García.
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS35
In this regard, Chile works closely with other regulatory agencies within the region to foster trust and reliance between them and accelerate approval processes.
Completing the Telemedicine patient Journey Through Regulation
While telemedicine and telehealth have been around for several years, the adoption of these technologies increased significantly during the pandemic. Lockdowns, social distancing and isolation have led patients to adapt to this practice at a faster speed. However, regulation in certain countries has not adapted that rapidly.
Chile has already worked on making telemedicine a reality through regulation.
Global efforts have reduced the necessary time for innovations to reach patients. The International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for p harmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH), of which Mexico’s COFE p RIS is a member, aims to achieve greater global harmonization to ensure that safe, effective and high-quality medicines are developed and registered in the most efficie nt manner.
aiming to start expanding in the Latin American region. The COVID-19 vaccine approval and the way it has been handled in Chile is a good example of positive publicprivate collaboration. The same happened with other industry players. We collaborated with them to provide our population with COVID-19 antigen tests through different alliances,” said García.
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS36
However, fake news spread faster than true news on social media mainly because of people, not bots. False information is up to 70 percent more likely to be retransmitted than true information.
The COVID-19 pandemic made visible the need to have fast science-based information as people started to believe and rely on fake information shared through social media. This was caused by the raise in the number of sources that were not entirely reliable. In early 2020, about 6,000 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19 misinformation, as reported by the WHO. The amount of information regarding SARS-CoV-2 was immense. For example, in March, 2020, 550 million tweets included the terms coronavirus, corona virus, covid19, covid-19, covid_19 or Evenpandemic.during the current post-pandemic times, the amount of fake health information shared across social media platforms continues to rise. “A study found that every three months, the available information on the internet triples, so not only is data reliability important but also is its quantity,” said Andrés Galofre, CEO and Co-Founde r, DocRed.
“About 70 percent of Mexicans today are internet users and their preferred sources of health-related information are social media, websites and apps. It is our job to find a way to make quality information available,” said Enrique Culebro, Founder and General Director, Central Media.
In social media, algorithms can choose the information that users get on these platforms, not necessarily the users themselves. “Algorithms in social media do not focus on spreading trustworthy information but on getting the user’s attention,” said Mijail Tapia Moreno, Founder, youTube Channel Dr. Mijail Tapia.
Internet use in Mexico has increased by 65.8 percent since 2018, as reported by INEGI. Mexicans use the internet mainly for entertainment, communication and to stay informed. The latter is mainly achieved through social media, as 87.8 percent of the population uses the internet to access these platforms. WhatsApp is the most used social media app in Mexico, followed by Facebook and Facebook Messenger. However, the information shared in social media is not always true and the spread of non-scientifically based health information poses a threat to the population.
Health professionals can also use social media as part of their medical practice. Nine out of 10 doctors report using social media for situations within their medical activity and five out of 10 doctors indicate that they have been influenced in their medical decisions by what they see on social networks, said Culebro.
“It is important to understand that the biggest challenge during an infodemic is to offer science-based information to the population,” said Carolina Gómez, Expert in ublic Health and Collaborator of Excélsior.
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS RELY ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO COUNTER FAKE NEWS
“It is important to understand that the biggest challenge during an infodemic is to offer science-based information to the ExpertCarolinapopulation”GómezinPublicHealthandCollaborator|Excélsior
The transformation of social media into an important medium of communication was accompanied by the overabundance of misleading and false health information, also known as the infodemic. To face this problem, health professionals are working to communicate reliable information in new formats through digital channels. However, it is imperative for the population to learn to discern between trustworthy sources and undependable ones.
“The more we educate the population to understand where the information comes from, the better control will be,” said Corpi. “Companies need to understand where and how the sector is moving to support health professionals with responsibility as their guiding principle,” he explained.
This scenario is transforming the relationship between the doctor and patient from a paternal one to one of common ground.
Experts agree that the health professionals and the industry in general do not have to fear change, but rather adapt to it and leverage the multiple benefits that technology offers. Moreover, the experience of previous infodemics ought to be used for societies to be prepared and resilient, especially in the current times as sanitary risks are increasing.
The information has to be created and shared according to the demographics of each social media in which news can be transmitted. TikTok is mainly used by people under 20 years old while WhatsApp and Facebook mostly used by people over 30 years old, according to Tapia. “We must understand the new formats and message codes. We have to shift to the use of short videos. The doctors have done an excellent job. It is easier for the Latin American doctor to give explanations through social networks.,” adde d Culebro
To face this, studies have shown that health agencies and professionals should increase their online presence to improve the quality of health information on social media and combat fake news sharing. “Doctors that learn and change the way they deliver information in a more didactic and accessible way will be the ones to capture the users’ attention,” said Culebro.
C ONFERENCE H IGHLIGHTS37
However, offering based scientific health information through social media will not end with the infodemic that boosts the popularization of fake news. Society has to be educated on how to search for information and determine its veracity.
“There is greater closeness with the independence of the patient,” said Francisco Corpi, Sales Director, Elsevier.
www.mexicobusiness.mx