How to use the power of technology to manage chronic conditions

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Deaths from diabetes increased by 70 percent globally between 2000 and 2019, the number of deaths from heart disease increased by more than 2 million since 2000, to nearly 9 million in 2019. Increased demand on healthcare systems due to chronic disease has become a major concern.

This poses a significant challenge for healthcare systems, employers and patients alike, as it increases the pressure on already strained resources while also burdening patients with constant care requirements and regular medication needs. Some technologies have had success in improving care quality while reducing costs, but many have yet to be widely adopted or show languishing usage rates among patients and providers alike.

?Build a patient-centric model.

As a healthcare provider, if you are going to use technology for chronic condition management, the first step is to build a patient-centric model of health service delivery. The reason for this is simple, the technology solutions that garner strong user adoption is based on patient-centred systems design that meets the requirements and needs of the patient and health consumer.

A Patient-Centric Model is a philosophy that focuses on the needs of the patient and their families, while also involving them in their care. This differs from a patient-focused model, where the focus is on providing high quality care to patients. A patient-centric model includes an understanding of how technology can be leveraged to improve care for people with chronic conditions.

A true patient-centric approach requires providers and other healthcare professionals to create systems that put patients at the centre of all decisions regarding their conditions and treatment options, regardless of whether those treatments require personal visits or remote monitoring and management via technology.

Use technology that is already available.

How you use technology to deliver on your organisation’s approach to handling chronic conditions to your patient population can be simple or complex, depending on factors such as; digital literacy level of your patient population and the digital maturity level of your healthcare personnel.

The core technologies to achieve this are:

• Internet of Things (IoT) technology, which are health devices that are IoT enabled (IoT devices for the medical field are referred to as Internet of Medical Things – IoMT).
• Mobile health applications – which are used to manage the clinical and non-clinical flows of managing the patient’s interactions with your organisation
• Health IT Systems – the mix of applications and systems available in your organisation to make sense of the data collated from your patient population, drill down into individual patient population to provide a tailored personal treatment plan, etc.

The technologies listed above already exists and the solutions for most use-cases are available to buy from software vendors. However, for some organisations, you may be faced with the question of building your technology solution or buying an off-the-shelf solution. This decision is driven by the digital strategy of your organisation, size of the organisation, and the strategy objectives as regards healthcare delivery services.

In most cases, there is no need to reinvent the wheel and use technology that is already available and well-established in order to save time and resources.

Connect patients and their families to their caregivers.

Using technology to connect patients and caregivers is one of the most important ways you can help people manage their conditions. This can be done through a website, mobile app or direct patient portal. Patient portals are particularly useful as they allow patients to easily access information about their condition, care plan and treatment options. They also allow for communication between the patient and caregiver in a secure way that does not involve paper notes or phone calls.

Encourage remote check-ins with patients and make it easy to keep in touch with patients by providing a way for them to contact you and asking about how they're doing. Use tech to provide education and care instructions such as video conferencing to provide education and care instructions or a chatbot to answer patient questions. Mobile apps can provide care instructions, track patient progress, or track adherence.

The best way to ensure your healthcare organisation has an effective patient portal is by working with a well-known company that has experience implementing this kind of technology in other organisations across the country (or globally). The company should help you develop an effective strategy for sharing information in a secure manner with patients before beginning implementation of the system itself — which will save time later on when it comes time for changes or upgrades as new technology becomes available!

Focus on how remote care can benefit the patient and use technology to accomplish your goals.

Technology can be a powerful tool for improving patient care and outcomes, as long as it's used to benefit the patient.

Technology is not an end goal—it's a means to an end. The goal is improved outcomes, which may involve improved access to care or a better experience with your physician or nurse practitioner (NP). Consider how you want your patients to feel when they use technology in their chronic care management: Do they want 24/7 access? Do they want reliable tracking of their symptoms and test results? Or do they just want information at their fingertips when they need it most?

We have only scratched the surface of how technology can improve patient care. As your patients’ needs change, so should their care plans. Use remote care to help them manage their chronic conditions better and provide more thorough and personalised care than ever before.

We help healthcare leaders to address their digital health strategy, including Emerging Technology selection and evaluation decisions. ?Contact info@cenhealth for more information about consulting services in Emerging Technologies.?