For Andreas Keck, a physician and researcher in health technologies and innovation, there are a number of opportunities to transform people's health and improve business models through the use of technology.
Digital health is a global trend that has been growing rapidly in several countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Australia and Brazil. Europe, for example, is currently the region with the largest active investments when it comes to digital therapies (DTx). A market that could reach a volume of 4 billion dollars by 2030.
Rising healthcare costs, with the main driver being the cost of adopting effective treatments, are emerging as one of the drivers of this scenario, as is the prevalence of chronic diseases. And, as is well known, digital health initiatives have proven to be a valuable tool for achieving these goals and promoting health worldwide.
German cardiologist, scientist and entrepreneur Andreas Keck, a specialist in health technologies and innovation, who was recently in Brazil*, explains that the moment is right for digital health worldwide, especially with regard to medication adherence, and that it is extremely important not only to meet patients' expectations and improve their experience, but also to meet their constantly evolving needs.
“There are several pieces to the puzzle and there are new perspectives for adherence through digital health. Patients are increasingly using technologies that support them in managing their health, and as consumers, they expect more holistic services, developed according to their needs. There is also a shift from treatment-centered care to patient-centered care. At the same time, a reduction in hospitalizations and an increase in revenues are expected. All of this in a scenario with new technological approaches, such as mHealth and IoT, and the search for personalization and incentives for treatment”, he explains.
Keck adds that, at the same time, increasing adherence and proper use of medications can help reduce pressure on the healthcare sector and generate new revenues, through prescription apps, for example. In addition, other technologies, such as digital assistants and clinical decision support systems, can also help in this process. In addition to artificial intelligence and the use of algorithms to solve different challenges and analyze data from electronic medical records, highlighting the need to combine the insights of artificial intelligence (AI) with the deep knowledge of medical professionals.
“By leveraging the large volume of data stored in electronic medical records, AI solutions increase the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery. This can be used for predictive models of patient outcomes, such as chances of readmission or development of specific conditions, clinical decision-making, whether in diagnosis or treatment or in risk stratification of development of certain medical conditions, allowing for early interventions,” he adds.
From a business perspective, companies need to consider the broad impact that AI and other technologies have on driving their strategies. This includes partnerships between digital health providers, startups, industry, hospitals and clinics.
Therefore, it is extremely important to understand the profile of medical professionals, their desires and their relationship with the adoption of technology; to take a broad view of trends and everything that emerges, including from competitors; and to have clear processes, available resources and an innovation pipeline that considers economic impacts.
“A competitive and innovative product is needed to reach the market before its competitors. And one point to be aware of is that regulation of medical software can be slow. Therefore, considering a platform approach helps to accelerate product development, as well as investing in acquisitions and partnerships with other companies,” he concludes.
Keck is an international business consultant for large healthcare organizations and a researcher of innovative digital technologies that are being used globally, in addition to having founded several companies. He is currently involved in researching and building companies based on advanced artificial intelligence algorithms, working with unique sets of information, including genetic, clinical, laboratory and electrophysiological data. The executive was in Brazil at the invitation of the Global Summit Telemedicine & Digital Health APM.
