Harnessing technology to manage and modify medication, monitor patient compliance and trigger reimbursement to the manufacturers and service providers, based on effectiveness of the treatments
Technology and the availability of information
In the future, drugs, devices, diagnostics and data communication will coalesce and be integrated to enable reimbursement to be based on treatment outcomes in individual patients; all driven by the integration of electronics and the generation, communication and analysis of data in near real-time.
The role of the Health Technology Agencies
The regulatory environment will be the main catalyst for change. The remit of Health Technology Agencies (such as the UK’s NICE) is evolving to consider reimbursement based on cost effectiveness and how the patient’s quality of life will be improved by the treatment.
Evolving commercial models and the value of data
In future, a service provider, for Diabetes management for example, could be reimbursed for maintaining their patients within predefined blood glucose targets. In this situation, it is the data that is of prime value, and other components are reduced to commodities.
New entrants in the industry
Different technologies (for example for blood tests, orthopaedic implants, pacemakers etc) are beginning to be combined in products, a process known as technology convergence, and this represents a significant opportunity for new market entrants that can source and integrate the different components.
PA's experience in this changing Healthcare environment
PA has a track record of helping people and organisations to use or combine technologies and information to create better products or services in healthcare.
For example Aegate, a PA spin-off company, collects information about drugs at the point of dispensation to check that the product is authentic; PA developed the first compliance monitor for an inhaler which was used by GSK in their clinical trials; and PA helped London Hospitals to unify their treatment of stroke, adopting best clinical practice.
To discuss effective ways for your organisation to combine technologies and information for success in the new Healthcare market, please contact us now.
