A Digital Future: Building a Fairer and Healthier World for Everyone

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World Health Day this year is centred on ‘building a fairer and healthier world’. With the pandemic having a detrimental impact on those communities who had previously started to experience health gains, poverty and food insecurities are now amplifying gender, social, and health barriers across the globe.

Making these communities an integral part of decision-making processes is important in ensuring people have access to quality health services, and vital in building fairer and healthier care systems. Over the past 12 months, Navenio is proud to have contributed to the acceleration of digital in UK healthcare, which has helped us fight COVID-19, and put public health back at the top of the agenda.

A digital future

In order to continue to digitise and transform the world we live in, incorporating the learnings from the past year is vital. Going forward, health care systems will be better prepared to adapt in the future and prioritise public health.

A recent report from Public Policy Projects detailed a set of recommendations for institutions, to encourage wider pickup and implementation of digital initiatives, particularly as we look ahead to the post-pandemic future. Ultimately by continuing to innovate and embrace technology, challenges on the frontline have become significantly reduced, leading to improved care for patients. Recommendations include:

  • Placing digital health innovation at the heart of healthcare reform

  • Legislate for better data access, interoperability and protection

  • Review effective digital solutions used during the pandemic

Offering a helping hand

Healthcare UK recently announced its First 100, a list of UK companies, including Navenio, Cera, Tektology, and difrent, with a proven track record of enhancing the lives of both patients and health professionals in the NHS and private sectors.

These companies have been pivotal in the UK’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and importantly, given the theme of World Health Day, will provide support to international healthcare organisations looking to overcome the challenges they face. A major concern for many hospitals at the moment is the backlog of procedures put on hold due to the pandemic. Finding ways to manage this and getting back to capacity will be a key goal for many institutions – having digital capabilities that can support this will be crucial too.

A global outlook 

Deloitte has predicted in its global care outlook  that health care spending will increase by 4% between 2020-2024, up from 2.8% in 2015-19 – a key reason for this is clinical and technological advances. Insights from Deloitte also highlight the consumer as a key driving force for change. With virtual appointments up from 19% in early 2019 to 28% in April 2020 as the pandemic put a stop to face to face meetings, 80% of consumers stated they would opt for another virtual visit, even post-COVID.

Ultimately, the pandemic has been a catalyst for positive change. The health sector is starting to become more accepting of the possibilities of new technology and is realising the benefits it has had in helping to tackle challenges over the past 12 months. Inadequate, unaffordable care systems and siloed healthcare data management are now set to be eradicated, as business leaders open their eyes to the potential of advanced technology in the sector and, together, we strive to build a fair and healthy world for all.

To find out more about Navenio’s contribution to the healthcare sector, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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