3 trends to drive and shape the future of digital health

A year on, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world continue to be profound. More than 90 per cent of global executives polled by McKinsey and Company believe COVID-19 will fundamentally change their businesses, and 85 per cent predict lasting changes in customers’ preferences. Being on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19 has placed unparalleled demands on the healthcare industry no less – and quite possibly more – than any other sector.

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Chintan Desai, ASEAN CEO, GE Healthcare, Singapore

Healthcare systems across the world were initially caught off-guard when tasked with this unprecedented crisis, which required the urgent mobilisation of resources and affected the whole population.

Unfortunately, the fight is still far from over. In recent weeks, new, more contagious variants of the virus have emerged in countries such as India, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. These intractable variants have spread rapidly across the region sending countries into another round of lockdowns, outpacing the global vaccination programme determined to be the best weapon in fighting the pandemic.

Global social distancing, infection control, and lockdown measures have created a plethora of challenges for the healthcare industry as it looks to tackle the influx of patients while continuing to deliver ongoing care that remains critical. However, for an industry that thrives through constant discovery, the eventual speed and scale of its response to COVID-19 has been nothing short of remarkable.

The pandemic has proved to be a powerful catalyst in bringing forward the industry’s digitalisation. We are now seeing the convergence of digital technologies with healthcare, to make medicine more personalised and precise.

As the situation evolves, it is important we continue to invest in building new capabilities today so that we have the capacity to deal with the emergencies of tomorrow. Here are three trends I believe will permanently drive and shape the way healthcare is delivered and received, for the future of digital health.

1. Accelerating precision health by leveraging digital technology