{"id":342744,"date":"2017-06-05T16:30:08","date_gmt":"2017-06-05T08:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?p=1499329"},"modified":"2017-06-05T16:30:08","modified_gmt":"2017-06-05T08:30:08","slug":"the-consumerization-of-healthcare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/the-consumerization-of-healthcare\/","title":{"rendered":"The consumerization of healthcare"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Sam Myers<\/span> Contributor<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Sam Myers is an investor at Balderton Capital<\/a>, where he is responsible for the firm’s Nordic portfolio and focuses on investments in security, healthcare, automotive and mobile internet technologies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Recently, I registered with the GP across the road from my flat. I\u2019ve lived there for a year. I had put off registering beforehand due to a severe allergy to bureaucracy.\u00a0 Last year, I wanted to go see a specialist. I snored at my private healthcare provider\u2019s response that I first needed to have a consultation with my doctor\u2026 Safe to say it never happened.<\/p>\n

\u2018Access\u2019, in\u00a0healthcare, tends to mean availability of\u00a0care, and often comes down to the affordability of the\u00a0care, and the size of the audience that have access to it. My anecdotes are obviously examples of minor friction, rather than any \u2018real\u2019 issues with access to\u00a0healthcare, but in the \u2018on demand\u2019 world we live in, where easy sign-up and zero-friction on-boarding is king, access also means getting the right medical \u2018product\u2019 at the time you need it.<\/p>\n

This is the advancement in\u00a0healthcare\u00a0that I\u2019m most excited about. Products are now being delivered directly to the patient \u2013 which is preferable to leaving them at the mercy of the doctor\u2019s calendar.<\/p>\n

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The new meaning of \u2018over the counter\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

In grocery stores fifty years ago, there used to be a clear divide between the consumers and the goods. Groceries could be accessed only through the shop clerk, who was the gatekeeper. It was useful to have someone from whom to advice, but over time, it became clear that it was a far better to be allowed to make their own decisions.<\/p>\n

The same switch is now happening in\u00a0healthcare. Due to the improved access to information in the \u2018WebMD<\/a>\u2019 era, people often have an idea of what is wrong with them when they are ill. Also, they are generally\u00a0health-conscious, and therefore keen to ensure they remain healthy today\u2019 so they don\u2019t become a patient tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Due to this change in behavior and improved access to information, there is now room in the market for\u00a0consumer-grade\u00a0healthcare\u00a0products and digital tools to ensure these products are available to large audiences, in new ways.<\/p>\n

Those who successfully build\u00a0consumer\u00a0products and brands in\u00a0healthcare\u00a0will win big in the next few years.<\/p>\n

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The new patient pathway<\/strong><\/p>\n

So people are getting healthier: what does this mean?<\/p>\n

In the past medical products were, almost universally, reserved for patients within the\u00a0healthcare\u00a0system. As these move from behind the counter to the shop floor, they are repackaged and offered immediately to those who want them.<\/p>\n

This is happening in diagnostics and testing. Companies like Werlabs<\/a> in Sweden offer detailed blood testing. In the UK, Thriva<\/a> offer smaller-scale, at-home testing. Labs are already processing these samples for hospitals, so why not make their excess capacity available for consumers?<\/p>\n

The trend continues with treatment. Companies like Dr. Ed<\/a> are repackaging access to prescriptions through codifying the process into an online questionnaire, which is approved by a physician before the drugs are dispatched. Products like IESO\u00a0Health\u00a0<\/a>are enabling patients to directly connect with therapists, with no need for referral, which is likely to provide access to mental\u00a0health\u00a0care\u00a0to those who may not have been otherwise diagnosed.<\/p>\n

Medical data is ripe for change. Our data is currently hidden in disparate patient records, but is becoming our own again thanks to platforms like PatientsKnowBest<\/a> (full disclosure, Balderton is invested).<\/p>\n

Digital tools are also changing how we manage diseases. Behavior change programs are being turned into products, and scaled across a previously impossible large number of patients. This is particularly powerful when tackling\u00a0healthcare\u00a0problems that affect a nation of people, and emanate from poor lifestyle.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

OurPath<\/a> in the UK (disclosure: I am a personal shareholder and advisor) and Omada\u00a0Health\u00a0<\/a>in the US are doing great work in diabetes. Users of both can go directly to a new treatment without needing to be referred to it.<\/p>\n

But it isn\u2019t all moving completely outside the\u00a0healthcare\u00a0system. We will always need professional advice from GPs and specialists. There are a number of incredible founders working on how to transform a Doctor\u2019s wisdom into an on-demand service.<\/p>\n

The biggest shift is in access to primary\u00a0care. Technology is removing location as a barrier by enabling patients to access doctors online, therefore reducing travel and waiting time. This is particularly exciting for remote areas that have traditionally had issues with access and costs, especially in emerging markets.<\/p>\n

Many of these products are being built by teams with a mix of experience in\u00a0healthcare\u00a0and\u00a0consumer\u00a0products.<\/p>\n

This is happening all over Europe \u2013 from Kry<\/a> and MinDoktor<\/a> in the Nordics, to PushDr<\/a>. and Doctor\u00a0Care\u00a0Anywhere<\/a> in the UK, and MesDocteurs<\/a> in France. Other companies, like Meru\u00a0Health\u00a0<\/a>and Virta\u00a0Health\u00a0<\/a>are building light-asset specialist clinics, combining digital tools for managing specific diseases with remote consultations with physicians.<\/p>\n

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The Challenges Ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n

We should always ask ourselves this question when it comes to\u00a0healthcare: do consumers really know best? When should we be allowed to choose our own treatment, and when might we be harmed by doing so? The prescription processes of online pharmacies are criticised for being too loose; and the safety of new digital therapies needs to be supported by the evidence-base, much as it as in traditional medicine.<\/p>\n

There will also be a debate on how new products fit into the existing\u00a0healthcare\u00a0system. On a political and philosophical level: how do we make sure\u00a0consumer\u00a0healthcare\u00a0\u2013 which is often (but not always) private\u00a0healthcare\u00a0\u2013 doesn\u2019t eat into resources of public\u00a0healthcare?<\/p>\n

Also, when do we hand over to the traditional\u00a0healthcare\u00a0system for diagnosis or treatment? For example, a lot can be done in dermatology using the camera attached to your phone, but at what point do we need to be referred to a dermatologist?<\/p>\n

Finally, the main debate is around who pays. One option is for each person to pay out-of-pocket, but to make it accessible to groups where this kind of\u00a0healthcare\u00a0isn\u2019t otherwise affordable, it will need to be reimbursed by state systems, which in turn are already struggling with rising\u00a0healthcare\u00a0costs. Another option would be to recognise these products in insurance packages, or to convince employers to pay for their teams to be healthier.<\/p>\n

Regardless, I\u2019m a firm believer in digital tools and\u00a0consumer-grade products, and the wonders they will work in improving access to\u00a0healthcare. In particular, I can\u2019t wait to ditch the waiting rooms and bureaucracy, and to have the\u00a0healthcare\u00a0system at my fingertips.<\/p>\n

Featured Image: PureSolution<\/a>\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\" Recently, I registered with the GP across the road from my flat. I’ve lived there for a year. I had put off registering beforehand due to a severe allergy to bureaucracy.\u00a0 Last year, I wanted to go see a specialist. I snored at my private healthcare provider’s response that I first needed to have a consultation with my doctor\u2026 Safe to say it never happened.… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5817,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[59,66,26],"class_list":["post-342744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology","tag-media","tag-techcrunch","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/342744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5817"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=342744"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/342744\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=342744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=342744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=342744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}