DIGITAL HEALTH: REACHING UTOPIA

CLINICAL AND HEALTH TECH ADVISORS TO MED TECH WORLD, DYLAN ATTARD & RYAN GRECH ARE BOTH PRACTISING PHYSICIANS WITH A PASSION FOR HEALTH TECH AND A BELIEF THAT DIGITAL IS A KEY PART OF SOLVING THE LOOMING HEALTHCARE CRISES. IN THIS ARTICLE THEY EXAMINE THE TRENDS SHAPING THE BEGINNING OF A DIGITAL HEALTH REVOLUTION WITHIN MALTA.

has certainly been a rollercoaster, but speaking as individuals infatuated by digital health, it has also been one exciting year. Digital health was bound to take centre stage sooner or later, and it took a pandemic to accelerate this, giving it the visibility it deserved in the first place. Even though COVID exposed a multitude of weaknesses in most healthcare systems around the world, the industry showed resilience coupled with innovation and fast adaptation - something which admittedly most thought could never happen in healthcare. Now that we seem to be emerging victorious against the invisible common enemy, it is time to take stock and reflect, to pave the way for the present and future of healthcare.

SO WHAT’S LOOMING FOR DIGITAL HEALTH IN 2021?

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Artificial Intelligence and Big Data.

The amount of medical data that we are collecting is everexpanding, not just from every contact point we have with a healthcare provider but also generating data through increasing consumer wearable devices. Think about it, your average consumer based smartwatch can track your heart rate, obtain a three-lead ECG and check your oxygen levels, and this is just the beginning. Whilst it is good that we have so much data at our disposal, as it enables personalised and predictive medicine, not all of it is useful information. Enter AI, it is pivotal to handle all of this data and sift signal through the noise. The application of AI will extend beyond this. We can already see heavy use of chatbots whose role will continue to expand. But we think that 2021 will be the year in which AI starts making it into mainstream medicine via applications in Radiology and clinical support tools. Practitioners that will resist such change may find themselves obsolete sooner rather than later.

• A new healthcare pathway.

The younger generation who are most familiar with running their whole life on a smartphone is making way for on-demand healthcare whilst also inspiring individuals to be in charge of their health. COVID has made us realise that telemedicine works and that most consultations can occur online. As consumers, we also want things to be done at our convenience. All of this is pushing towards a new patient pathway which amalgamates virtual and physical together into a hybrid model causing a re-think of how we practice medicine. We believe that different models of healthcare pathways will emerge this year and it will ultimately be patients who will choose what works. Providers that deliver high quality, interoperable, timely and personalised service will be amongst the ones who come out on top.

• The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT).

The rise of smart hospitals is undeniable. A connected infrastructure of medical devices, software applications, healthcare systems and services will enable the sharing of crucial data in real-time. It is game-changing in several ways. It does not only boil down to monitoring a patient’s condition and getting a quicker accurate diagnosis but also optimising the care process in healthcare institutions to reduce errors and efficiently allocate resources, ultimately reducing the cost of healthcare. In 2021 we predict that we will see an increase in smart medical devices. This will in turn boost in-home, in-clinic/hospital and on-the-body use of IoMT devices driven by increased accessibility, increased patient-centred personalised care and the need to drive down healthcare costs.

Funding for digital healthcare has also been exceeding expectations year-on-year, with an unprecedented number of IPOs and SPAC deals last year. It shows that enterprise commitment is there and the momentum we all craved is with us. We must not forget though; interoperability is a must, consumer trust is key, regulation is essential and like it or not, we are going to enter a new normal.

We are also excited by the prospect of digital health in 2021 within the Maltese islands. Whilst we’re proud of the way a tiny island in the Mediterranean handled COVID, we are equally appeased how both public and private institutions, together, have used technology to react to a pandemic which caught us off guard. Over the past months, Malta proved that its historic role as Nurse of the Mediterranean is well deserved. It has also shown that what we have been suggesting, that of public-private partnerships for the advancement of digital healthcare does make sense.

We believe that this is just the beginning of a digital health revolution within the island of Malta. Startups, research and infrastructure are underway and we are thrilled to be amongst the pioneers leading the way to a digital health utopia.

Alongside years of experience in leadership roles, Dylan Attard and Ryan Grech have co-founded Digital Health Malta an NGO with the aim to help transform digital health in the Maltese Islands. Furthermore, they are also co-founders of a local healthtech startup Tabib Technologies, with the creedo that healthcare should be accessible to everyone and anyone. They have recently joined the company, serving as ‘Clinical & Health Tech Advisors’ for the emerging Med Tech Summit to be held in December 2021, in Malta.