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Digital Healthcare on Demand
As our smartphones continue to be central to our lives, many of us are turning to them to provide health and medical advice. Asia dominates the world’s internet usage, accounting for 49% of it – and by harnessing this connectivity, healthcare is ready to evolve.
Able to improve the reach, impact and efficiency of healthcare, the ability for diagnosis to take place remotely will be hugely important to the future of healthcare. What’s more, the digital revolution can side-step many of the industry’s usual problems – including physician shortages, increased patient demand, and evolving policy landscapes.
One of the most exciting pioneers in the digital health sector is UK start-up Babylon Heath. Babylon have revolutionised healthcare as we know it. By giving every person on earth access to affordable healthcare, they have made universal healthcare not only achievable, but a reality. The team created ‘GP at hand,’ which combines AI with medical expertise to provide personalised health assessments, treatment advice and 24/7 face-to-face medical appointments via the phone. In 2016 alone Babylon raised $25 million USD and raised an additional $60 million USD in 2017 in funding from global investors.
There is also Oxford Heartbeat, which has revolutionised surgical procedures through software. Founded by Dr Katerina Spranger, who got the idea while studying for a PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Oxford University. Through converting 2D medical scans into 3D imagery, surgeons can now simulate medical procedures for their patients, picking the best tools for the job – a potentially life-saving innovation.
The UK government is also placing its faith in technology, preparing plans to use innovative technology – including AI and data analytics – for early diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases in the National Health Service (NHS). Aiming to be up and running by 2030, it’s a long-term plan that will put the UK at the forefront of digital health, as well as having huge implications for care in the region. Within 15 years, better use of diagnosis technology could mean over 50,000 more people each year having their cancers detected at an earlier stage – an achievement that would save the lives of around 20,000 people.
Similarly, a £1.3 billion investment was announced at the end of 2018 to support healthcare innovation in the UK. As part of the collaboration between the government and the life sciences industry, life-saving early disease technology will be developed using AI.
The sector is set for rapid growth, with a new report by Global Market Insights forecasting it to be over five times its current size by 2024, growing from $71.4 billion USD to a staggering $379 billion USD.
A matter of life and death, the UK’s innovative application of new technology into the health sector could have a huge impact on the quality of life for citizens globally.
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