The Missing Piece – Why are we not funding these tests to reduce pregnancy risk?
“If I had access to a test that could predict my risk for pre-eclampsia I could have prevented a life-threatening situation for me and for my baby” – Sarah, pre-eclampsia survivor.
Sarah spent a week in hospital with dangerously high blood pressure before her body finally went into seizure and she was rushed into an emergency C-section.
Sarah and her pre-term baby now face life-long health complications.
Up to 1 in 20 pregnant women are at risk of PE, with 1 in 100 of those women experiencing serious complications.
PE is the leading cause of death for pregnant women and their babies. PE also impacts foetal development, ongoing health of mother and baby, and increases the risk of pre-term birth.
Testing to more accurately identify pregnant women at risk of developing pre-eclampsia (PE) was cleared by the TGA over 12 years ago. Information from these tests can inform preventative measures and assist in the diagnosis of PE later in pregnancy.
These simple blood tests are considered standard of care in many countries, yet the Medical Services Advisory Council rejected the application from experienced gynaecologists to fund these tests, which means Australian women are missing out. In fact, new data shows diagnostics face long delays navigating the health technology assessment process, with over a third requiring resubmission and over 20% never achieving funding.
The personal costs of PE can be devastating, but it is also placing undue burden on our healthcare system. Health economic data determined if the PE ratio test had been made available one year post TGA registration in 2011, it could have led to Government savings of over $235.3 MILLION from reduced hospital costs alone over a period of 12 years.
Hear Sarah’s story as she struggled to advocate for the care she needed for herself and her baby.
Visit https://missingpiece.health/ and join us to champion investment in the preventative care that saves lives, saves money, and provides people like Sarah with the best care possible.