By Mike Wray, chief technical officer, Inhealthcare
Remember Pong, the pioneering video game from the 70s? Two bats, a bouncing ball, and not much else. Simple, functional, but limited. Now, fast forward 50 years to Minecraft – a vast, open world where players can build, create, and collaborate in almost limitless ways. This contrast perfectly illustrates the current state of digital healthcare and where it needs to go.
Many of today’s remote patient monitoring systems are stuck in the Pong era. They collect basic vital signs and physiological data, moving it from A to B with perhaps a few rudimentary alerts thrown in. While this represents progress, it’s a world away from what’s possible – and what patients and healthcare providers deserve.
Digital health technology shouldn’t just be about moving data; it should be about reimagining how we deliver care. It’s time to embrace the Minecraft model of healthcare and build a rich, dynamic environment where clinicians can create personalised care pathways, collaborate across disciplines, and leverage the full power of their expertise and experience.
Picture a world where a rheumatologist doesn’t just receive questionnaire responses but can create automated decision trees that adapt treatment recommendations based on patient responses. Imagine a system that doesn’t just alert a doctor to abnormal vital signs but uses AI to predict potential deteriorations and suggest proactive interventions. This isn’t science fiction – it’s the potential of our digital health platform.
But realising this potential requires a fundamental shift in how we approach healthcare innovation. Current frameworks tend to constrain rather than enable, treating new technologies as add-ons to existing processes rather than catalysts for transformation. This does a disservice to both clinicians and patients.
Consider the concept of patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU). Traditional models might have patients showing up for outpatient appointments every six months, regardless of need. An advanced healthcare system could empower patients to request appointments when they’re needed, while providing clinicians with the tools to efficiently manage their caseloads and target interventions where they’re most effective.
Of course, accessibility must remain a priority. Any digital health solution should offer multiple channels of communication, not just smartphone apps but also text messages and landline telephone calls, to ensure inclusive access for all patients.
The key to unlocking this potential lies in adopting a platform approach, as advocated by global technology research firm Gartner. In a 2023 market report, Gartner recommends that healthcare CIOs “avoid the pitfalls associated with implementing a portfolio of fragmented, siloed RPM capabilities by developing an overarching strategy for RPM interoperability and device integration”. This approach allows for the creation of diverse, specialised care pathways while maintaining the benefits of a unified system.
This isn’t only about technology – it’s about empowering healthcare professionals to operate at the top of their game. By automating routine tasks and providing sophisticated decision support, we free up clinicians to focus on those patients who need the most care.
In our experience, when healthcare professionals are given powerful, flexible tools, they innovate in ways that improve patient outcomes and system efficiency. We need policymakers and procurement teams to recognise the vast gulf between Pong-like systems and true Minecraft-style healthcare platforms. As we look to the future of healthcare, let’s not settle for basic bat-and-ball games.
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