Future health: focus on health records and information sharing

A look at the Future Health Index 2019 from the perspective of digital health records (DHR) and the impact of several information sharing and data-related update systems on the work of healthcare professionals, patient-related parameters and care quality/outcomes.

When patients are more involved in their care, anecdotally we do see better
outcomes – they develop a richer and more sophisticated understanding of their health journey (Dr. K. Elizabeth Hawk)

Healthcare challenges and enhancements are increasingly addressed with a mix of digital technologies across all levels of the complex ecosystem of ecosystems which healthcare in the broader sense is.

The possibility to leverage big data , have access to the full medical history of patients, to data from medical-grade health trackers and to digital healthcare technologies all contribute to the positive experiences of healthcare professionals- at least, to an extent.

The same goes for digital health records or DHRs according to the 2019 edition of the Future Health Index report, in which Philips tackles the role of digital health technology in enhancing clinician and patient experience.

Yet, while there are improvements and reported positive impacts regarding the usage of digital health data systems in the ongoing digital transformation of healthcare there are still ample shortcomings and a closer look shows important differences in perception concerning the impact of DHRs, with US healthcare professionals being least impressed by the impact of digital health records.
The Future Health Index report (the edition 2019 is the fourth edition) is based on a survey of 15,000 individuals (current and past patients) and over 3,100 healthcare professionals, which was conducted in 15 countries.

It offers a global view of healthcare developments and what is needed to accelerate the transformation of healthcare towards value-based care in future healthcare systems, including telemedicine .
On top of the experiences of both healthcare professionals and individuals (and the role/impact of digital health technology on these experiences), the Future Health Index this year also zooms in on those digital health records and on telehealth and artificial intelligence (mainly in relationship with the core ‘experiences’ theme). Future health is one of the topics at the 5th conference on digital health in September 2019 where Philips’ Frank Dendas is one of the speakers.

Data and experiences – the digital health record aspect in continuous care
Data and information are key in many of the report’s major takeaways, how else could it be?

Patients are explicitly asking for access to their digital health records (Jan Kimpen, Chief Medical Officer for Philips)

As data and (health) information management professionals know, the word ‘right’ is important here and not just in the sense of the right information. The right access to the right level of care and right prevention at the right time through the right tools and right ecosystems of people and prevention/care entities is essential in future health developments. And the right data and information indeed is key to enable it.

The question is obviously what ‘right’ means and nowadays that’s a matter of patient-centricity, a more personal(ized) approach than ever and the means to map what is needed and effectively – collaboratively – realize the initiatives to meet those needs and ensure future health, keeping myriad challenges and developments into account. It’s clear that data is equally key for personalization.

The Future Health Index 2019 report’s core theme, experiences of healthcare professionals and individuals, fits with two pillars of the so-called ‘quadruple aim’ of healthcare which Philips also has embraced for its strategic approach.