Prevention agenda leaves door wide open for pharma, med tech and device companies

A new document from the NHS Confederation contains some crystal clear key messages for pharma, med tech and device companies looking for sales opportunities to latch onto and engage with. 

Unlocking prevention in integrated care systems highlights the need for a transformative approach to preventative health, very much in line with Lord Darzi’s investigation into the NHS in England and the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) paper (which later transpired to be the response to the Darzi report).  

The document focuses on embedding prevention into the way integrated care systems operate and run the NHS. It calls very openly for a shift from reactive healthcare toward a proactive model that integrates community-based care.  

They want to see data driven solutions and cross-sector collaboration, NHS public health and social care coming together to address the root causes of ill health and promote what they call ‘health equity’. 

Read my blog – GPs continue to suffer while hospital waiting lists grow. Can pharma help? – here.  

Early diagnosis means less treatment 

The model is designed to ease pressure on the healthcare system, while obviously improving patient outcomes through early intervention and risk reduction. 

As I’ve stated numerous times before – when patients come to the NHS if they get the early and correct diagnosis and that leads to early and correct treatment, that then automatically leads to fewer appointments in General Practice, fewer referrals to hospitals and, the big one, fewer non-elective admissions into hospital. 

The document explains that as integrated care systems continue to develop and mature, they are uniquely positioned to champion preventative healthcare and co-ordinate across healthcare, social care and all the community resources that exist to tackle health disparities, reduce incidence of chronic disease and, as a result of that, lower the cost of care.  

The report also emphasises the importance of data and technology as well as community partnerships and targeted interventions as foundational elements in the preventative model.  

Four pillars for integrated care systems to embed 

The report comes up with four key insights: 

1. Embedding prevention. The report advocates that integrated care systems (ICS) adopt a ‘prevention first’ approach, integrating preventative care across the entire patient journey. That includes everything from community-based screening and wellness programmes to technology-driven early diagnosis and better chronic disease management. There’s a big focus on reducing the incidence of illness. The view is that integrated care systems can alleviate demand on General Practice and acute services, allowing freed-up resources to be ploughed into preventative efforts. 
2. Tackling health inequalities and prioritising health equity. There is no escaping that health inequalities remain a pervasive issue, and the more vulnerable the population, the more likely they are to experience disproportionate rates of chronic illness and lower access to preventative care. The report says the ICS should address these inequalities by tailoring preventative services to meet the needs of disadvantaged communities, therefore improving health outcomes on a population basis.  
3. Data and digital health. The report stresses the value of a data-driven approach to prevention. If we crunch the numbers and study the analytics and electronic health records of patients, we could then have predictive models that identify at-risk populations. We can then monitor progress on how we get on tackling that. The goal here is to enable the integrated care systems to pre-emptively address emerging health issues and make informed decisions about how and where they allocate their resources. Read my blog – What role will technology play in helping the NHS to recover? – here. 
4. Strengthening community partnerships. Effective prevention requires really strong partnerships across healthcare, social care and public health. Local authorities have got to be included in that. The report stresses that integrated care systems should be engaging with community organisations, social services and local government to address the wider social determinants of health, including housing, education and employment. They should then implement preventative measures that meet local needs. By fostering collaborative relationships, an integrated care system can more effectively address those determinants because they have a huge impact on health outcomes.  

Industry can impact on every area identified via integrated care system collaborations 

In terms of the opportunities for pharma, med tech and device companies, the shift toward prevention opens quite significant opportunities for all three to partner and collaborate with integrated care systems. 

From providing innovative new pharmaceutical products or new medical technology / devices to data-driven analysis, number crunching and budget impact models, there are great opportunities to make an impact. For example, industry could collaborate by developing and providing analytic tools that identify at-risk individuals. Or offer predictive modelling to help pinpoint patients likely to benefit from early intervention. The population health analytics would then guide how the ICS allocated its resources. 

That kind of data-driven approach aligns really well with Lord Darzi’s report, the IPPR report and also with what an integrated care system should be focused on in terms of prevention and helping it enhance its decision making around population health. 

There’s a great opportunity for industry to become pivotal partners in the preventative health system by creating analytic platforms and predictive tools. Anything that facilitates a continuous improvement in patient monitoring and better targeting of treatments and resources can only help. 

Chronic disease management provides ample scope for collaboration 

For community-based initiatives, the opportunities are around access. There will certainly be opportunities for industry to collaborate, particularly around chronic disease management. 

Educational programmes to support lifestyle improvements and promote disease prevention present another golden opportunity. Aligning resources and messaging with integrated care system preventative strategies would help reduce the burden, particularly in conditions like diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Practical resources such as digital health tools or information about lifestyle adjustments that can reduce the risk of developing a chronic disease will be particularly helpful. 

The report highlights a need for tools that allow patients to take control of their own condition and manage their own health proactively, especially those with chronic conditions. That opens up opportunity for remote monitoring devices, wearable technologies that empower patients to take control of their health and enable clinicians to then track health metrics in real time.  

The NHS is already putting virtual wards in place – often called Hospital at Home – where people are tracked and monitored using real time data. If they then see a patient deteriorating, they can intervene. This approach also helps drive better ongoing engagement with patients. 

Help prevent long-term complications  

In terms of preventative medicines, vaccination stands out - a spillover from the pandemic when we were all waiting on a vaccine to come along that would lessen the impact of Covid. 

Right now we’ve got the ongoing flu season, which will include pneumococcal, shingles and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). All of those are being vaccinated against in qualifying populations because it helps lessen the impact of viral infections thus reducing likelihood of people needing NHS care. 

Anything to reduce long-term complications from chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes and mental health problems will always be welcomed. And there’s always the opportunity to continue to expand the vaccine offerings and collaborate with the integrated care systems under vaccination programmes. 

So, industry can work and advocate for preventative regimes, offering early stage intervention that will slow disease progression or onset of the disease in the first place. That’s very likely to be well received and the report absolutely advocates for that.  

The solutions are in the hands of industry 

For pharma, med tech and device companies, it’s really about developing affordable and accessible solutions that target those marginalised populations, the people that suffer from inequalities.  

One of the things I’ve noticed in my work is an increase in mobile health services. In North Warwickshire for instance, they’ve just introduced a Heart Failure Bus that moves around different locations, including General Practices. They’ll park in the GP’s car park and they’re targeting communities, giving equitable access to healthcare.  

Customised, affordable preventative solutions help the NHS develop and deliver outreach programmes in underserved communities while helping the integrated care systems meet equity goals. This carries the added benefit of expanded market reach for the companies involved. 

With superior expertise and data at your disposal, industry is in a prime position to work together with the NHS to manage high risk populations. You identify them, you risk stratify them, and then you manage them. Industry could also design intervention protocols in chronic disease management and prevention.  

New opportunities for pharma to lead the way in preventing illness 

In summary, there are a number of opportunities for collaboration around preventative projects, allowing industry to showcase its contribution to health improvement and reinforce its relevance in the preventative care landscape.  

The confederation report highlights a forward-looking approach to healthcare that lines up perfectly with Lord Darzi’s report. It lines up with the IPPR because it’s fully focused on preventative measures and closing out gaps.  

By investing in prevention, integrated care systems could alleviate the healthcare system burden and ultimately enhance patient outcomes and reduce overall costs. 

For pharma, med tech and device companies, the shift to prevention offers new opportunities to align solutions with ICS priorities, whether through data, analytics, community programmes, innovative devices, preventative medicines or just partnership and collaboration. 

Now’s the time for industry to position itself as a real partner and a contributor to the future of developing new models driving improved patient outcomes while helping support a sustainable health system at the same time. 

Scott McKenzie helps pharmaceutical, medical technology and device firms get their products and services in front of the right NHS decision makers. He helped to land 53 new projects with the NHS in 2023 alone and has now developed a 12-month mentorship programme that helps individuals and teams get straight to the heart of the challenges of selling to the NHS. If you want to get your products fully embedded into treatment pathways, Scott can help. Get unprecedented access to key customer insights, proven tools, resources and strategies plus 1-2-1 coaching and decision-maker introductions to finally get your project over the line. Find out more here.