Health disparities and bias in clinical research cost Europe 1.4% of GDP every year

The lack of equitable health care it doesn’t just depend on wealth. During the pandemic in the United States, for example, pulse oximeters overestimated blood oxygen saturation in Asian, African American and Hispanic patients, delaying their care. Even the androcentric approach of medicine, which has lasted for centuries, would allow for many examples. One above all: many patients have reported infections and pain after the application of mesh implants used in urogynecological surgery, because they were never subjected to clinical studies on women. An emblematic case because it is paradoxical, given that the only age-old differences between male and female health that medicine has limited itself to accepting concern precisely the reproductive and gynecological aspects of women’s bodies.

In general, research and it development of medical devices they tend to neglect a large portion of the world’s population. It so happens that treatments are less effective or are not welcomed by the communities for which they are designed, because they were developed on samples that are not representative of gender, genetic, phenotypic, cultural and economic diversity. Accessibility to treatment is still denied in many places around the world. We saw this again during the pandemic, when in 2023, despite 75% of the population living in low- and middle-income countries, only 35% of Covid tests were administered in these countries.

The cost in Europe

All this has high costs. Among the easiest ones to calculate, the economical cost. Europe spends because of health inequalities approximately 1.4% of GDP each year. Almost as much as the entire cost of EU defense spending (1.6% of GDP). As he explains Alessandra Catozzella, Partner of Boston Consulting Group: “Among the factors that generate disparities are the socioeconomic conditions of patients, but also the lack of healthcare facilities in some areas, as well as the quality of medical care. The problem exists and has significant impacts on the incidence of diseases and life expectancy of the population.” L’Italy is not exempt from territorial disparities: “The health gaps by area of ​​residence are persistent and not only between Northern and Southern regions, but also within the same region, for example in rural areas”.

The medtech perspective

The good news is that, according to Bcg’s Making Medtech More Equitable analysis, in the world ofhealthcare awareness on the topic has grown. 98% of leadership surveyed say they understand the impact their business can have on health inequities, while 90% say they already have formal business plans to address them. The bad news is that there are still limitations to the execution of these plans. Among the obstacles blocking investments are the presence of “more immediate priorities” and the “lack of a business case”.

“Beyond regulatory requirements and the increasingly numerous reports and indicators required, I believe there is no better way to measure sustainability than ensuring equitable access to care, which is measured in the number of people who have access to drugs, vaccines and treatments of quality, as well as in the reduction of adverse reactions, complications and avoidable deaths linked to bias (gender or ethnicity) in clinical and pharmacological research”, concludes Catozzella.