Faces of Digital Health
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In the last few years, we've witnessed a whirlwind of developments in the world of Digital Therapeutics (DTx) - from FDA approvals sparking optimism for the industry, to the establishment of regulatory frameworks in countries like Germany, France, and Belgium. However, in 2023, the industry faced a stark reality check, marked by the fall of some key players and healthcare systems' hesitancy towards embracing and financing these innovations. This turbulence has reshaped strategies and raised critical questions about the future of DTx. đ In this episode learn more about: đ The current state of the DTx industry in 2024, đŁď¸ Key debates of digital therapies industry players, đ Advocacy efforts pushing the boundaries for global adoption, đ Strategies to accelerate the integration of digital therapies worldwide. Newsletter: fodh.substack.com Website: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com
Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have become increasingly integral in healthcare for assessing the effectiveness of treatments from the patient's perspective. It sounds like a reasonable step in improving clinical research and care provision, but gathering data can be more difficult then you may think. It isn't easy to get to marginalized communities. There are language barriers in collecting data. There are cultural aspects that impact responses. So, how can you design useful electronic solutions for patient-reported outcomes? Hear from Mustafa Ali Syed, Researcher at the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, and Ben James, Co-founder/Chief Design Officer at uMotif - ePRO, an engagement platform designed to power clinical and real-world research. Both are co-authors of a recently published paper titled Exploring the Cross-cultural Acceptability of Digital Tools for Pain Self-reporting. www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ Show notes: 00:00:00 Why Do PROs Matter? 00:04:00 Evolution of Data Collection 00:06:00 Importance of Diversity in Clinical Trials 00:08:00 Ethnicity, Culture, and Pain Perception 00:12:00 The Role of Technology in PROs 00:14:00 Designing Inclusive Digital Solutions 00:20:00 Challenges in Engaging Targeted Populations 00:22:00 Language and Communication Barriers 00:26:00 The Future of PRO Research
Did you know that Belgium has had an idea for classifying and validating digital therapeutics since 2018? A clear framework was formed with all main stakeholders involved - from health insurance to the industry. So why are we not hearing more about DTx in Belgium? In this discussion you will hear from Dr. Steven Vandeput - he is the Advisor for Digital MedTech and Services & Technologies Home Assistance in Belgium; he is managing the mHealthBelgium portal and, since 2019, has been a representative for beMedTech, the sector federation that represents the industry of medical technologies in Belgium. Website: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ Show notes: 00:00 - Introduction 01:45 - Digital Therapeutics in Belgium 03:50 - Belgium's Healthcare Framework Development 06:00 - The Validation Pyramid and Reimbursement System 08:00 - Fate of Pilot Projects and Their Impact 10:00 - Utilization of mHealth Belgium Portal 12:00 - Challenges in Reimbursement and Financing 14:00 - Prospects for Digital Therapeutic Companies 16:00 - Belgium's Approach to Financing Digital Health 18:00 - Anticipations for the Digital Health Field 20:00 - The Evolving European Frameworks 22:00 - Impact of Political Decisions and Healthcare System Integration 24:00 - The Future of mHealth Belgium Platform
The field of oncology treatments is advancing very fast with innovative therapies and approaches on the market every day. It can get very tricky to support these therapies from an IT perspective, which is what you will hear more about in this discussion. I spoke with Anish Patankar, SVP and GM of Elektaâs Oncology Software Solutions, and we discussed How to go about the US hospital market, Development in software for oncology treatments, Challenges in scaling healthcare IT software across markets. Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Show notes: [00:00:00] Introduction to Elekta [00:02:00] Elekta's Global Presence [00:04:00] US Market Focus [00:06:00] Growth in Developing Countries [00:08:00] Segmentation and Technology Adoption in the US [00:10:00] Untapped Needs and Opportunities in the US [00:12:00] Elekta's Use of AI [00:14:00] Patient Feedback and Clinical Decision Making [00:18:00] Navigating Legacy Software in Healthcare IT [00:20:00] Modernization and Customer Satisfaction [00:22:00] Global Standardization and Regulation Challenges [00:24:00] Interoperability and Open Ecosystem [00:26:00] Future of Oncology Market Development: the interplay between medications and radiation, and the potential of theranostics. [00:28:00] Exciting Technologies in Healthcare Beyond Oncology: personalized healthcare, digital twins [00:30:00] Cautions for the Future: The critical debate on the balance between innovation speed and safety, particularly with generative AI.
In 2023, Insilico Medicineâa biotech company developing medications with a heavy reliance on AIâused AI to develop an experimental drug for the incurable lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The treatment is in mid-stage trials in the US and China, with some results expected in early 2025. Biotech is one of the fields that has been using generative AI for years, even before ChatGPT brought the technology to public view. Latest technology is essential in drug development. However, the convergence of digital health and pharma seems less clear. Digital health apps started gaining popularity around 2015, and at that time, it seemed all pharma companies were trying to figure out what they could gain from apps, so they financed accelerators and incubators one after the other. We've seen many ideas about how Pharma should or could use digital health. In the last few years, there have been many notorious cases when partnerships failedâa seemingly unicorn, Proteus, which designed digital sensors-equipped pills, went bankrupt in 2019 after Otsuka Pharmaceuticals pulled out of a funding round. Pear Therapeutics, the guiding star in the DTx space and the leader in FDA-cleared prescription digital therapeutics, partnered with Novartis, but in the end, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2023. So where is Pharma in relation to digital health and digital therapeutics? In this episode, Amir Lahav shares his thoughts about the impact of AI on biotech, the state of decentralized clinical trials, and the potential of technology for improved drug development, clinical trials, and patient responses. Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ www.facesofdigitalhealth.com
HLTH (https://hlth.com/) is an event where you will see a literal forest on one of the stages, be able to take a selfie with a unicorn mascot, and get perks like hlth branded pink nail polist on your entrance. In the last few years, HLTH has become the most flashy, visible and must-go digital health event in the US. In this episode, Rich Scarfo, president of HLTH, talks about HLTH's approach to making events memorable, why HLTH is taking experience economy as a guiding principle in the investment in the scene at HLTH, networking tips, and why HLTH is coming to Europe in June 2024. HLTH Europe (17-20 June 2024): https://europe.hlth.com/ www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/
Migraine is 3 times more common in women than in men. 2/3 of patients with Alzheimerâs disease. Gender differences are real and they matter. The Women's Brain Project (WBP) is a Swiss-based international non-profit organization founded in 2016. It comprises a diverse team of academic and social scientists, medical doctors, engineers, patients, caregivers, artists, and AI experts. The WBP focuses on understanding sex and gender differences in brain and mental diseases to pave the way for precision medicine. This involves tailoring medical treatment to the individual characteristics of each patient, including factors like sex, gender, genomic and proteomics, microbiome, ethnicity, and socio-economic statusââ. In this episode Antonella Santuccione Chadha, medical doctor and CEO of Womenâs brain project and Anna De, Head of Stakeholder Engagement at Women's Brain Project explain: where are we with data about womenâs health specifics, what is driving research in womenâs health, what is the negative health and societal impact on women because of their predominant role in caregiving. Show notes: [00:03:01] Antonella Discusses Women's Brain Project: The gaps in medicine for not considering sex and gender. The transformation from an association to a foundation. The need for commitment and support for evidence generation. [00:05:20] Underrepresentation of Women in Research: Antonella explains historical exclusion of women and the current need for inclusion. Addressing biases and the importance of female leadership in medicine. [00:08:23] Evaluating Existing and New Treatments: The role of real-world data in addressing the gap in gender responses to treatments. [00:11:27] Key Findings and Successes: Antonella passes the conversation to Anna to discuss policy successes. [00:11:59] Anna Discusses Policy Impact: How Women's Brain Project informs global policy. Collaboration with large organizations and efforts to influence policy. [00:16:01] Migraine Research and Campaigns: Details on the migraine awareness campaign and insights on how it impacts women specifically. [00:19:30] Antonella on Scientific Evidence: The role of female hormones in migraines and other diseases. The importance of translating science into political measures. [00:20:38] Alzheimer's Disease in Women: Discussion on why two-thirds of Alzheimer's patients are women and associated factors. [00:26:00] Relationship Between Research and Medical Practice: Antonella shares her experiences as a clinician and the realization of gender disparities in her patients. The importance of educating healthcare professionals on sex and gender differences. [00:29:03] Anna Adds to the Discussion: The need to consider both sex and gender differences in healthcare. The societal impact of caregiver burden on women. [00:33:34] Identifying Questions and Approaches for Research: The conversation turns to the complexities of starting research with the right questions and data. [00:37:18] Key Changes Needed to Advance Women's Health: Antonella and Anna discuss the three key changes they hope to see: investment in women-driven innovation, prioritizing sex and gender differences in policy agendas, and empowering women with knowledge about their health. [00:41:34] Closing Remarks: The need for more research and better patient management, especially regarding menopause. The call for the younger female generation to lead change. Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ www.facesofdigitalhealth.com
Laboratory tests provide doctors with crucial information for diagnosis, monitoring disease progression, evaluating organ function, assessing risk factors for diseases and more. Laboratory testing can be reassuring, however, it is often deemed unnecessary. In this short episode recorded at HLTH, weâre going to talk about laboratory test optimization. How can it be done without undermining clinical autonomy, what kind of real-time insights can be offered to doctors with tech and more. You will hear from Pam Stahl, President of of Avalon Healthcare Solutions - American Lab Insights Company, that help payers and providers optimize treatments, improve outcomes, and drive down overall cost. Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ www.facesofdigitalhealth.com
In this episode, youâre going hear about the German market for digital health startups, the innovation approach at Charite, one of Europe's largest university hospitals, the challenges with digital therapeutics in Germany and beyond. I spoke with DorothĂŠe Marie-Louise DĂśpfer, Deputy Head of Digital Labs and program Manager of the Digital Health Accelerator & Community Building at Charite UMC Berlin. Dorothee also shared her expectations about the impact of AI on European health systems. Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ www.facesofdigitalhealth.com
ePrescribing has become a norm in the US healthcare system. Now, the expanded role of pharmacists and the integration of non-physician prescribers into the healthcare system signifies a move towards a more accessible healthcare model, potentially alleviating some of the clinicians' burdens. Surescripts is the national provider of the ePrescribing infrastructure in the US. In this short discussion, I spoke with Dr. Lynne Nowak, Chief Data and Analytics Officer, and Melanie Marcus, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer at Surescripts, about the importance of ePrescribing on a national level, the changing role of pharmacists, and how it facilitates the redistribution of healthcare provision burdens. Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ www.facesofdigitalhealth.com
Digital health funding has fallen significantly since 2020. However, funding for Femtech went from 7,6% inside the digital health investments in 2020 to 13,26% in 2022, according to TechCrunch. The awareness about female-specific health-related characteristic has been on the rise for the last several years, which is evident in the growing healthcare innovation space specifically targeting women. In this discussion, you will hear from Marija ButkoviÄ - founder and CEO of Women of Wearables, a Venture Partner at Simsan Ventures, and an advisor for multiple global organizations in the women's health space. Marija talked about: The challenge of providing appropriate care and support to women (for issues like menstruation, menopause, and conditions like endometriosis) without creating a sense of inequality or sidelining men, data-driven approaches in addressing women's health issues, trends in women's health for the year 2023, including a broader understanding of fertility issues. Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ www.facesofdigitalhealth.com
Technically, we've never been more connected or had relationships with as many people as we do today, thanks to social networks on the internet. Yet, while these platforms bring convenience, they are also increasing loneliness and reducing face-to-face interactions. However, technology isn't solely a problem; it can facilitate the easier pairing of individuals who wish to assist those lacking a real-world social network. Take Papa, for example, a company that provides social support by pairing older adults and families with trained and vetted companions known as Papa Pals. In this brief episode, you will listen to a discussion with Ellen Rudy, the former Head of Research and Social Impact, whom I met at HLTH 2023. Ellen shares her insights on the causes of solitude and the potential of technology to mitigate loneliness. ďťżNewsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ www.facesofdigitalhealth.com
HLTH is recognized as the United States' number one health innovation event. Its unique and vibrant approach sets it apart from typical industry conferences. Each stage at HLTH is distinctively themed and designed, featuring motifs like the moon, sky, and earth, creating an awe-inspiring experience reminding of of a child's first visit to an amusement park. Beyond the captivating atmosphere, the core attraction of HLTH lies in its substantive content and guests. These include key stakeholders from top tech companies, including pop stars who entered healthcare, or public figures such as Arianna Huffington or Chelsea Clinton. In 2024, HLTH will also be organized in Europe. The event concept will be the same, but the content will be prepared by a European team to touch upon key topics in the European space. While they were enjoying their team building in Ljubljana, Tjasa Zajc sat down with Jody Tropeano, Head of Content at HLTH US and Henry Stoneley, Head of UK and Netherlands. They discussed Jodyâs and Henryâs reflections on healthcare in the US, key trends, and challenges. Video interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blT9PIJGfuA Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ www.facesofdigitalhealth.com
In patient included or patient centred healthcare approach, patient feedback is key for improved care, and healthcare experience. Pep Health uses a digital platform to collect and analyze patient feedback from various online sources, moving away from traditional, less effective survey methods. The platform provides detailed scores and insights, allowing healthcare providers to make targeted improvements in specific areas like access and quality within their facilities. The data and insights generated are influencing healthcare policies and practices, leading to changes in areas such as maternity services and mental health care delivery. At HLTH 2023, founder of Pep Health Meghan Leaver shared more insights behind: Innovation in the patient feedback gathering, What actionable insight healthcare providers can get from PEP insights, Impact patient feedback analysis can have on policymaking Episode summary: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/why-patient-feedback-is-a-goldmine-for-improvements Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/
Generative AI is making waves in healthcare, with an already visible impact in documentation and potential in drug development, medicine, care, and more. With 2023 nearing its end, it's time to reflect on the impact of AI in 2023. This episode offers: đ A recap of AI innovation in healthcare in the past year, đ What has realistically changed in clinical practice, đ Where are the practical applications of AI and LLMs in healthcare, đ How is AI regulated so far and what are the upcoming changes, đ What can we expect in the upcoming years? Speakers: đ Shweta Maniar, Director of Global Healthcare & Life Sciences Industry Strategy at Google, đ Rachel Dunscombe, CEO of openEHR International Foundation, đ Kira Radinsky, CEO & CTO at Diagnostic Robotics, đ Harvey Castro, MD, MBA., Clinician, Healthcare Futurist, Public Speaker See the video recording if this live stream: https://www.youtube.com/live/Aul1vm2lUzQ?si=RBS9RG4hHRZRqxBU Check out the newsletter for the summary which will be published soon: https://fodh.substack.com/ www.facesofdigitalhealth.com
Women's health refers to a broad range of medical and wellness services specifically tailored to address the unique health concerns of women. Particular focus is on reproductive health, fertility, and menopause. Technology supporting womenâs health can go from EHR records, telemedicine services, medical imaging, diagnostic and IVF technology, wearable devices for monitoring health, menstrual cycles, menopause symptoms, robotic surgery in gynecology, and more. This episode focuses on the fertility market with investor Leslie Shrock, author, entrepreneur, and angel investor working at the convergence of health and technology. Leslie Shrock wrote two books: Bumpinâ: The Modern Guide to Pregnancy, which mixes the latest clinical research with practical advice for working families and Fertility Rules, published in June 2023, which addresses male and female fertility. In this discussion, Leslie shared her insights into: - key misconceptions and lack of knowledge we have around fertility, - how is the market developing, - what technologies she is hoping to see, - what investment models seem to be working so far. Recap: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/fertility-womenshealth-leslie-schrock Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ Website: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com
If youâre still trying to wrap your head around the use of AI in healthcare, this episode will give you an idea about the use of generative AI to create clinical notes during an interaction between a doctor and a patient. Augmedix, a healthcare technology company that delivers ambient medical documentation and data solutions. Their clinician-controlled mobile app uses generative AI to instantaneously create a fully automated draft medical note after each patient visit. I spoke with Manny Krakaris - CEO of Augmedix, about the HOW. How is their data model built, what and what kind of technology do they use in their product? Manny also explains why theyâre not covering revenue cycle management or RCM-related codes in their data structuring processes, and what are the biggest challenges in the industry at the moment. The second part of this episode is unrelated to generative AI, and illustrates how existing medical data can be used to create risk prediction tools for medical care. You will hear from Nassib Chamoun, Founder and CEO of the Health Data Analytics Institute, an analytics company that is developing risk modeling methodology to ease clinical decision-making by assigning patients different risk scores based on their medical history. This enables clinicians to design follow-up protocols based on an individual's potential health deterioration. Both discussions were recorded at HLTH. Read a longer article about insights related to generative AI from HLTH, which includes an overview of the key player in medical notes generation space: https://fodh.substack.com/p/generative-ai-in-healthcare. Episode summary: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/ai-for-medical-note-taking-and-risk-scoring-augmedix-hdai Augmedix: https://augmedix.com/ HDAI: https://www.hda-institute.com/ Discussion summary: More about healthcare data in the US: Healthcare data in the US series: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/healthcare-data-series-in-the-us-foundy-epic-komodo?rq=epic%20 Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ Website: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Leave a rating or review in iTunes: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/subscribe
In the United States, individuals' healthcare information is dispersed among various healthcare providers. But many companies have been working on creating consolidated patient views, Reveleer being one of them. Data fragmentation often occurs because people tend to switch healthcare providers when they change jobs and, as a result, their health insurance plans. Since insurance companies have specific networks of affiliated healthcare providers, a change in insurance necessitates a change in providers. Because providers use different information technology systems, individual healthcare data becomes compartmentalized and difficult to consolidate. In this episode, Jay Ackerman, CEO and president of Reveleer, a healthcare technology workflow, data, and analytics company, supporting payers and risk-bearing providers in their value-based care programs, explained: how Reveleer consolidates patient data to give clinicians a single overview of the patient, what are the biggest pain points in healthcare data management in the US, how is generative AI affecting Reveleerâs product development? Discussion transcription: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/healthcare-data-consolidation-reveleer More about healthcare data in the US: Healthcare data in the US series: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/healthcare-data-series-in-the-us-foundy-epic-komodo?rq=epic%20 Generative AI in Healthcare: "The biggest challenge is in PR": https://fodh.substack.com/p/generative-ai-in-healthcare Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ Website: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Leave a rating or review in iTunes: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/subscribe
VR is becoming a well-established tool in healthcare and medicine to help treat pain management, anxiety, mental wellness, and more. Thousands of studies have shown the efficacy of VR approaches for health because of the impact of the immersive experience offered by this technology. We covered VR in medicine in several episodes in the past, and Iâm adding the link to those in the show notes. In todayâs episode, youâll hear an update on the field with Aaron Gani, CEO of BehaVR, a company providing virtual reality solutions to address pain management, anxiety, mental wellness, and social engagement. I spoke with Aaron at HLTH in Las Vegas, where he shared the latest on reimbursement, shifts in digital therapeutics companies' business models, which might make VR solutions more widely accessible with direct-to-consumer approaches. I also asked about the impact of VR on decreasing opioid use in pain management and thoughts about VR and psychedelics since both approaches leverage altered states of consciousness. Enjoy the discussion. You can also read the summary of this chat on our website; the link is in the show notes. And if you havenât yet, do check out our newsletter at fodh.substack.com. The latest edition focuses on the state of generative AI in healthcare, and the past editions have info on how France is approaching the reimbursement of digital therapeutics. You can find an overview of healthcare and digitalization in Africa, insight into the APAC and LATAM regions, and much more. Do check it out! Discussion summary: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/vr-healthcare-behavr-aaron-gani BehaVR: https://www.behavr.com/how-it-works/ https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/ Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ Past episodes on VR: F106 VRx: What has over 5000 studies taught us about the healing effect of VR? (Dr. Brennan Spiegel) https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/f106-vrx-what-has-over-5000-studies-taught-us-about-the-healing-effect-of-vr-dr-brennan-spiegel VR: Promises and Challenges in 2021 (Rafael Grossman, Jennifer Esposito, Aaron Gani): https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/vr-rafael-grossmann-behavr-magic-leap
Generative AI - a subset of AI technologies that employ advanced machine learning algorithms to generate content, solutions, or outcomes that weren't explicitly programmed into the algorithms. This technology has many potential applications in healthcare. But at the moment, itâs hard the digital health space is filled with noise. This discussion was recorded at HLTH 2023 in Las Vegas. Justin Norden - Partner at GSR Ventures talks about: his observes from the investorâs perspective, what he thinks about the discussions on open-sourced vs. closed AI development, why everyone should incorporate generative AI in healthcare and more. Newsletter summary of generative AI in healthcare: https://fodh.substack.com/p/generative-ai-in-healthcare Interview with Justin Norded - July 2023: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/investors-bet-on-in-generative-ai-in-healthcare https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/
Alex Mervin is Head of Growth, Healthcare & Life Sciences Startups at Amazon Web Services (AWS). In this episode, he presents the AWS Health Innovation Podcast, which showcases startups that are advancing healthcare & life science by leveraging cloud computing technology. In this episode, Alex Merwin and Tjasa Zajc, Host of Faces of Digital Health, discuss: podcasting, how AWS supports startups, what trends is Alex observing in the health innovation space, key findings from the recent Faces of Digital Health series about entrepreneurship and healthcare in Africa. ... and more. More about AWS Health Innovation Podcast: https://healthpodcastnetwork.com/show/aws-health-innovation-podcast/ Discussion with Alex Zhavoronkov mentioned in the show: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/2019/05/03/f036-how-is-ai-decoding-aging Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/
In this episode, we navigate through the clinical landscape of Kenya with nephrologist Khalida Soki, who, after a tenure with the UK's NHS, chose to return to her native land. Our conversation delves into the stark realities clinicians face in regions constrained by resources. Khalida sheds light on the imperative for innovation amongst doctors, who often find themselves adaptingâsometimes in deviation from international clinical guidelinesâto maximize the impact of available resources. She also highlights the pivotal role of technology, pointing to the convenience and widespread use of telemedicine facilitated by Kenya's robust connectivity infrastructure. Access to international resources, she notes, is invaluable in offering patients informed clinical advice. Website: facesofdigitalhealth.com Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ Ilara Health: https://www.ilarahealth.com/about-us/ Leave a rating or a review: https://lovethepodcast.com/facesofdigitalhealth
Kenya has a lot of talent and opportunities for innovation. Access to care is not a problem because plenty of community nurses are present nationwide. However, they have a limited problem and mostly focus on main infectious diseases, leaving serious conditions undiagnosed, says Emilian Popa, Founder and CEO of Ilara Health. Ilara health equips a network of small healthcare providers with lifesaving and essential diagnostic tools to improve the quality of medical care in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this episode, Emilian Popa talks about: why health insurance is hard to scale in Africa, where people are concerned with daily costs and survival, investments and how local VCs mostly invest in sectors like real estate and investments for health tech are supported by foreign investors, why Ilara Health is expanding on the Kenyan market but not in Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria or Egypt. Transcript: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/kenya-ilara-health-diagnostics-africa Website: facesofdigitalhealth.com Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ Ilara Health: https://www.ilarahealth.com/about-us/ Leave a rating or a review: https://lovethepodcast.com/facesofdigitalhealth
One of the biggest challenges for healthcare startups in Nigeria is access to market. âIn Nigeria, healthcare is fragmented, making it difficult to find distribution channels. We have to be creative and may need to look outside healthcare for distribution channels.â , says Jennie Nwokoye is the founder and CEO of Clafiya - a digital primary healthcare service that connects individuals and businesses to health practitioners to provide convenient, quality, and affordable, on-demand primary care from their mobile phones. In this discussion, Jennie explains:Â What are the healthcare challenges in Nigeria, How do startups do business in Nigeria and why is it difficult to scale, How do startups work with local and international investors and more Transcript: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/primary-care-nigeria-clafiya Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/
One of the speakers at the Nextmed Health Conference 2023 said: âIn the past, people didnât age; they just died.â This is still a daily reality in many low-income countries, which face a lack of workforce, poor healthcare system structure, and lack of resources. In this episode, we will learn about Nigeria. Nigeria has 220 million people which is roughly â of the population of the US. While many healthcare-related resources are scarce, the Internet is available and so is the fierce ambition of local entrepreneurs. These use digital tools to bring healthcare information and care closer to patients or to upskill the workforce. So what does care in Nigeria look like? What challenges do startups face? Where do they get investments? Hear from: Charles Umeh, Chief Medical Officer of CribMD, Ossai Ifeanyi CEO of CribMD, Jennie Nwokoye, CEO of Clafiya and Christian Chidoziem, Pharmacy Student and Entrepreneur. Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/
Africa is a huge continent with 1.2 billion people and a diverse set of countries. Healthcare systems are generally poor, with workforce and supply chain struggles, and infrastructure challenges such as power outages. In this episode you will hear about how drones are used in Malawi for healthcare delivery. Herbert Weirather is the CEO of Jedsy - a technology company based in Switzerland with the ultimate aim of designing and developing high-end multipurpose drones. Jedsy is present in Switzerland, Malawi, India and Brazil. In this discussion, Herbert explained: What challenges are present in the medical supply chain in Africa, Which stakeholders does the company work with, whatâs their business model, and why there is no such thing as competition in the medical supply drone delivery space, because healthcare needs all the help it can get. Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/ Jedsy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGaXHdjoQ-Q https://jedsy.com/
In June 2021, France announced a âŹ7.5 billion Health Innovation Plan, as part of a broader financial investment to boost the French industry. This funding goes beyond digital health, itâs aimed at supporting biotech development, startups, medtech, and more. In 2021, The eHealth Acceleration Strategy was launched, a large part of which includes upskilling and training new and existing healthcare experts, and medical and social workers in digital health. In todayâs discussion you will hear from Louisa StĂźwe is the project director of the Ministerial eHealth delegation at the French Ministry of Health. We discussed how the French strategy was designed, who was involved, and what has been realized to date. She also explains the process for reimbursement of digital therapeutics software medical devices and telemonitoring, how France supports the secondary use of medical data, and more. Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/ Additional resources: French core information platfom for digital health information: https://gnius.esante.gouv.fr/en TEHDAS state of digital health in 12 countries in Europe report: https://tehdas.eu/results/member-states-readiness-to-benefit-from-the-ehds-regulation-varies/ Health data hub: https://www.health-data-hub.fr/
The US has had ePrescribing since 2001. However, after four years, only 4% of clinicians had adopted it. Electronic prescribing became legal in all 50 states by 2007. Eight years later, controlled substances and prior authorization were enabled on the singular ePrescribing network. In 2022, a new player entered the market, founded by FDB - a global provider of clinical decision support tools and resources for medication. FDB Vela sets itself apart with newer technology and additional features. They are also working on building a veterinarian ePrescribing network. In todayâs discussion with Lathe Bigler - Vice President of Clinical Network Services at FDB (First Databank) and General Manager of FDB Velaâ˘, you will hear more about what ePrescribing entails under the new network. Additionally, you will learn about FDB's plans to enhance medication information for patients, improve accessibility to pharmacogenomics insights, and more. Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ Leave a rating or a review: lovethepodcast.com/facesofdigitalhealth Website: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com
A systemic approach to care for non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes is Africa is in its early stages, with the biggest challenge for patients being the price of medications, says Anne Stake, Chief Strategy and Product Officer at Medtronic Labs. Medtronic Labs is a nonprofit organization that works with governments and local communities in across Africa to create local ecosystems for the management of hypertension and diabetes. In this episode, Anne Stake explains: how does Medtronic Labs work, why are they present in Africa, how to run successful non-communicable diseases programs in Africa, why regulation isn't as loose in less developed markets than the West might think, ...and more! This is a rerun of an episode first published in July 2022. www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Excerpt and full episode with Anne Stake: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/medtronic-labs-africa?rq=medtronic Herve Mwamba - South Africa & Africa More Broady: Whatâs The State of Medical Device Regulation? : https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/medical-device-regulation-mdr-africa?rq=herve%20 Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ Leave a rating or a review: https://lovethepodcast.com/facesofdigitalhealth
Drug development is undeniably expensive. For years, the pharmaceutical industry cited an estimate of 3 billion US dollars. However, a recent study published in 2020 discovered that the median cost actually falls between 985 million and 1.3 billion US dollars. Even within this range, it remains a substantial amount. The high cost primarily stems from the significant failure rate of new potential medications that never progress beyond clinical trials. Computational biology and AI have already assumed significant roles in drug development. The aspiration is for them to expedite the creation of new, more precise, and tailored medications. Today, we will delve into biotech and explore how technology aids in predicting a specific patient's response to a particular drug. In a conversation with Rafael Rosengarten, the CEO of Genialis - a company using machine learning and high-throughput omics data to capture underlying disease biology and predict how patients will likely respond to targeted therapies, we explored the impact of computational biology on drug development and pricing, the application of generative AI in discovering novel molecules, and the challenges companies encounter in acquiring patient data to advance their work. Sponsor: Magic Mind Learn more at: magicmind.com/digitalhealth Use the code: digitalhealth20 Find more at: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/
