The human arsenal might be wholly expansive in its nature, but if we are being honest, it doesn’t have anything more valuable than our tendency to grow on a consistent basis. This tendency, in particular, has allowed us to hit upon some huge milestones, with technology appearing as a major member of the stated squad. The reason why technology enjoys such an esteemed stature among people is largely down to its core set of offerings that were unique enough to usher us towards a completely new reality. Nevertheless, a closer look would reveal how the whole runner was also predicated upon the way we applied those offerings across a real-world setting. The latter component was, in fact, what gave the creation a spectrum-wide presence, including a well-timed appearance on our healthcare block. Technology’s linkup with healthcare was so in perfect in regards to the timing because it came right when the sector was beginning to struggle against its own obsolete structure. Fortunately for us, this reality was overhauled big time under the new regime, but even after achieving such a monumental feat, the new medtech concept will somehow continue to produce all the right goods. The same has turned more and more evident on the back of our recent progression, and a newly-formed partnership should only bolster its prospects moving forward.
Carrum Health, a value-based platform connecting employers and employees to Centers of Excellence (COE), has officially signed off on a partnership with GRAIL to provide the latter’s cancer detection capabilities as a benefit to self-insured employers. You see, cancer has overtaken musculoskeletal conditions as the leading condition driving up employers’ healthcare costs, so having an avenue to curb that risk is really the need of the hour. Enter GRAIL’s Galleri multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test, which is designed to detect cancer early on, while also covering more than 50 iterations of the condition. Talk about the Galleri test, it is taken through a blood sample and looks for signals of cancer in DNA. Interestingly, the test uses advanced genomics and machine learning to determine the origin of the signal, something that helps in having a more precise eventual diagnosis. But can we trust its judgment? Well, according to a clinical study conducted by PATHFINDER, the Galleri MCD test was able to trace the origin of a cancer signal with 97% accuracy. A fact worth noting here is how almost half of these cases were related to stage I and II cancers, therefore giving us a clear view of the test’s ability to detect relevant signals early on. Apart from it, we must also acknowledge that 71% of the participants had cancer types which don’t even have routine screening tests available. However, the test, at the moment, should be considered more as an additional support for the existing screenings rather than a clear-cut replacement.
Under the agreed structure of the partnership, members who get a cancer signal from the test in question will have access to one of Carrum Health’s COE. Here, they are going to be paired with a personal patient care specialist who will handle all administrative aspects of the program and guide the member throughout their entire journey. During the whole treatment, the patient and their specialist will also be able to rely on COE’s wider expertise and resources, including an oncology-certified nurse and remote support services. The idea is, of course, to create a healthcare experience that is mindful about each and every individual, thus giving them a fair chance to make full recovery.
“In developing Carrum’s comprehensive oncology offering we’ve carefully selected partners who share in our mission to tackle both the rising costs of cancer care and solutions that vastly improve the patient experience,” said Sach Jain, CEO and founder of Carrum Health. “GRAIL’s early cancer detection test is a critical component in a comprehensive oncology offering and we’re thrilled to extend this benefit to Carrum members.”
