Andre Van Gils, CEO and president, OMRON Healthcare Europe explains how technology can help patients to take more control of their healthcare.
With the world breathing a tentative sigh of relief as various vaccines roll out, this pandemic has exposed how ill prepared our delicately balanced global health systems are, where one new pathogen can throw the whole thing out of balance.
We needed lockdowns. They have undoubtedly saved lives, but their repercussions aren’t, and indeed can’t be, shared equally across society. As such they were and should remain a last resort. Non-urgent and routine care has been postponed, in some cases, for years. The true extent of this is yet to be seen. Further, there is now a global sense of no control over one’s health beyond staying inside and hoping for best. We’ve even seen reports of vulnerable people avoiding seeking help altogether due to fear of infection or guilt of overwhelming an already under-resourced health service. But now is not a time for “I told you so”, it is a time for learning and improving. We have an opportunity to set new precedents and practices that will drastically reshape how we deal with the next pandemic.
I believe there is a missing link in the patient-health service relationship that would benefit everyone, drastically reshaping the public’s roles and responsibilities by proactively managing their health: patient empowerment through the use of technology. Getting medical grade, consumer friendly technology in the hands of those who need it, supported by the prerequisite health service infrastructure and education can and will immediately lift a lot of system burden. Further to this, it affords a unique and previously unattainable level of insight and clarity into a patient’s state of health. This has many names, remote patient monitoring (RPM), patient-generated health data (PGHD), and even more consumerised terms such as wellness tracking.
While things were certainly already moving in this direction, COVID-19 made it clear things weren’t moving fast enough. Telehealth was the quickest and easiest win here, both from its practicality and relatively low cost of implementation. While, yes, it is crucial face-to-face appointments remain available to higher-risk patients and those who need them, telephone and video consultations were a sensible step. Telehealth has reduced patient anxieties and relieved resource burdens (including physical space) while still adhering to governmental guidelines and providing adequate services. But telehealth still only scratches the surface of what technology can do and has real limitations.
Remote healthcare can go much further.
If this pandemic has shown one thing, it’s that people hate sitting doing nothing, feeling anxious and powerless. If a patient suddenly develops a cough or is feeling funny, they want to know if they have coronavirus without risking anyone in the process of finding out. It’s in everybody’s interest, and so as such, home testing kits have been developed. If we trust the public to do this, why can’t they do more for other purposes?
This is where technology enabled patient empowerment comes into its own. With the right education and tools, the patient can monitor their own health from the comfort and safety of their own home and feel confident that they know their own state of health. They are the ones to decide what information to share with doctors, with their insurance company or their employer, but it relieves anxiety and provides unrivalled information. It also benefits time-poor practitioners who can see reliable data taken over an extended time period, allowing them to assess the patient remotely, and then triage them to provide appropriate levels of care, while still minimising the risk of exposure.
Global healthcare systems need to share the responsibility with the patient; allow them to take more control over their own health and make doctors’ lives easier. And while remote patient monitoring on its own may not prevent further lockdowns or extreme measures, it may certainly help lessen their extent.
The healthcare system needs to place medical grade, consumer friendly technology in the hands of those who need it. Some of this tech is already readily available on the high street, allowing patients to monitor their blood pressure, heart rate, sleeping patterns, step count, weight, and more. But it is only through collaboration with health technology companies that new, integrated services can effectively proliferate. With the proper tools in place, RPM can empower patients to monitor their health, track changes and compile health records from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
Will the healthcare system be able to put holistic PGHD into practice quickly enough to have a real impact? Well, without a shared sense of responsibility and collaboration it won’t stand a chance. The world view has changed significantly in this most extraordinary of years: intent has moved to commitment. But now is the time that commitment must lead to action, forming real partnerships.
The opportunity is here, and I’m confident that we both can and shall get this done. Care delivery will transform. Partnership and collaboration will help us rise to this challenge and personalised wellbeing will be one step closer.
Let’s get this done. Together.
