Using data to personalise, predict and empower patient care

Jenny Thomas

Programme Director, DigitalHealth.London

Data offers an opportunity to create a more proactive healthcare system and a better experience for patients.

In October, we started a five-week conversation with NHS and social care staff, industry, patients and academics to hear about their learnings from the last five years and the opportunities for the next five years in digital health. 

The potential of data

The final report, Driving digital: Insights and foresights from the health and care ecosystem, identified five key opportunities. One of these was using data to personalise treatment, predict health issues and empower patients to take ownership of their care.

Personalised and predictive care

Data can be used to provide personalised treatment for patients and to predict healthcare issues, shifting the system from being reactive to proactive. The recent increase in the use of wearables and remote monitoring of patient data, accelerated by the pandemic, is a key contributor to this shift.

It is vital that we keep working to give patients access to their medical records and the opportunity to manage their own care.

Cibiltec is a company on cohort six of the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme. Their product uses data and artificial intelligence (AI) to predict issues in kidney transplant patients to enable earlier, personalised treatment and avoid complications, ultimately reducing pressure on the health system.

Empowering patients with data

In the report, Liz O’Riordan, author, speaker, broadcaster and person living with breast cancer, says: “My own biggest learning in digital health has been the ability to have a patient portal where I can easily access all my results, appointments and letters, and being able to sync this with Apple health.”

The value of data for patients is enormous. It is vital that we keep working to give patients access to their medical records and the opportunity to manage their own care. Ben Wanless, Consultant Physiotherapist at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Trust, took part in the DigitalHealth.London Digital Pioneer Fellowship programme and focussed his project on scaling the getUBetter solution across South-West London to enable effective self-management of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. This benefitted approximately 100,000 patients and over 200 members of staff.

As patients realise that they can own their health information and use it to advocate for their healthcare, there will be an increased demand for access. A data revolution is on its way and the healthcare system must prepare.