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- For the well-off, or those with healthcare insurance, the system delivers the highest levels of care, yet over 45 Million Americans are without health insurance, and these numbers are increasing steadily.
- America spends more, on an absolute and relative basis, for healthcare than any other nation in the world-nearly twice as much as the OECD average-yet trails in common outcome measures such as life expectancy and infant mortality rates.
- In 2002, the top 10 pharmaceutical companies realized a combined profit of $36B; the next 490 companies in the Fortune 500 had a total profit of $33B.
- While medical technologies continue to advance, so does the cost of US healthcare, outstripping income growth by an average of 2.5%/year.
Globally, most of the major economies are struggling with issues of access, affordability and quality of care, especially given the transnational trends of aging populations and increasing longevity. Also, in the coming years, the convergence of genomics, proteomics, stem cell research, regenerative medicine, bioinformatics, nanotechnology and other life science technologies will pose significant opportunities and challenges in every sector of society.
Over the past decade, Decision Strategies International (DSI) has produced several extensive studies and reports on macro and micro trends such as these within Life Sciences. This past year, in collaboration with the Mack Center for Technological Innovation of Wharton, DSI issued The Future of BioSciences: Four Scenarios for 2020 and Their Implications for Human Healthcare.
In addition, DSI consults with a number of the major life science clients. Recent engagements included:
- A "Future of Nursing" scenario planning effort for a major tertiary care provider;
- An analysis of R&D "innovation" for a major consumer products company;
- A new business opportunity study for an international company expanding their presence in the life sciences space;
- A new business direction/visioning effort for a major tertiary-care provider;
- A scenario planning effort for a leading Medical Device non-profit;
- A business simulation, tied to on-going market intelligence efforts (through our strategic action radar) for a major pharmaceutical company in helping prepare them for a significant new product launch; and,
- A disease management opportunities analyses for a major pharmaceutical company.
DSI offers, both independently and through its affiliation with The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, a variety of executive education programs to life science companies. These programs include workshops on critical thinking, strategic planning, assessing strategic direction, the future of BioSciences and innovation. In part, these are intended as leadership development programs for high potential managers and executives.
Besides producing scenario reports, consulting engagements and the executive education programs, DSI offers an array of software tools for its life science clients. Strategic Radar is a strategic monitoring service that allows clients to track the external environment, the market place and their selected Key Success Factors in "real time." In addition, DSI has developed Business Simulation ("War Game") and related scenario-based computer simulations. We offer these systems dynamic simulation capabilities in both an educational and customized company version. Clients use these simulations to "stress test" their existing strategies as well as sensitize a multi-disciplinary company team to the crucial linkages between strategy, tactics and operations.
Learn more about the The Future of BioSciences report, or purchase a copy of the report here.