The Value of Patient-Generated Health Data in a Post-Pandemic World
Authored by Brian Kaiser
The piece you’re about to read is from Klick Health’s Life (Sciences) After COVID-19 series, a collection of expert perspectives designed to inform and inspire the life sciences community for the coming changes and opportunities we anticipate as a result of this global health crisis.
The Insight
Ever since the first wearables emerged onto the healthcare scene, the chatter about the impact and utility of patient-generated health data (PGHD) has persisted. The promise of PGHD has remained both elusive and immense in its potential. PGHD has unlocked opportunities in enhancing self-awareness and self-management of our behavioral or biological patterns. It enables the tracking or aggregation of PGHD across cohorts within the population. And it has demonstrated an ability to elevate the value of interactions between patients and their physicians.
However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has delivered a seismic jolt to the importance of patient-generated health data and the need to define its role in shaping how we function as a society. How might PGHD help us build a bridge to a world beyond where we stand today? In the race to get ahead of the virus, PGHD has been touted as a mission-critical component in promoting population health.
But where do we go from here? What are we learning about the true value of PGHD? How are behaviors changing relative to the adoption of PGHD by sizable portions of the population? What changes do we anticipate in how we utilize the data, and has that data set expanded as a result of COVID-19? What benefits or opportunities will evolve or emerge in the years to come?
While the focus of mainstream discussion has been on its efficacy for the “track and trace” mandate to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus and its accompanying data privacy considerations, the current debate overlooks intriguing possibilities that may emerge in the wake of the pandemic. If current data-driven efforts are successful at scaling use and achieving their goals while being conducted responsibly in the eyes of the public, the model could have wider applicability in population health.
Whether put into the service of helping manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, issues that resonate across our society such as opioid addiction, or the treatment of diseases such as widespread cancers that remain elusive to our gaining a comprehensive understanding, could the population-level embrace of patient-generated health data unlock new opportunities for insight and action by health sciences leaders?
The shared experience of COVID-19 is likely to create massive, intersecting reference groups inclusive of relationships in family, community, workplace, faith, and social domains. The compounding effect of this influence is likely to fuel increased interest in possessing actionable insight on one’s health status.
The Evidence
Historically, the application of PGHD has been forced to navigate a number of obstacles to play a role in the healthcare narrative—from defining its role or value to medical professionals, to the question of how to integrate with traditional methods of keeping medical records, to the questions of privacy and security.
PGHD has been missing a critical ingredient to drive adoption and utility at scale; a seminal event to give it purpose and galvanize interest at a population level.
The demands of our current global situation are shaping up to be a turning point.
COVID-19 is likely to further accelerate the adoption of wearables that provide users with deeper insights beyond activity, diet, and sleep.
According to a recent report, the market for wearable technology with artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to increase 20% per year, supported by the penetration of 5G and smartphone technology that allows PGHD to be stored and used more effortlessly. However, wearables specific to health have lagged the overall market for wearable technology. Researchers at NIH have suggested that the market has largely focused on technological capabilities while ignoring the influence of patient health beliefs tied to specific concerns. In essence, wearables have been “preaching to the choir” with most adoption occurring among a population of “health seekers.” However, the pandemic has the potential to create a much larger cohort of “health watchers” who have a compelling interest or desire to keep tabs on their health versus optimizing it. Additionally, research has supported the hypothesis that adoption requires significant influence from a reference group of peers. The shared experience of COVID-19 is likely to create massive, intersecting reference groups inclusive of relationships in family, community, workplace, faith, and social domains. The compounding effect of this influence is likely to fuel increased interest in possessing actionable insight on one’s health status.
The Value of Patient-Generated Health Data in a Post-Pandemic World
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Author
Brian Kaiser
EVP, Activation and Experience Strategy
Brian has a wealth of experience developing solutions for brands in the healthcare space over the past 20 years, from both the agency and client perspectives. His focus has been on helping brands grow from market shaping to maturity while cultivating meaningful customer engagement. Prior to joining Klick, Brian provided senior leadership for the healthcare practice.
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