Can tech be the answer to tackling the healthcare crisis?

For many of us, thinking back to the pandemic feels like ancient history, but the question of how we can support the health system through tech has been on the minds of product people like me ever since. A series of lockdowns have shone a light on just how much our current healthcare system relies on old, outdated processes - putting more pressure on the amazing teams on the front line than ever. Watching this all unfold has left many of us in the product world thinking: we must be able to make it simpler. 

It won't be a surprise to see the CES halls full of new solutions aimed at improving the way we manage our health this year - whether that’s earbuds that double up as hearing aids, technologies that support ageing people or at- home testing and diagnosis solutions. For us in the product and  tech industry, the reality of just how inefficient so many of the current systems are hit us hard throughout the pandemic, and it seems like we’ve collectively decided that something has to change.

When the original team came together and started Etc. at BT Group. We knew that tackling the challenges the healthcare industry is facing in the UK was going to be one of our very first priorities with my brilliant health tech team. Back at the start of last year, the news was feeding us daily stories of just how overwhelmed our national health service was, how long patients were having to make beds and how slow wait times were for ambulances. But it was only when we dived deeper that I was hit with the reality of it all and that news continues to dominate as we move into 2023

Here’s just a snapshot….

• There are currently over 7 million patients on the waiting list for hospital treatment. That’s the highest ever on record. And by 2024 that figure is set to rise to 10 million. Despite this huge backlog of people on waiting lists, in 2022 around 5.4% of hospital beds were empty, simply because bed space was so difficult for clinicians and nurses to manage. 
• Due to slow and outdated processes, our already busy nurses are being pulled away from their patients, having to spend an average of up to 15 minutes every hour responding to questions about potential bed availability rather than delivering patient care For the most part, they are relying on white boards, spreadsheets and sometimes even WhatsApp to keep records of beds and patients. 
• In the next two years, one in five of us will need to wait for over a year to get treatment. 

It’s crucial that we dedicate some of this year’s CES to talking to people about how we’re tackling these challenges at Etc., because for us, it’s all been about how we make things simpler and more efficient. 

We’re working to develop and trial new software that will help transform intake of patients, monitoring and discharge, as well as empowering patients with tools to manage conditions from the comfort of their home. With this new software, we’re aiming to achieve two things: lower the amount of people that need to be in hospital and increase the speed in which people can go home, all whilst making sure they have easy access to a healthcare professional once they leave the hospital. 

For those in healthcare, we’re building a digital solution for clinicians to manage patients and bed capacity on wards through a simple and easy to use app. It reliably updates nurses and doctors on the status of their beds in their ward, all from a chosen device like a phone or a desktop. Updating in real time, we’re looking to empower clinicians with tools that work smarter and faster to give back that precious time that’s currently being lost in meetings, filling out spreadsheets and offline systems…

But the journey doesn’t start and end with getting a patient out of the hospital. Whilst of course a huge part of our mission is to help wards be managed more efficiently and beds to be freed quicker, it’s just as important to empower the patient as it is our nurses and doctors. Particularly in the case of long-term or lifelong conditions. And with many patients reporting to feel abandoned after diagnosis, this isn’t always the case. 

That’s why the second part of our focus is on developing a platform where patients and clinicians can access patient data, assessment notes and treatment plans in one place once discharged from hospital. To keep patients and loved ones' minds at ease, we’re ensuring that our home-health monitoring tools perfectly synchronise with remote monitoring devices, giving patients a clear overview of their treatment and clinicians live updates on their condition from home, without the need for a hospital bed. 

It’s a simple tool, but one that has the power to transform how current healthcare systems function, and one that we will be proud to showcase at CES for the first time. If you’re here in Vegas, come and find us at CES Unveiled (table 433), Pepcom, or at our suite at the Venetian this week, or drop me a message on LinkedIn. 

Otherwise, watch this space as there’s more to come soon.