w&m 2009 – the impact of wireless technology on healthcare delivery models
TRANSCRIPT
Wireless & Mobile'09
The Impact of Wireless Technology on Healthcare Delivery Models
Peter KrugerSenior AnalystWireless HealthcareCambridge UK
++44 (0)1223 208926peter.kruger@wirelesshealthcare.co.ukwww.wirelesshealthcare.co.ukwww.themobilehealthcrowd.com
Wireless Healthcare
Wireless Healthcare
Healthcare of the future
Data will be fed into a disease control and monitoring application from a variety of devices – in most cases via a wireless link.
This data will be used in conjunction with a genetic profile to screen the patient for a range of diseases.
Wireless Healthcare
Healthcare And Local Newspapers
Both industries had:-
• A belief that their business models were relatively resilient to the impact of online services.
• A belief that their business processes were too complex to automate.
• A belief that they had complete control over their customer base.
• A belief that they had complete control over their content.
• A large number of underserved consumers.
• Made large-scale capital investments in technology that assumed an ‘As Is’ business model.
Wireless Healthcare
What Happened To Local Newspapers
• Rivals developed online services for underserved local newspaper readers.
• Online service providers began to produce their own content and attract advertising.
• Web technologies and services were used by small companies to target customers directly reducing demand for display advertising.
• Recruitment companies and estate agents developed their own portals.
• Online services such as eBay replaced personal and small business advertisements.
Wireless Healthcare
The Importance of Simplicity
A range of wireless devices transmit vital signs data via a wireless ehealth hub to the ehealth provider’s server and diagnostics engine. However all components must work for the system to be a regarded as successful.
Wireless Healthcare
A Simple Healthcare IT Application
The number of ‘Patient Did Not Attend’ incidents in the UK is published regularly making it very easy to asses the impact of SMS patient reminder services.
The demographic profile of mobile phone users makes a close fit with that of patients who fail to attend appointments.
Wireless Healthcare
Medication Reminders And Beyond
Devices are available that initiate an SMS machine to machine communication when a medication container is opened.
The business model supporting this system in Africa, were it was developed, differs from the business model that supports similar systems in Europe and the US.
Wireless Healthcare
Two Industries a World Apart
Logistics 2009
Chiropody 2009
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The Healthcare Landscape
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Over The Horizon
Some ehealth vendors look outside of the incumbent healthcare provider’s care network for new applications developing services that support:-
• Fitness monitoring
• Diet management and compliance
• Smoking Cessation
In the past some of these services have been part funded by mobile phone operators and insurance companies.
Wireless Healthcare
The Accidental eHealth Vendor
Early ehealth projects were initiated by hospital clinicians who used their network of IT suppliers to source components and software. Some of these vendors commercialised the resulting technologies or, in the case of Polar Electronics, set up a division focusing on ehealth applications for existing devices.
Wireless Healthcare
Taking Heart
Many eHealth vendors focus on remote ECG monitoring as cardio data is relatively simple to interpret and the personnel to interpret the data are readily available.
Examples include:-
Broomwell Healthwatch – UK
Vitaphone – Germany and Switzerland
CardioNet - USA
Wireless Healthcare
Automating Health – Two Contrasting Approaches
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The Current Wireless eHealth Model
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Where Will All The Data Go?
Despite large scale investment in patient record systems the infrastructure required to support wireless ehealth application is still not in place.
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Google and Genetic Profiling
Wireless Healthcare
It May Be A Medical Condition - But It Is My Medical Condition
The Internet has changed the way many people view the long term conditions they are suffering from and also their attitude to the GPs and clinicians who are treating them. Using web based forums, as well as services such as Microsoft Health Vault and Google Health:-
• They acquire and share specialist medical knowledge relating to their condition.
• They gain support from other members of peer groups.
• They form a pressure group that can lobby for new treatments.
• They become a defined group that medical device and healthcare service providers can target.
• Within the new ehealth model they could also become an active research group providing data to assist diagnosis and the development of treatments.
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The Next Wireless eHealth Model
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Is The Answer In The Clouds?
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Feeding The ‘eHealth Brain’ With Data
Data could be fed into the disease control and monitoring unit from a variety of sources such as gait analysis systems.
