How smarter health technology is improving our quality of care by Chris Price

There’s no doubt that increasing costs, coupled with an ageing population, are putting unprecedented pressure on health care systems across the world.

According to Frost & Sullivan’s Social Innovation in Healthcare report, the number of people aged 65 or older is projected to grow from an estimated 524 million in 2010 to nearly 1.5 billion in 2050; meanwhile total health and long term care is set to double to nearly 14pc of GDP among OECD countries. Among the BRIC countries, which are starting from a much lower base of around 2.5pc, that figure is expected to rise to around 10pc of GDP.

There’s a lot that can be done as we move towards new technologies, which will improve the health status of patientsAdrian Conduit, director, Hitachi Consulting

Furthermore, a Deloitte Centre for Health Solutions report claims that in the UK the health care funding gap is set to reach £30 billion for 2020-2021, with the rise in chronic health conditions expected to cost £5 billion a year by 2018.

“The global healthcare market faces the dual challenge of ageing population and chronic diseases,” explains Adrian Conduit, director at Hitachi Consulting. “There’s a lot that can be done as we move towards new technologies to manage and self-manage chronic conditions, which will improve the health status of patients.”

Personal tools

One solution lies in the implementation of new smart health technology. Already there are 165,000 health related apps on the Apple app store, with the market showing a 30pc year-on-year increase.

Frost & Sullivan predicts that next generation wearable devices and healthcare-centric apps have the potential to reach $25 billion globally by 2020 with a much higher percentage of apps set to include clinical grade functions.

For example, technologies such as wearable devices, sensors and other patient monitoring devices (PMDs) can help those with Alzheimer’s to continue living at home for much longer. Sensors can be placed around the home as well as in appliances and on the patient’s body, with caregivers able to track and monitor movements through smartphone apps. Alerts are then received if meals are missed, they do not get out of bed, if they fall, or if there are any other signs of risky behaviour.

Similarly, many NHS trusts are starting to introduce PMDs for patients with long-term chronic illnesses to monitor changes in their condition remotely and adjust medication accordingly.

But smarter health isn’t just about devices and apps. While data is currently extremely fragmented across facilities and regions, the use of big data analytics from large patient groups is increasingly being used to discover mutations and markers in order to provide valuable insight for drug development and improve patient outcomes.

According to Frost & Sullivan, the healthcare sector is set to generate between $350-400 billion worth of valuable data by 2020, ranging from simple lab-test results to full clinical trial studies.

Tailored solutions

Hitachi is one company at the forefront of this connected health revolution, with its healthcare IT and medical technology solutionssupporting the various needs of the health care cycle from prevention and check-up to screening and treatment.

A great example is at the Klinikum Wels-Grieskirchen hospital in Austria, where Hitachi Data Systems (now Hitachi Vantara) has established a private cloud that is unique in Europe. Data is stored in a multi-tier storage solution based on Hitachi Unified Storage VM (HUS VM), enabling users to access the right information at the right time, in the right place and in the right format.

Hitachi Clinical Repository has the flexibility to integrate any type of clinical system into a comprehensive archive, so users can search for data across all systems, regardless of manufacturer or location.

Furthermore, Hitachi is also involved in therapy equipment including particle beam systems, X-ray systems and cryoablation treatment systems.

Within oncology, is Hitachi’s collaboration with Hokkaido University, Japan, where the university’s motion tracking technology combines with Hitachi’s spot scanning irradiation technology to allow tumours to be moved precisely.

Clearly, the global healthcare market is undergoing a major transformation; by harnessing exciting developments in personalization, digitisation, wellness and patient engagement, businesses and health services can certainly help to improve our lives. With the industry facing a number of pressing challenges, now is the time to use this technology to really make a difference.

Innovations for the future

Modern life is saturated with data, and new technologies are emerging nearly every day – but how can we use these innovations to make a real difference to the world?

Hitachi believes that Social Innovation should underpin everything they do, so they can find ways to tackle the biggest issues we face today.

Visit social-innovation.hitachi to learn how Social Innovation is helping Hitachi drive change across the globe.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/social-innovation/smart-health-technology/