TY - JOUR

T1 - Personalised medicine and the state

T2 - A political discourse analysis

AU - Burau, Viola

AU - Nissen, Nina Konstantin

AU - Terkildsen, Morten Deleuran

AU - Væggemose, Ulla

PY - 2021/1

Y1 - 2021/1

N2 - The last decade has seen a range of health policy initiatives relating to personalised medicine. There is an emerging body of studies that demonstrates the continued importance of states in the development of personalised medicine. This paper contributes to this literature by focusing on how political discourses construct the role of states in personalised medicine. Based on a case study of the introduction of a national programme in Denmark, the analysis identifies specific discursive mechanisms in this construction. The material consists of documents from key national stakeholders, media coverage and interviews with experts at the national level. The analysis found three types of discursive mechanisms. Firstly, mechanisms can relate to problem definitions, and these were concerned with a number of salient problems of health services. Secondly, mechanisms can relate to underlying assumptions, and these were about the possibility of engineering healthcare improvement through data and by extension personalised medicine. Thirdly, mechanisms can relate to discursive effects, and here the state emerged as a highly influential governor. These mechanisms are likely to be highly relevant for other countries, but future research needs to test this. Health policy practitioners and health administrators thus need to invest effort into influencing political discourses around personalised medicines, in addition to the formulation of policies itself.

AB - The last decade has seen a range of health policy initiatives relating to personalised medicine. There is an emerging body of studies that demonstrates the continued importance of states in the development of personalised medicine. This paper contributes to this literature by focusing on how political discourses construct the role of states in personalised medicine. Based on a case study of the introduction of a national programme in Denmark, the analysis identifies specific discursive mechanisms in this construction. The material consists of documents from key national stakeholders, media coverage and interviews with experts at the national level. The analysis found three types of discursive mechanisms. Firstly, mechanisms can relate to problem definitions, and these were concerned with a number of salient problems of health services. Secondly, mechanisms can relate to underlying assumptions, and these were about the possibility of engineering healthcare improvement through data and by extension personalised medicine. Thirdly, mechanisms can relate to discursive effects, and here the state emerged as a highly influential governor. These mechanisms are likely to be highly relevant for other countries, but future research needs to test this. Health policy practitioners and health administrators thus need to invest effort into influencing political discourses around personalised medicines, in addition to the formulation of policies itself.

KW - Denmark

KW - Personalised medicine

KW - Political discourse

KW - State

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85095592507&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.healthpol.2020.10.005

DO - 10.1016/j.healthpol.2020.10.005

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 33158608

VL - 125

SP - 122

EP - 129

JO - Health Policy

JF - Health Policy

SN - 0168-8510

IS - 1

ER -