A digital prescription for making healthcare better Digitalisation is key to unlocking a more holistic systems approach and the delivery of better health services and patient outcomes, write Mott MaDonald’s Digital Healthcare Lead Abhi Shekar and Global Lead for Social Outcomes Kerry Scott
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aving a video consultation with your doctor is one of the contemporary trends in modern healthcare that has become standard practice during the pandemic. In the years ahead we will see more routine healthcare management conducted outside the four walls of a hospital, while technology will also make it commonplace for people with conditions which previously required hospitalisation to be remotely monitored and treated in the comfort of their own homes. The delivery of healthcare will change – it must. When the direct impacts of COVID-19 recede, healthcare systems will still need to be strengthened in response to ongoing challenges: the complex needs of growing, ageing populations, financial pressures, chronic staff shortages, and higher patient expectations. The ultimate goal is to move away from the current reactive ‘one size fits all’ model towards more preventative and personalised healthcare. This is the pathway to radical improvement of patient outcomes and quality of care. A key enabler of this transformation will be digitalisation which means far more than just automating processes, cutting paperwork and increasing efficiency. It is about using tools, technologies and data to rethink and reinvent the way we plan, design and deliver health infrastructure and services. Addressing the causes of poor health A hospital should no longer be considered as a stand-alone facility at the centre of the healthcare service, but rather as one part of a city’s wider health ecosystem. Systems thinking is critical to co-ordinate societywide efforts to improve the wellbeing and resilience of communities by addressing the causes of poor health, not just the consequences. Healthcare planning needs to be linked to housing, employment and other
socioeconomic determinants of health. If healthcare provision is coordinated with other sectors – transport, business, industry, education and leisure – holistic, society-wide policies and interventions can be developed that widen access to health services and recreation, improve air quality and green spaces, and promote healthier, more active lifestyles. What will help make this possible is smarter, integrated infrastructure, enabled by 5G networks which allow data to be exchanged, subject to consent, between actors in different sectors – between health improvement agencies, local government and schools, for example, so they can collaborate and develop joint responses, which are evidence-based, to address growing health challenges such as obesity and diabetes. Improving the patient journey Historically, hospitals were essentially designed to be a one-stop shop meeting every healthcare need. In the past, they have been the only option for people seeking treatment or support. In the future, with a digitally enabled healthcare system – supporting the transition towards
Kerry Scott Global Lead for Social Outcomes Mott MacDonald
“Digitalisation will drive greater transparency and access of patient data, increasing people’s knowledge and confidence, and empowering them to become active partners in the management of their health and wellbeing”
more preventative care, and more treatment delivered in the community and remotely – hospitals will become one of several options. This will prompt a rethink of how buildings are designed and services organised, giving us an opportunity to consider how to address inequality and promote social inclusion. A ‘good’ patient journey looks different for different sets of people. Age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity and physical ability all influence how people interact with healthcare. Future provision will need to better reflect this, and can do so if patient and social outcomes are embedded into the design and delivery of infrastructure and services from the outset. Digitalisation will drive greater transparency and access of patient data, increasing people’s knowledge and confidence, and empowering them to become active partners in the management of their health and wellbeing.
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