When looking at the healthcare sector at large, there is room for improvement regarding digitization and future-proof technologies. For instance, many market players still rely on excel sheets. At IG&H, we see a lot of valuable -yet unused- data and immature data organizations in this sector. Most healthcare providers, insurers and MedTech parties deal with high-legacy systems, poor interoperability and vendor lock-ins. The key to modernization involves combining sector knowledge with technology. This can be done by re-platforming old systems.
Cecilia Oliveira is the director of Platform Services at IG&H. Together with Manager Healthcare Adriaan Kraal, they are working on a MedTech project which helps patients in their everyday lives. We asked them some questions about their current MedTech projects to gain insight into the work they do to help modernize healthcare.
Could you tell us a bit about what you are doing in the MedTech field?
Cecilia: We have a partnership with a MedTech company to improve patient wellbeing. We are building solutions for them to ease the work of healthcare providers. We have several joint projects, covering things like patient mobile apps for more self-engagement, triage in hospitals, post-purchase support for devices, intranet to foster employee engagement and more. There are still a lot of excel files in use. We bring digital transformation along the patient journey and sales representation, among other things.
What are you most proud of in this project?
Cecilia: We started with four people and a proof of concept. We now have twelve people and have produced many applications. Our portfolio consists of at least eight solutions. We are extremely proud of the trusting relationship we have built with this company. Exploring data and analytics together, we see lots of opportunities ahead.
Adriaan: Yes, the stable partnership makes me proud, too. We have a filled pipeline that shows the trust that this global player has placed in us. They have five other low-code platforms and developers they cooperate with, but the trust, value and quality we deliver set us apart for this massive MedTech player.
How does innovation play a role in this project?
Adriaan: Innovating from four interlinked excel documents to one system, migrating it to a durable, smoother platform is the first step. We are currently laying the foundation for more innovation. An example is eventually using this data to check how patients with comparable characteristics, such as patients within a similar age range, are doing. This will allow evaluation with more context. This foundation of data we are laying now will open the door for more data analytics and other features.
Cecilia: We still have a long way to go but these developments are already giving more power to patients. For instance, thanks to a mobile app where patients can monitor their glucose values and see their latest prescriptions. However, all the clinical processes you go through need to be adjusted as well to align with the new way of working. The innovation goes beyond what we are delivering. It’s more about the approach and innovating daily work. This is synergy in favor of simplicity. A single, centralized view of patient data is one of the biggest challenges. For example, this could mean clear dashboards to help make appointments more efficient. We are currently creating awareness for the value that data has to offer.
A solid data strategy paves the way for success
Some of the first steps organizations can take to achieve digitization in the healthcare sector involve realizing the value of data. At IG&H, we enable you to link data from research, education and healthcare delivery to create actionable insights. We help you create a sustainable data-driven healthcare organization.
Curious about digitization opportunities?
For more information on data-driven healthcare, you can reach out to:
Cecilia Oliveira
T: +351910542274