Reimagining Healthcare

In my earlier blog on Impact of Covid-19 on healthcare industry , I mentioned one of the key trends in healthcare is the increasing use of wearables and IoMT devices. The rapid rise of digitization and consumer involvement in almost all industries has led to huge shifts in the mindset of people to use technology in healthcare to reduce cost and increase access to care with less effort.  There has been a surge in use of fitness bands and associated mobile apps for weight management. Most folks use wearables for counting footsteps, activity tracking, sleep monitoring and fitness management. However, these are preliminary use cases. The use of wearables and Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices has huge potential in changing the way you take care of your lifestyle, health and well-being. Some of the most common yet powerful use cases are self-care at home, chronic condition management and remote patient monitoring. In this blog, we will take a deep dive into the topic of Remote Pa...

  In this two-part article on the drug development process, we are discussing the typical life cycle for developing a new drug and comparing it with the fast-tracked process for releasing COVID-19 vaccine. In part 1 , we looked at a typical lifecycle for developing a new drug spanning anywhere between 12-15 years. In this part of the article, we will discuss the process followed for developing the Covid-19 vaccine. Drug Development Timeline for Covid-19 Vaccine March 17 - Pfizer and BioNTech announced collaboration to co-develop a vaccine. April 22 - BioNTech and Pfizer gained approval from German regulatory authority to begin Phase 1 clinical trial. The two companies started Phase 1/2 trials in Germany to examine safety, immunogenicity and optimal dosage testing for 4 initial vaccine candidates. To accelerate Covid-19 vaccine process, all 4 candidates moved in parallel during the Clinical trials phase. July 13 - Phase 2/3 trials commenced for safety and efficacy examination for tw...

On March 17 th 2020, Pfizer and BioNTech companies announced that the companies have agreed to a letter of intent regarding the co-development and distribution of a potential mRNA-based coronavirus vaccine aimed at preventing COVID-19 infection 1 . Today, on November 18 th 2020, Pfizer and BioNTech concluded phase 3 study of covid-19 vaccine candidate with 95% efficacy 2 .  But, what does this mean? When can we expect to have a vaccine available for public use in the marketplace? What are the different phases in a drug discovery & development process? In this two-part article on the drug development process, we will look at a typical lifecycle for developing a new drug and compare it with the fast-tracked process for releasing COVID-19 vaccine in Part 2 . Since Pfizer and BioNTech are following US FDA approval process, let us understand the typical drug development process in the US. Note that every country has its own regulatory agency. The regulatory agency in USA is the US...

  Patient engagement is slowly and steadily becoming an integral part of our healthcare system. As discussed in the  previous blog on introduction to patient engagement , making patients accountable in managing their own health is highly valuable in reducing healthcare cost while improving the quality of care a patient receives. Patients and citizens in general, are demanding mor e  transparency and responsiveness in the processes of a hospital or a clinic or even a medical insurance provider. Patient engagement promotes accountability in a patient of their own health outcomes while increasing understanding of treatment path between the patients and healthcare providers. Let us understand how these two important stakeholders in the healthcare industry can play a part in increasing patient engagement. Role of patients: Most patients perceive their role as subordinate to doctors in their treatment and care. This myth should be busted through proper education and imparting a...

In the previous blog — Impact of COVID-19 on India’s healthcare industry ( Part 1 & Part 2 ), we saw how technology and digital disruption are helping improve quality and accessibility of healthcare for all. In this blog, we will understand the importance of involving patients in their own health journey. This involvement where a patient actively participates in managing their own health is called Patient Engagement . What is “Patient Engagement”? Historically, a typical patient journey in simplest terms included — consulting a doctor when the patient observes some unusual symptoms and then undergoing specific treatment. A person consulted a doctor only at the onset of a disease or during an illness and did not care much about regular consultations or monitoring their own health conditions. This form of reactive care has many disadvantages and has proven to be fatal in many diseases. The term “Patient Activation” refers to a patient’s willingness to manage his or her own health. ...

In Part 1 of the topic "Impact of COVID-19 on India’s healthcare industry", we explored two of the top four anticipated trends as a consequence of digitization and COVID-19. In this blog, let's continue the discussion and explore the remaining two trends on Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Note: This article uses the term “provider” or “healthcare provider” which includes an individual health professional (doctor, nurse practitioner) or a health facility organization (hospital, clinic) licensed to provide health care diagnosis and treatment services. #3: Electronic Health Record Electronic Health Record (EHR) is an electronic version of a patient’s medical history stored and maintained by a doctor or multiple doctors (and possibly multiple hospitals) over time. An EHR provides a holistic, long-term view of a patient’s medical conditions; this helps providers to gain a better understanding of a patient's history to provide a well-infor...