Bill Overview
Title: Promoting ACCESS to Diagnostics Act
Description: This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support the development of medical products and diagnostic tests for emerging infectious diseases. Specifically, HHS must develop policies and procedures governing access by public and private entities to samples of pathogens (or suitable surrogates). The samples may be used for preparedness and response activities, developing medical products for emerging infectious diseases, and similar purposes. Additionally, HHS may contract with public and private entities to increase the capacity to rapidly develop, validate, and disseminate diagnostic tests to health departments and other entities to respond to emerging infectious diseases with significant potential to cause a public health emergency.
Sponsors: Sen. Braun, Mike [R-IN]
Target Audience
Population: People impacted by emerging infectious diseases
Estimated Size: 330000000
- The bill involves the Department of Health and Human Services and aims to support the development of diagnostic tests for emerging infectious diseases, which is relevant globally as infectious diseases can spread across borders and affect any population.
- The directive to develop policies for accessing pathogen samples implies that the target population includes researchers and scientists involved in diagnostics and medical product development, a group present in both the U.S. and globally.
- The focus on preparedness and response activities will benefit healthcare providers by enabling them to better respond to infectious disease outbreaks, which affects healthcare systems worldwide.
- Improving the capacity to develop and distribute diagnostic tests rapidly is aimed at public health systems, potentially affecting entire populations through better disease management and outcomes.
Reasoning
- The policy is primarily targeting healthcare and research sectors, which though small in comparison to the overall U.S. population, can have significant influence on public health outcomes.
- Healthcare providers, public health officials, researchers, and those directly involved in diagnostics are most likely to experience noticeable impacts, particularly in terms of job satisfaction, productivity, and effectiveness.
- For the general population, the impacts are indirect but still valuable, primarily through enhanced public health safety and potentially quicker responses to infectious disease outbreaks.
Simulated Interviews
Biomedical Researcher (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The ability to access pathogen samples more readily would significantly expedite our research processes.
- Overall, this policy could greatly enhance our preparedness for future outbreaks.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Healthcare Worker (Raleigh, NC)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Better diagnostic tools will improve our response times in the ER and potentially save lives.
- It's crucial to have quicker validation processes for diagnostic tests.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Retired (Des Moines, IA)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Improved diagnostics could mean earlier detection and treatment for vulnerable populations like myself.
- It provides peace of mind knowing our health systems are better equipped.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Public Health Official (Boston, MA)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy is a step forward in strengthening our local health infrastructure.
- Rapid diagnostics are essential for effective epidemic management.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Teacher (Chicago, IL)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- More effective diagnostics could help prevent disease spread in schools.
- Parents would feel more secure sending their kids to school during outbreaks.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Freelance Journalist (Miami, FL)
Age: 31 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It’s important to keep public informed about advancements in health policies.
- The policy can provide more accurate stories about health preparedness.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Graduate Student in Epidemiology (Houston, TX)
Age: 23 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to pathogen samples is critical for my research and future work.
- This policy could open up new opportunities for young researchers like me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Nurse Manager (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 47 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Efficient diagnostics are essential for our hospital to handle patient surges during outbreaks.
- I'm hopeful this policy will ease some of the strains experienced in past outbreaks.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Public Health Policy Advisor (New York, NY)
Age: 62 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Policies like this are vital in modern public health planning.
- Potential to positively reshape local and national health responses.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Small Business Owner (Denver, CO)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Assured public health responses can sustain consumer confidence in local businesses.
- Policy emphasizes community's overall health, indirectly supporting businesses.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 2: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 3: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 5: $55000000 (Low: $45000000, High: $65000000)
Year 10: $60000000 (Low: $50000000, High: $70000000)
Year 100: $100000000 (Low: $80000000, High: $120000000)
Key Considerations
- The scale of funding availability and fiscal flexibility within HHS to manage this initiative is crucial for its successful implementation.
- The adaptability of policies and processes for accessing pathogen samples is vital to ensure timely and efficient public health responses.
- Collaboration between public and private sectors will be essential for expanding diagnostic capacity and ensuring robust preparedness frameworks.