From Discovery to Delivery: The Economic Value of Accelerating Healthcare Innovations

Health leaders showcase how Houston's healthcare system is leveraging scientific innovations to attract investment and grow its workforce, highlighting the critical role of AI and the economic value of brain health. To keep progress moving forward, experts recommend integrating public health and clinical systems, aligning economic incentives for preventative care, and using AI and digital technologies to accelerate research and improve diagnostics.

Discussants: 

• Jochen Reiser, MD, PhD, President, The University of Texas Medical Branch; CEO, UTMB Health System; Professor, John Sealy School of Medicine; John D. Stobo, MD, Distinguished Chair – Moderator

• Phyllis Barkman Ferrell, DrPH, MBA, Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative

• Timothy Lash, President, West Health Institute  

• Giulio Taglialatela, PhD, Lawrence J. Del Papa Distinguished Chair in Neurodegenerative Disease Research; Vice President of Brain Health, UTMB; Director, Moody Brain Health Institute

• Andrew Trister, MD, PhD, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer, Verily

This session focused on how the healthcare system, particularly in Houston, is leveraging scientific innovations to attract investment and grow the workforce, benefiting both the economy and global health. Dr. Jochen Reiser, moderator and President of UTMB, emphasized the transformative moment in healthcare driven by AI and the growing recognition of the economic value of brain health. Panelists included Dr. Phyllis Barkman Ferrell of the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative, Timothy Lash from West Health Institute, Dr. Guilio Taglialatela, Director of the Moody Brain Health Institute at UTMB, and Dr. Andrew Trister, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer for Verily. Dr. Ferrell shared her personal and professional journey in Alzheimer's drug development and her work to bridge the gap between multinational successes and bedside patient care. Mr. Lash highlighted the global rebalancing of healthcare, with brain health and primary care at its center, emphasizing the need for integrated systems and addressing the lack of procedural pull-throughs for brain health solutions.

Dr. Taglialatela discussed scalable solutions for mental and neurological health, particularly the use of AI-driven "patient virtual twins" to accelerate drug testing and overcome bottlenecks in chronic disease clinical trials, potentially on a global scale. Dr. Trister reinforced the challenge of slow progress due to a lack of good surrogate markers and the need for more proactive health systems leveraging ubiquitous computing devices and wearables for continuous cognitive assessment. The discussion also addressed barriers to achieving lower cost and higher quality health interventions, including the fragmentation of public health and clinical medical systems, misaligned incentives for healthcare providers, and the slow adoption of preventative measures despite compelling evidence. The panelists underscored the economic benefits of investing in early brain health and prevention, citing Texas's DPRIT program as a promising example.

Recommendations:

• Integrate public health and clinical medical systems to facilitate a more cohesive approach to brain health, drawing lessons from countries with integrated models.

• Align economic incentives for healthcare providers to prioritize preventative measures and early detection of brain health conditions, rather than solely procedure-based treatments.

• Leverage AI and digital technologies, including patient virtual twins and wearable devices, to accelerate research, improve diagnostics, and enable high-throughput screening for chronic diseases.

• Invest in the development and validation of new, scalable biomarkers and cognitive assessments that can be used earlier in the lifespan, potentially even before age 50, to enable proactive interventions and prevention.

• Address health equity divides in access to preventative technologies and lifestyle interventions by integrating them into public health plans and ensuring broader reimbursement.

• Promote stability in healthcare payment models and introduce dual-sided risk to motivate investments in preventative and integrated care.

• Emphasize the long-term economic benefits of investing in brain health, including increased workforce productivity and reduced healthcare costs.

• Streamline regulatory processes to facilitate earlier access to clinical studies and innovation in brain health, balancing safety and efficacy with the urgent need for breakthroughs.

Next Steps:

• Support the upcoming ballot initiative, DPRIT, to secure its funding and establishment.

• Encourage collaboration between scientists, clinicians, policymakers, and industry leaders to drive meaningful change in the healthcare system.

• Advocate for policy changes that align with current scientific understanding, such as revising the USPSTF recommendations to include regular cognitive assessments for individuals over 65.

• Continue discussions and partnerships to bridge the gap between innovation and widespread delivery of brain health solutions.