Omri Shor, co-founder and CEO at Medisafe, asks: Do digital health tools have a long-term future in a post-pandemic world?
In so many discussions, pharma, partners, providers, and patients are all beginning to view the landscape in a post-COVID world. This view includes how new digital technology can continue to be leveraged for more advanced use beyond just a pandemic scenario.
Many players are looking to improve the levels of patient engagement in health journeys that became prevalent during the early days of the pandemic.
But can new tech tools help to maintain that connectedness between patients and providers when outside traditional healthcare settings? Can we expect patients to continue to stay engaged in their health outside of a pandemic scenario?
Many partners are betting that new engagement tools can help to create new insights and pathways to support the long-term journey. Here’s hoping that the bright spots that emerged during the pandemic’s early days continue to shape the future of the healthcare industry.
The future of telehealth
One of the standout achievements during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic was the accelerated use of telehealth services. As traditional healthcare settings became restricted or closed for patients, traditional healthcare quickly pivoted to telehealth use.
Even CMS granted telehealth permissions to allow the use of telehealth as an acceptable and reimbursable form of healthcare delivery.
This adoption enabled patients to connect with providers in various parts of the healthcare continuum, not just general medicine; and the advanced connectivity of telehealth allowed providers to reach patients in remote areas who may otherwise be unable to connect with physicians.
While pandemic restrictions have since eased, telehealth continues to support a greater relationship between patients and providers by removing physical barriers to care.
No longer do patients have to weigh their concern for a medical issue against the time commitment to travel to a physical medical office.
Many providers continue to embrace a telehealth hybrid model where patient visits are initially conducted in-person, and virtual visits are used to support follow-up care/longitudinal care.
This allows greater utilisation of both the provider and patient schedule, and more flexibility for timelines and terms to meet patient needs.
The advancements in remote patient monitoring
New digital health tools also became an important lifeline to connect patients to providers and their own health during the early lockdown phases.
Data shows that more patients turned to wearables, smartphone apps, and tracking devices to monitor and measure their own key health figures when traditional health systems were unavailable.
This wealth of patient health data led to new advancements that allow for a more connected ecosystem, capturing patient information to compile a greater view of patient health and predictions for future health risk.
Physicians and major health systems are now adopting more remote patient monitoring via wearable and smartphone technology to stay connected to patients, and support timely interventions to help reduce serious health risks.
Tech giants such as Amazon and Apple updated and launched new in-home systems to monitor patient health through advanced connectivity via digital health devices.
This adoption of devices and its connectivity present a future where digital systems can capture early indications of a serious health crisis, implement interventions, notify the appropriate health personnel, and allow for prompt action to prevent major health risks.
Digital health devices are even being used to detect early signs of a future pandemic, should we be faced with a similar crisis again.
The patient-centric approach to health
Throughout the pandemic, we saw more consideration of the greater elements that can impact a patient’s health – beyond just access to traditional health settings.
In cities and states across the country, there was greater recognition of patients’ settings that could impact their health risks to help protect those most at risk (e.g. multi-gen family, limited income for prescriptions, mobility issues, etc.).
This personalisation of care resulted in a greater coordination of local resources that helped to ensure care was available to help those in need amid lockdowns and limited access to care.
As we look ahead to the future of healthcare, more patients want that same level of compassionate consideration from health practitioners.
Regardless of a global pandemic, many patients continue to have challenges in accessing traditional care channels and are pushing to extend the same level of outreach to ensure care coordination.
Some of that work is being achieved with patient data and feedback to create personalised care plans for patients based on what works for each individual.
Insurers and payers are recognising that tailored care plans and roadblocks are different for each patient, and what motivates one may not be helpful for another.
The employer’s role in patient health
During the early days of the pandemic, employers were among the first to cover healthcare costs, extend paid leave, and support testing and care for employees diagnosed with COVID.
Recognising that 49 per cent of patients in the US receive healthcare coverage through an employer, many employers stepped up to protect the health of their workforce by shifting to remote work (where possible), implementing stronger public health practices, and implementing alternate schedules to reduce risk.
As we look ahead to a ‘new normal’ where hybrid work schedules and remote positions become the norm, employees returning to the workforce want to see employers maintain their position in advocating for the health of their employees.
This includes coverage for better physical and mental health services for employees, coverage for major health issues and costly services, and a ‘whole health’ approach to benefit the general health and safety of employees.
While employers showed their commitment to employees in the early days of the pandemic, that continued dedication is needed to protect the health of individuals and maintain a strong economic future.
