As we fast approach the end of a year which has seen every industry struggling, it’s time to reflect on what we have learnt in healthcare and what to carry forward into 2021.
There’s no question that the healthcare sector has been hit hard this year. The need to treat an influx of virus cases, whilst still maintaining other essential services, has put unimaginable strain on a system which we all rely on. However, the need to deal with this strain has had an unexpected outcome; the acceleration of innovative services and technologies.
When the pandemic hit, healthtech stepped up. The delivery of remote care became a top priority and, as such, modern concepts like telehealth services boomed in popularity.
As we look towards a new year, it’s likely that healthtech will continue to act as an enabler, making essential services more accessible and decreasing some of the pressure placed upon medical professionals. In light of this, we spoke to several experts in the healthtech space to find out more about what they think next year will bring:
Justin Hall, VP & GM EMEA, iRhythm Technologies
We will witness an acceleration in AI-driven tech
“Compared to recent years, 2020 has seen some of the most promising developments for the wide-spread adoption of modern, AI-driven solutions across the health service. From reducing the number of patient appointments, to improving the detection and diagnosis of serious medical conditions, the advanced potential of such innovations is finally being realised.
“In 2021, we will see even greater emphasis around the role these intelligent technologies will play in the future of healthcare. Clinically validated AI-solutions – particularly those which have the potential to swiftly address genuine problems and needs across the health service – will receive greater funding. In turn, modern technologies will be evaluated and trialled a lot quicker, helping to bring AI solutions to more people and speeding up the path to wide-spread adoption.”
Tracey Lethbridge, head of UK public sector at OpenText
Data will become key to delivering higher quality patient care
“This time last year, no one could have predicted just how challenging 2020 would be, especially for our healthcare sector. More overstretched than ever before, the NHS has undoubtedly been at the forefront of fighting the COVID-19 crisis. In some areas, the need to adapt in order to contain and control the virus has resulted in much needed innovation. For example, a need for patients to access the medical advice and treatments they require whilst staying at home has led to a rise in telemedicine.
“However, with new models of care emerging and evolving all the time, it’s become increasingly clear that the NHS will need to continue adopting more effective ways to manage and share data between organisations, geographies, systems and individuals. Through the creation of a ‘one patient, one record’ environment, NHS clinicians will be able to access the necessary information more easily – regardless of where it is or what form it is in – to more effectively commission and monitor services that reflect patients’ needs. Lack of a uniform digital approach to information management can lead to delayed treatments, increased waiting times and overworked healthcare professionals. Most importantly, without accurate and accessible data at the point of care, a patient’s life could even be on the line.
“Ultimately, accurate and timely patient data is at the heart of delivering high quality care, both during and after the current pandemic. In order to achieve patient-centricity, healthcare organisations will need to create a complete view and understanding of the patient. This requires being able to take data from any source and deploy it effectively within operations. As such, we anticipate a far greater focus on interoperable data platforms in 2021, enabling healthcare organisations to gather all data from people, systems and devices to establish a complete view of the patient and improve patient care as a result.”
John Phillips, General Manager, EMEA at Zuora
Monetisation will enables the explosion of telehealth services
Telehealth services proved an essential tool this year, enabling healthcare providers to continue to deliver treatment and improve patient outcomes remotely, becoming a lifeline for many. By monetising with a usage or recurring subscription-model, digital telehealth businesses benefit from on-going data collection and feedback to improve patient services and even personalise them. In 2021 we expect the healthcare industry to heat up more as the “patient experience” becomes a competitive advantage.
Dr. Jason Lee, director of The Open Group Healthcare Forum
Accurate and secure information sharing will be key to enable mass vaccination roll-out
“The sharing of accurate, meaningful, and secure health information among many diverse public and private sector organisations will be vital for enabling countries to roll out COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Plans in 2021. This means we’ll see requirements for health information interoperability extend well beyond traditional concerns around compatibility between electronic health records used by healthcare systems and providers.
“A common monitoring system for immunisation information must be agreed by key vaccine distribution and administration organisations – and on-boarding and training programs must be provided. This way, countries across the world will be able to successfully vaccinate hundreds of millions of citizens.
“Crucially, the agreed monitoring system must be based on common terminology. This will allow it to track vaccine supply, identify who receives recommended doses of vaccine, design key communication outreach to subpopulations, and collect and analyse safety and efficacy data via pharmacovigilance surveillance.
“Open standards are key for meeting these needs, which is why The Open Group is developing a Mass Vaccination Plan standard early next year. This will be globally relevant and identify the core capabilities needed to ensure that populations receive a safe and effective vaccine.”
Diana Nole, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Healthcare at Nuance Communications
There will be broader and deeper support for telehealth services
“While telehealth skyrocketed in response to the realities of COVID-19, we will continue to see utilisation expand because it enables increased and more flexible access to healthcare services. As we build on the acceptance of telehealth among patients, providers, health systems, and payers in 2020, there will be a stronger focus on the digital patient experience and provider satisfaction.
“For example, what does a virtual waiting room look like, how do patients interact with nurses and share their medical history, and how will physicians get seamless access to patient records, take clinical notes, and interact with remote patients? Effectively addressing those questions will require deeper system integrations and information-sharing across healthcare provider and payer networks to drive better patient and clinician experiences.”