HEALTH | DIGITAL HEALTH/CONNECTED FITNESS
The Digital Frontier Technological advances are showing promise toward improved healthcare access, increasing compliance and affordability By Carol Radice
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he healthcare industry has never been one to rapidly adopt change — that is until recently. Fueled by two seemingly divergent dynamics — consumers who still expected immediate and easy access to medical care and the inability to get medical help in person — the pandemic single-handedly fasttracked acceptance of digital healthcare in the United States. More and more consumers of all ages are embracing technologies that offer assistance with their healthcare needs, such as remote monitoring, tracking, testing, diagnostics and other telehealth services. In its report, “The health fix: How COVID19 has transformed consumers’ attitudes to health and accelerated the future of digital healthcare,” the Capgemini Research Institute found consumers’ willingness to accept this new way of managing their health has created a myriad of opportunities for healthcare providers to improve patient engagement, satisfaction, retention and health outcomes while decreasing operational costs. From an investment perspective, digital health has experienced a year like no other. “The pandemic drove funding for digital health ventures to levels never seen before,” said Matty Francis, principal in strategic investing at Healthbox, a Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, or HIMSS, innovation company. “COVID-19 injected a strong sense of urgency across the healthcare ecosystem, leading to dramatic change in a short period of time.” Francis said, given how quickly consumers have adjusted to this change, this acceptance isn’t a one-off but the beginning of the new normal. Estimates gathered by HIMSS show that as much as $250 billion of the current total U.S. healthcare spend could in fact be virtual. But most agree that
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transition won’t happen overnight. For one, enhancements to the way information is shared and exchanged will need to be made as will stronger access to, and integration of, various and disparate technologies. Health systems and plans need to make investments in digital now or risk being left behind, noted Aaron Martin, executive vice president and chief digital officer at Providence St. Josephs Health, or PSJH, and managing general partner at Providence Ventures in Seattle. “COVID-19 effectively funded the trial and adoption of digital health/telemedicine technology. Tens of millions of patients were forced by circumstance and safety to sample this new digital approach to health care, and they liked it,” Martin said.
Take a Seat COVID-19 may have accelerated the adoption of digital healthcare solutions, but there is a confluence of additional factors at play supporting its future staying power.
Jeff Bennett, CEO of higi based in Chicago, said the industry shift from fee-forservice reimbursement models to valuebased care, along with the decline in the number of people who have a primary care provider, have created the perfect storm for digital solutions to thrive as both a preventative and managerial healthcare tool. For example, Smart Health Stations, such as the one higi designed, can help consumers discover their risk of having or developing chronic conditions, including hypertension, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. According to Bennett, two-thirds of the sessions on its stations consistently indicated such risk. Patients also can use the station to complete a virtual doctor appointment, create a basic health profile and screen for risk factors. The goal is to influence patients to take appropriate preventative care and guide rising and high-risk members/patients into programs that provide personalized care management. Higi officials said they see health stations
December 2021 DRUGSTORENEWS.COM
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