The discussion about the importance of data availability in healthcare is in full swing. The technological possibilities are available and in full development. But although many initiatives are being developed, healthcare still lacks a clear strategy and approach to realize the vision of future care - supported by data availability. So say Freekje Huisman and Robert Lucassen, both senior manager healthcare at Deloitte, in edition 5 of ICT&health.
Deloitte has described in clear terms what healthcare should look like in 2040: healthcare will then have developed into a health-driven ecosystem. The changing needs of citizens, combined with data availability and rapid technological developments, are expected to accelerate this transformation.
Taking steps now
“But then we need to take steps now,” says Lucassen. “The implementation of data platforms is essential for many digital innovations that healthcare wants to take advantage of in the short term, such as reducing administrative burdens and giving patients more control.”
Lucassen further states that this is a way to achieve appropriate care. This concept is central to current national policy, as laid out in the Integral Care Agreement, the Healthy and Active Living Agreement and the Housing Support and Care for the Elderly Agreement.
“The fact that care, for example, is increasingly provided from the patient's home means that appropriate care is also about the right setting in which that care is delivered. Without the right data, this becomes a challenge. That's another facet that needs to be taken into account.”
“The promise of data platforms is even greater in the future,” adds Huisman. “With advanced technology, data platforms can, among other things, provide insights that promote health, make treatments more personalized and at the same time generate new insights to further improve care. This is widely recognized by the healthcare field.”
Future-proof, secure platform
This is also why Deloitte and Google, together with healthcare providers, have developed the Pragmedic platform, Lucassen says, developed in line with the direction seen at VWS and initiatives such as Cumuluz.
“Google's technology gives the platform flexibility and scalability so we can quickly adapt it to new insights and developments. The platform uses open standards so that anyone working with it can also deploy advanced analytics solutions such as AI and ML. This stimulates and accelerates innovation. The goal is to ultimately provide an integrated solution by bringing different solutions together, rather than continuing to invest in the many point solutions we see now that don't fully exploit the potential of data.”
Huisman adds: “In line with our vision for the future, it is very important that usability is paramount. To achieve sustainable change, you have to have a system that patients and caregivers can easily work with. That's why we put a lot of emphasis on ease of use during development.”
Read the entire article in ICT&health 5, which appears October 25.
