Tag: healthcare IT

Categories : Expert Opinion Healthcare Politics and RegulationsTags :

Progress, the Unreasonable Man and Technology

On By ModernMedia

Is complementing in-person care with virtual care (hybrid care) a key part of the answer to South Africa’s NHI aspirations, asks Deon Bührs, Managing Director of Genie Health SA, who suggests that technology is the ‘unreasonable man’ in complementing decent universal healthcare and that self-empowerment is the only solution to sustainable wellness.

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

George Bernard Shaw

There is a school of thought that a young democracy can benefit from a well-considered blend of socialism and capitalism, particularly when it comes to healthcare and education. I would second that, to a degree.  That South Africa requires a more equitable health system goes without saying though, as the apparent disparity and divisions between the haves and have nots is ever widening.   

The status of our public healthcare system and the spiralling costs of the private offering need to find parity. A sad situation indeed, because at one stage, South Africa had one of the best public health sectors in the world, where groundbreaking heart transplants, for example, were done.

To the question of universal healthcare then. If it means that universal healthcare is a fundamental human right that everyone should aspire to, then it’s a yes, the NHI is essential. It should not be a matter of political affiliation, and let’s be clear, there is already healthcare for all in South Africa, through the public health system, free at the point of care for those who cannot afford care.  But it is the quality of this care, and the effective management of these services that lie in stark contrast to that of the private healthcare system. 

Signed in literally at the 11th hour before the country went to general elections, the National Health Insurance (NHI) bill is a polarising topic for many.  The massive cost of providing a functioning NHI as per the bill, has been estimated conservatively at more than R200 billion a year, while some estimate closer to R1 trillion. With an already strained tax base, we must adopt new thinking as to how to deliver healthcare in a cost sensitive and effective way.

To my mind, one of the most effective ways of ensuring there is universal care that works, is recognising and supporting the role the patient plays in empowering their own health, recovery and wellness journey.  They appear, however, to have been forgotten in the conversation that is the NHI bill to date.

For me, in its current guise, the NHI will unfortunately not bridge the quality divide. In fact, if we are not careful and if we do not find common ground, and hold government and the private sector to account, our entire healthcare system could well be in danger of failing – completely. 

The unreasonable man test – laying the groundwork for new ways of healthcare delivery

Although expediently signed into law with little regard to comments or concerns raised from many sectors including health and business, the NHI does lay the groundwork for new ways of delivering healthcare and sets the scene for changing the mindset from the current sick-care system mentality to one of a patient-empowered HEALTHcare system. 

Change must happen, but the extent of that change often depends on what Irish playwright and political activist, George Bernard Shaw, once stated as: “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

At present, Prof Nicholas Crisp who has been tasked with helming the delivery of the NHI, could be seen as Shaw’s “unreasonable man” in his efforts to equalise and deliver universal healthcare.  Ensuring that the lever of technology is utilised in an effective way is critical though, to ensure that we don’t try and replicate previous perceived successes, and not move forwards.

With a challenged healthcare system, both public and private, we are called to not give up hope, but to lean into the solution, and at the same time, avoid a defensive posture of that which only served the few.  I believe that these circumstances force us to innovate, and to seriously consider new ways of providing healthcare for all. It should be seen as an exciting time of just where we can push the future of healthcare.

For instance, we already know that a traditional healthcare delivery system, with its associated costs and accessibility challenges for those living in remote parts of our country just won’t cut it.   But unlocking technology as the new delivery channel of healthcare complimented by affordable and fast internet, could well be the solution to cracking the code of healthcare for all.

Through technology we can drive the patient-centric approach to health and open the door for patients to more easily access the multi-disciplinary team of healthcare professionals they need.

The best of both worlds – prevention, and when required, recovery

An example of doing things differently, is a new approach to musculoskeletal health that has been facilitated by digital transformation, and which is finding growing adoption in South Africa.  With objective improvements in patient outcomes, satisfaction scores and recovery times, virtual care teams can support patients through their recovery programmes, ensuring improved compliance and ownership of their health journey.  And empowering patients to embrace exercise and activity over surgery and pharmaceuticals where appropriate, has a dramatic impact on the overall healthcare spend. 

Imagine patients having the choice to access a multi-disciplinary team of experts anywhere in the country – from the comfort and convenience of their own home or workplace, all at the tips of their fingers.  No need to be transported to a clinic or hospital every time they need healthcare services.  This is entirely possible, with platforms like Genie Health, that provide a hybrid approach in complimenting in-person care with virtual care.

NHI needs a strong front loader like these hybrid platforms that provide the full range of allied healthcare services, to reduce the burden of care and cost on an already strained system, by reducing unnecessary hospital admissions, surgeries, medication and travel costs and allowing for the existing framework to be brought up to date and even surpass expectations.  

With ICASA reporting over 75% of the population having Internet access in South Africa and more than 90% smartphone penetration, pressure on Mobile Network Operators to provide zero rated data for healthcare applications (as they have done in education and other areas) mounts. 

If measures like this can be implemented, they will have a tremendous impact on reducing the burden on the existing healthcare system through a self-health-empowered approach, with the backing of a full clinical team on the ready to assist the patient.

The ultimate question is how do we make healthcare more affordable and accessible to all South Africans, which is the core aim of the NHI?  

The answer – we need to renew our focus on the key stakeholder, our patients – and empower them to drive their own health, by using technology as the backbone for sustainable wellness. It could well be, that with a renewed mindset and health-empowered citizens, the NHI is the true gamechanger for progress in HEALTHcare that we all need.

Categories : Medical IndustryTags :

Sharing Health Data Saves Lives: Showcasing the CareConnect Health Information Exchange in Action in SA

On By ModernMedia

In a nation where healthcare has been marred by disjointed systems and fragmented care, South Africa’s healthcare organisations are making strides to change this narrative.

South Africa’s health journey has faced challenges with siloed information, often paper-based systems, and a lack of information flow between health professionals, funders and health facilities. These barriers have significantly impacted the cost, quality, and access to healthcare for patients. In response, the Competition Commission’s Health Market Inquiry (HMI) panel spotlighted the urgent need for solutions that bolster transparency, coordination, and innovation.

South Africa’s first industry-wide health information exchange, CareConnect HIE, is a game-changing initiative and the brainchild of major hospital groups, including Life Healthcare, Mediclinic, and Netcare, coupled with leading medical scheme administrators like Discovery Health, Medscheme, and Momentum Health. Their shared vision? An interoperable health system that breaks historic barriers, promoting enhanced patient care, quality, and efficiency. This transformative approach to healthcare was showcased in action at an event in Sandton today, providing attendees a firsthand look at the potential of HIE in South Africa.

Since its launch in August 2022, CareConnect HIE has rapidly advanced, with over 5.2 million consented lives now integrated into the system. However, the true value – from population health benefits to progressive funding and health delivery models – exponentially increases as the amount of data on the exchange grows.  Therefore, the aim of the HIE is to be the hub of exchange and the single integration point for ALL health data – from both the public sector and the private sector. Bearing testament to this, representatives from the South African Private Practitioners Forum,  the Radiological Society of SA, Mediclinic, Discovery Health, Altron and Momentum Health will share their insights on how HIE will be used in their organisations. In addition, representatives from the Western Cape Department of Health will talk to the public-private collaboration with CareConnect.  

CareConnect has adopted a set of international standards (FHIR and HL7) to transfer and share data between various healthcare systems regardless of how it is stored in those systems.  These standards underpin interoperability because all participants are ‘speaking the same language’.  An interoperable health system will be critical in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) which will require the ability for patients to move seamlessly between the public and private health sectors, facilities, clinicians or other service providers, depending on the expertise and care they require. To this end, there is engagement with the National Department of Health, who were represented at the event.

Dr Rolan Christian, CEO of CareConnect HIE

Central to the CareConnect HIE is a Unified Care Record (UCR), an electronic medical record that holds a patient’s entire medical journey. This constantly updated and ever-evolving record gives clinicians on-demand access to consolidated patient data, promoting swift, well-informed treatment decisions when and where they are needed.

Privacy and security of data is critical to the success of HIE. The CareConnect HIE conforms to both local and international data privacy regulations to ensure that sensitive health information remains protected at all times and will only be accessible to healthcare providers when medically necessary and only with the patient’s consent. User-based access permissions are automatically regulated by the HIE, further safeguard­ing sensitive patient information.

Sharing health data saves lives. The more data the industry shares, the more value and benefit to the patient that will be extracted from the HIE.

Dr Rolan Christian, CEO of CareConnect HIE

CareConnect’s innovative new use cases, ranging from tracking acute and chronic patient conditions, listing allergies and adverse reactions, to standardising doctor clinical (discharge) summaries, were demonstrated at the event. These features will enable better coordination of care, minimise medical errors and pave the way to a more cohesive health system. 

HIE in various forms has become common across many health systems in the world and has become a priority on many a government health policy agenda as a solution to achieving greater cohesion within health systems  and as a mechanism to address cost and quality issues in health. Reflecting global best practices, the CareConnect HIE aligns with the world’s most mature HIEs and breathes life into the National Department of Health’s National Health Digital Strategy for South Africa.  This important document outlines the country’s goals towards the development of electronic health records and building interoperability and linkages between existing patient-based information systems.

A strict code of ethics relating the use of information is governed by an internationally recognised and best practice multi-party trust agreement, called DURSA. The DURSA provides a framework that deals with sharing of data among HIE participants and defines the permitted purpose for which the data can only be used.

Dr Rolan Christian, CEO of CareConnect HIE shared: “Sharing health data saves lives. The more data the industry shares, the more value and benefit to the patient that will be extracted from the HIE. We envision that CareConnect HIE will become a ‘utility’ for the entire health sector – to enable improved quality of care, better health outcomes and a more responsive health system.”

The event today boasted a stellar lineup of speakers. Notably, Dr Stavros Nicolaou from B4SA and Aspen Pharmacare and Dominick Bizzarro, offering international perspectives from MVP Health Care, joined other industry luminaries. Their combined insights painted a promising future for healthcare – one that’s harmonised, transparent, and unequivocally cantered on the patient.

Categories : Medical IndustryTags :

Healthcare Industry Embracing Digital Disruption to Improve Physical Care

On By ModernMedia

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

The healthcare industry is in the midst of a digital revolution. We are witnessing a growth in healthcare consumerism, where patients and consumers are more active and engaged, keen to track their own health and are more understanding of their body. Digital therapeutics are emerging and disruptive technologies that overcome the limitations of place, time, and availability of healthcare resources in South Africa.

Digital therapeutics is the key to shifting from reactive healthcare to proactive holistic care. By leveraging technologies such as artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR), m-health applications, and gamified platforms, these software driven intelligent solutions empower patients and healthcare providers with high-quality, safe, and effective data based interventions. 

Christo Groenewald, CEO of CompuGroup Medical South Africa, a MedTech company that has spent over 20 years researching and providing tools doctors, dentists and medical professionals worldwide, has identified two key stages during the interaction between a patient and the healthcare professional, where digital platforms can build a more efficient relationship.    

STEP ONE:  Keeping accurate records

From the first call or appointment, preferably through an online booking system, being able to quickly capture data and access these records saves time and helps gain a deeper understanding of the patient’s experience. This also helps practitioners make informed decisions about the necessary treatment.  

Clinical documentation can effortlessly be facilitated through the employment of systems such as SOAP (subjective, objective, assessment, and plan) or SINSS (severity, irritability, nature, stage, and stability) model, further complemented by user-friendly aids for methodical body chart completion.

Should a referral be necessary, the uniformity of the anatomy chart and notes make it easy for colleagues to understand the consulting history and it can be shared with the patient on request or their medical aid. 

STEP TWO:  Real time imaging

The future of medicine must include integration with diagnostic imaging, which currently often involves multiple departments and hard copies such as x-rays and scans. One digital therapeutics feature that is gaining popularity, especially in sports medicine, is the capacity to visually map pain and musculoskeletal concerns on an interactive 360-degree model of the human body, enhancing diagnostic precision and patient comprehension.

This visual system also helps with virtual consulting, requesting blood work from the labs or writing e-scripts, which is increasingly being done and recorded remotely.

Software programmes, such as Practice Perfect by CGM, are now trusted for their capability to easily capture comprehensive medical and treatment histories right at the point of care. This sleek approach facilitates efficient tracking of patient rehabilitation, fitness progress, and treatment responses. The ability to merge personal and clinical data in real time, paints a portrait of each patient’s physical health, empowering accurate diagnoses, prognosis and subsequent follow-ups. 

Constantly evolving

Top multinational MedTech companies have invested heavily in the development and advancement of their platforms so that they can be used to predict and manage a patient’s future health rather than reacting to symptoms. This will help reduce the disease burden and be a cost saving for insurance providers and private and public health sectors and empower patients to take control of their physical wellbeing. 

Dr Roberto Beffa, a Cape Town based chiropractor states that “As a loyal customer of CGM for more than a decade, I can confidently say that their Perfect Pair solution has truly helped shape my practice. The seamless integration of clinical notes and billing information in one user-friendly platform has transformed our operations, making the flow from clinical documentation to billing a breeze. Thanks to this efficient system, I can now dedicate more time to what I am truly passionate about – providing exceptional care to my patients”.

For more information about CGM’s Perfect Pair, which is a combination of Practice Perfect plus the powerful billing engine for physical health practitioners, CGM MEDEDI, visit www.cgm.com/za.