Easier access to information, the availability of low-cost technologies, and the involvement of educated healthcare consumers are creating opportunities for innovation. However, the healthcare industry has struggled to keep patients at the center of care.

Too often, patients with mild conditions see them become more severe, requiring more costly care. But advancements in technology have the potential to change that.

Scaling Patient Engagement for Value

“With data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, these digital platforms can now predict [worsening conditions], and then physicians can prescribe the right tests to see where patients are in their journey,” says Timon LeDain, Vice President of Customer Solutions at Emids.

Meaningful algorithms are applied to collected data to help predict certain outcomes associated with end-users, streamlining the digital transformation journey that some companies are on.

“This gives a more holistic view of the end-users or patients,” LeDain continues. “Consider a company that makes a physical device that is implanted into a patient. That company may not necessarily be familiar with software development and cloud-based solutions but wants to improve patient outcomes.”

LeDain explained how the abundance of information at people's disposal is changing the healthcare industry. Historically, if a person required advice on a healthcare matter, they contacted their family physician. In today’s world, patients are much more apt to search for expertise online.

“Patients are much more informed about their conditions and products they might use to treat those conditions, leading pharmaceutical and life sciences companies to adopt different technologies through a process of digital transformation, to better engage with the end-users of their products,” LeDain explains.

Competition is also driving a shift in healthcare innovation into the hands of patients. “Medical device companies supporting people with diabetes who track their blood sugar levels via a glucometer have seen their devices become commoditized over time, which has impacted their profitability.”

Pharmaceutical and life sciences companies are now looking to expand their scope by adopting a broader perspective and ultimately providing their end-users with more than just a single vital sign measurement device. These companies are moving away from measuring a single data point, like blood glucose levels, to tackle disease management more holistically, thereby delivering more value to the health insurance companies paying for their products

For example, a glucometer company may shift to become a diabetes management company instead. “There's more to diabetes than glucose levels, such as nutrition, sleep, and activity levels. By looking at the big picture, getting better acquainted with their end-users, and delivering more value to those people, these companies can capture larger markets and compete more effectively,” LeDain adds.

Hacking Healthcare

Although digital advancements have become routine in other industries, healthcare is playing a game of catch-up. Modern technologies such as the internet of things (IoT) and predictive analytics have been leveraged in the automotive and airline sectors to indicate when an engine or subsystem requires maintenance before it impacts its ability to be used.

“By monitoring more proactively the parameters on these machines, in an automated fashion, users can schedule maintenance, effectively minimizing downtime, and address the issue before it takes a plane out of service or causes a customer to lose their vehicle for days,” he observes.

Yet the pace of innovation in the healthcare industry remains frustratingly slow. However, efforts are underway to foster acceleration. LeDain credited the Health Hacker community — individuals who build their own medical systems to help overcome their unmet health needs — for initiating this shift in creating a better quality of life by explaining the community’s contribution to effectively managing type 1 diabetes.

Through online information sharing, members of the Health Hacker group developed an algorithm that connects continuous glucose monitors (CGM) and insulin pumps, essentially creating an artificial pancreas. In other words, these people take their CGM readings and feed them into their pump to release the proper amount of insulin.

“These patients achieved a level of independence that was never before possible,” he maintains. “It speaks to patients just being that much more engaged in improving their quality of life that they won't wait for the life sciences and medical technology companies to catch up if they're not moving fast enough,” LeDain emphasized.

As data is collected from end-users, meaningful algorithms are developed to help predict certain outcomes, streamlining the FDA approval process journey that many pharmaceutical companies are on. From preclinical testing to approval, research shows that the average approval process for drugs and devices takes 12 and 7 years, respectively, and costs anywhere from $1.3 to $2.8 billion.

Growth of Digital-First Touchpoints

Thanks to the rising trend of wearable health monitoring devices (e.g., Fitbit, Apple Watch, Oura Ring) and mobile health tracking apps, healthcare providers can become more proactive about flagging individuals with a higher medical need, ahead of it becoming something more serious.

Although a broad range of health tracking apps exists today, LeDain stresses that hybrid apps are considered the most valuable because of how these apps work directly with healthcare professionals. Compliant users can manage their care by following the recommendations and tips provided, empowering users to a new level of independence. On the other hand, patients that struggle with care management have a pathway to access a team of medical professionals when they need help.

Meanwhile, the upper-end digital therapeutics apps are running evidence-driven clinical studies and relying on strong clinical data to corroborate the efficacy of their solutions. By comparing their apps to existing pharmaceutical-based solutions on the market, these companies can even gain FDA approval. “These are often prescribed and cost more, but they're proven. They have a track record and the regulator’s seal of approval,” he outlined.

As the industry shifts, digital platforms can broaden demographics and outcome data in clinical studies by attracting a more diverse group of participants in clinical trials. “With technology making it much easier to gather the necessary information, clinical data collection is happening in the home, as opposed to having to go to a clinical setting,” says LeDain.

With the advent of digital clinical studies, anyone with a smartphone can sign up after seeing information posted online. These digital programs increase participant rates, especially if incentivized with cash or gift rewards. To track specific key parameters in some instances, agreeing participants are sent a data collection kit, eliminating the need for a clinical setting. “This approach opens up the world to participants,” he concludes.

Because people are willing to embrace digital healthcare and are eager to take health into their own hands, digital transformation solutions could effectively decentralize clinical trials by reaching valuable participants and engaging with patients every step of the way. This approach enables scientists to study diseases like never before and creates numerous opportunities for providers to improve the patient experience.

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About Emids

Founded in 1999 and based in Nashville, Emids provides global digital transformation solutions across the healthcare ecosystem, providing tailored, cutting-edge solutions and services in the domains of engineering, design, and system management for payers, providers, biopharma, medical technology and healthcare technology firms. Emids’ core values as trusted guides and inclusive innovators obsessed with delivering impact and value for its customers are the cornerstones of its singular mission of advancing the future of health through impactful technology solutions. Learn more at www.emids.com.