Personalised health and medicine is accelerating as the major innovation in healthcare. There is a growing desire for tailored treatments that meet individuals’ needs and support evidence-based decision-making. In our COVID world, identifying and understanding those needs is more important than ever. We can do this in three main areas.
Technology
Major leaps in technology such as smart devices, wearable technology, together with the appetite of embracing new trends has kick-started a revolution in remote healthcare monitoring. We need to work as one health care system to produce accurate data gathering and informed decision making. We need to understand how to sift through the minefield of data that is coming our way and understand what data is reliable and relevant. We also need to streamline decision-making so that it does not become a burden.
Chronic Conditions
Current waiting lists are overwhelming and are only going to grow. In our Post-COVID world, we need to find ways to prioritise patients who need treatment and identify which individualised treatment strategies will work best for them.
Standard pathways and protocols in place are inadequate and outdated. In the future, research and genomics will drive how we tailor health to individuals specific conditions. For the moment, our efforts focus on risk stratification and condition management.
Personalised Care Pathways
Social prescribing, community based support and personalised care planning may be old concepts but are here to stay. They continue to impact the way we deliver healthcare in the years to come. The experts and delivery experience support patient insights and decision making. Going forwards, we have to utilise Agile design thinking and redesign services in a person-centric manner. Patients and care providers need to work hand-in-hand to perform pathway mapping and redevelopment. Care models will be built from the ground up through rapid prototyping and iterative development.
Has COVID accelerated the need for greater personalised health?
In this rapidly emerging field, time will tell.
What we do know is that the unique confluence of technology is shifting power towards individuals as consumers and guardians of their own, real time data. The advances in smart device technology, Artificial Intelligence, and genomics is accelerating this further. It will inevitably lead to us empowering people to harness their own knowledge and skills. All players within the health and care system must now heed the call to deliver high quality healthcare for an ever-evolving population.
Dr Aroon Baskaradas is a practicing clinician and Associate Partner for Innovex Partners.