The global healthcare system has never been more overstretched. Rising costs and fewer staff after the stresses of a global pandemic mean less money and less time is spent on where it matters most: patients. In a recent global survey, 62% of adults felt their country’s healthcare system was overstretched, and only one-third believed it would improve in the coming years.1
As populations grow, people live longer and chronic illnesses become more prevalent, the demand for healthcare is only set to continue. One in six people in the world will be aged 60 years or over in five years, by which time they will account for 1.4 billion people, compared to 1 billion in 20202. Set against this, there is a growing shortage of healthcare professionals able to serve this rising and aging population. In the US, more than 100 million people live in an area without enough primary care doctors and the problem is particularly acute in rural areas3. In fact, within a decade the US is projected to have a shortage of 124,000 doctors4.
More patients, rising costs and fewer doctors have created a perfect storm. But there is an opportunity to improve patient outcomes with technology that reduces the strain on frontline services while putting the patient at the centre of the care experience.
Advancing patient-centred care
Halma, a global group of life-saving technology companies, has several healthcare companies that help advance patient-centred care.
Digital health technologies make real-time diagnosis and remote monitoring of patients in non-clinical settings possible. This improves both patient convenience and healthcare efficiency. Halma company SunTech provides ambulatory blood pressure monitors that patients can use in their own homes. A blood pressure reading is taken every 20 to 30 minutes, including during sleep. This gives doctors access to clinical-grade blood pressure readings in a more real-life setting.
Another Halma company, Cardios, based in Brazil, makes a portable heart monitoring device, CardioLight, that can be worn by patients in their daily lives. It accurately monitors heart activity for up to 72 hours without compromising the quality of the data it is recording. The readings are transferred over the internet allowing a specialist to make a diagnosis remotely based on the patient’s circumstances and lifestyle contributing to a more patient-centred experience.
Fostering fairness in healthcare access and outcomes
Connected devices and telemedicine also play a crucial role in advancing patient-centred care and promoting equal access to healthcare. It allows individuals, especially those in underserved communities or areas lacking infrastructure or reliable transportation, to access healthcare remotely. It also benefits those who may face challenges in travelling to healthcare facilities, such as the elderly, or those with disabilities. Several scientific studies have concluded that telemedicine lowers the carbon footprint of healthcare visits, primarily by reducing transport-related emissions. One example is Riester, a Halma company based in Germany. Its ri-sonic electronic stethoscope allows healthcare professionals and patients to connect remotely via a PC or smartphone. Similarly, its telemedicine platform helps nurses and doctors run primary care diagnostics on patients from different locations. The technology uses connected devices that can record a patient’s vital signs and transmit them live to a doctor for instant analysis and feedback in a remote consultation setting.
Another Halma company, Volk, uses technology that enables people living far from healthcare facilities to have their eyesight checked by providing eye doctors with reliable and affordable imaging—without compromising on quality. Volk’s VistaView is a compact and easy-to-use retinal camera that can be used by healthcare workers in the field. High-quality images of a patient’s eye can be taken and then immediately uploaded for assessment by a trained eyecare professional miles away in a central hospital. This technology is already making a difference in places like Honduras, Ghana and India, where people need healthcare access in more remote areas.
Promoting preventive and proactive care
Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are making a new range of healthcare options and interventions available. Halma company PeriGen develops software that uses AI to provide an early warning system to doctors and nurses during labour. When deployed in its remote monitoring configuration, the platform enables clinicians to monitor active births across multiple facilities from a central location. In 2022, a global health initiative led by a prominent US healthcare institution introduced PeriGen’s technology in a regional hospital in Eastern Africa. Deployed at the bedside, the technology helps healthcare workers consistently identify impending risks to the foetus and mother throughout labour. In the first full year using PeriGen’s platform, this clinic reduced the rate of birth-related foetal deaths by more than 80% without increasing Caesarean sections.
Most recently the company has partnered with Bloomlife in the US, which works to support at risk pregnancies by bringing prenatal diagnostic tools and services to patients rather than requiring patients to travel to medical facilities. The partnership joins connected devices with data analytics to improve access to quality care, empower mothers, and help healthcare providers more effectively manage pregnancy complications.
The future of technology in patient-centred care
For years, technological advancements have revolutionised healthcare helping doctors to spot and treat diseases. But a growing population, a shortage of healthcare professionals, and rising costs mean we need to find new ways to tackle healthcare challenges now and in the future. Digital health technologies and AI offer a promising approach to address these, potentially improving patient outcomes and putting care back into healthcare.
