TRANSPERS Update: Research on Payer Decision-Making & Patient-Centered Genomics

Letter from Center Director

Dear Colleagues,

Spring has arrived and so has our latest update on TRANSPERS activities! This newsletter highlights recent publications by our team members on payer decision-making in cancer genomics and incorporating patient preferences into health economic models. We're also excited to share our team's participation in several key scientific meetings addressing genomics, artificial intelligence, and publication practices. Plus, we welcome our newest team member!

Do you have an announcement you would like to see in our next newsletter? Let us know!

Best,

Kathryn

TRANSPERS Publication Describes Payer Considerations for New Tests for Alzheimer's Disease 

A new study by TRANSPERS authors published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease highlights the potential of blood-based biomarker tests (BBMTs) for Alzheimer's disease but points to barriers in payer coverage. Experts emphasize the need to demonstrate clinical utility and address evidence gaps to ensure these tests are accessible to all patients. The research underscores the importance of strategic planning for coverage and reimbursement to facilitate timely patient access to innovative diagnostic tools.

New Research Identifies Ethical Challenges in Financial Assistance Programs for Genetic Testing

A recent publication in Genetics in Medicine by TRANSPERS researchers examines the complex landscape of financial assistance programs (FAPs) for genetic testing. The paper identifies key challenges facing these programs, including access issues, administrative barriers, privacy concerns, and sustainability risks. The authors call for standardized eligibility criteria, improved transparency, sustainable funding models, and better outcome tracking to ensure these programs are available to different population groups.

Study Reveals Insights on Payer Decision-Making in Cancer Genomics Implementation

A study by TRANSPERS authors published in JCO Precision Oncology examines critical factors in payer decision-making processes for implementing cancer genomics. By interviewing both payers and other experts, the study identifies key considerations that influence coverage determinations and highlights opportunities for improving equitable access to these technologies.

Collaborators Advance Methods for Incorporating Patient Preferences into Health Economic Models

TRANSPERS colleagues published a methodological paper in Applied Health Economics and Health Policy that presents innovative approaches to incorporating patient preferences into health economic models, potentially transforming how value assessments are conducted. This work emphasizes the importance of patient-centered perspectives in healthcare decision-making and builds on TRANSPERS's commitment to developing evidence for appropriately assessing the value of new healthcare services.

TRANSPERS Participates in Scientific Meetings on Genetics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Publications

Emily Mrig presented at the 2025 ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) Training Meeting on her work "Participants' Experiences with and Perspectives on Genomic Research in an Undiagnosed Disease Program."

 

Seema Saharan and Emily Mrig presented a poster titled "Leveraging AI to Uncover Hidden Payment Pathways: A Novel Approach to Understanding Precision Medicine Access Disparities" at the recent UCSF Research AI Day.

 

 

Kathryn Phillips was delighted to attend the National Academies of Science Journal Summit on scientific publication and the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s Roundtable on Genomics and Precision Health in Washington, DC, where she enjoyed seeing the cherry tree blossoms.

 

 

TRANSPERS Researchers to Present at Upcoming Health Economics and Policy Conferences

Jeroen Jansen will teach and present at ISPOR 2025 in May, continuing his contributions to health economics methodologies and cost-effectiveness analysis.

Join Grace Lin at the Academy Health’s 2025 Annual Research Meeting where she’ll share findings from the TRANSPERS Independent Medical Review project that examines access to genomic testing through insurance appeal processes.

New Journal Series by ICER Addresses Value Assessment in Health Care Services

TRANSPERS has focused for many years on developing the needed evidence for appropriately assessing the value of new healthcare services. We are thus eager to share information on a new paper series in the journal Health Affairs Scholar: Emerging and Global Health Policy. The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) will contribute papers on "Insights from ICER: Drug Policy and Beyond." The inaugural paper focuses on the role of patient engagement.

ICER is an independent non-profit research organization that evaluates the evidence on the clinical and economic value of prescription drugs, medical tests, devices, and health system delivery innovations. Given that ICER's work is widely disseminated and influential in policy decisions, we encourage our readers to check out this new series!

TRANSPERS Welcomes Seema Saharan, PhD, as Postdoctoral Scholar

The UCSF Department of Clinical Pharmacy and TRANSPERS welcome Seema Saharan, PhD, as our newest Postdoctoral Scholar. Dr. Saharan has a PhD in Statistics focused on data science and specializes in multi-modality big data analytics, state-of-the-art AI techniques, advanced statistical modeling, and teaching. We look forward to her contributions to our ongoing research initiatives.