Before the emergence of the novel coronavirus and the subsequent pandemic, the health and care system had a poor track record in adopting digital technologies at scale. However, in response to the pandemic the health care system rapidly implemented new tools, many technology-based, to allow health care to be delivered when physical contact is not possible. The approach to using digital tools in health care provision is undergoing a substantial and rapid shift. Many of the technologies adopted during the first phase of the pandemic were already well established but not widely implemented; the maturity of the technology enabled the provision of health care through remote consultation to be much more prevalent much more quickly.
Despite this recent rapid adoption of digital technologies, the health and care system remains at the early stages of digital health, with many tools replicating physical approaches and processes rather than taking advantage of what makes digital different. In this explainer, we examine the technologies most likely to change health and care over the next few years. Some of the technologies we discuss are on the horizon; others are already in people’s pockets, their local surgeries, hospitals, homes and communities. But few are systematically deployed in the health and care system and none have reached their full potential. Each could represent an opportunity to achieve better outcomes or more efficient care and improve patient experience.
Pritesh Mistry