Digital health: taking care of patients' health through technology

The disruption we are experiencing in the healthcare model is increasingly evident. Society has changed its needs and, to a certain extent, its demands. The sector needs changes that improve the relationship between health professional and patient, the quality of care and the reduction of care pressure in certain areas of our healthcare model.

This new path, in which the focus is on the patient, will be more human, more proactive, closer, personalised and effective. On the other hand, we can't ignore the global population situation. Worldwide, continuous improvements and developments in people's quality of life have led to increasingly longer life expectancy and the ageing of the population is more than evident. Communities need resources and specialised assistance to cope with this new reality.

It is foreseeable that our current healthcare system will struggle to cope with this additional pressure in the short and medium term, unless profound changes are made to the model. In addition, the emergence of Covid-19 has revealed some gaps in terms of coverage and agility, requiring health structures to find solutions almost immediately.

The shortcomings of healthcare models, which have evolved very positively during the pandemic years, with a lot of human effort behind them, have revealed the essential role that technology will play in the future. If it hadn't been for the application of technology and all the solutions that have been created, the situation would have been even more delicate. However, our healthcare system has responded with resilience, applying itself and taking note to face the challenges of the future. The most obvious example of the application of technology and the advance of R&D was the development of vaccines by laboratories in record time. Without cutting-edge technology, capable of operating with great agility and specificity, this would not have been possible.

Another noteworthy fact is that the reduction in care pressure in primary and specialised care - which can still be greatly improved - has been possible, firstly, thanks to the titanic efforts of professionals and, secondly, improvements in care software, including video consultation applications, the evolution of telecare, the development of specific Apps, programmes for monitoring chronic and home care patients, patient monitoring and data analysis. In short, thanks to the application of technology as a basic driving force to respond to that exceptional, absolutely unique and disruptive moment, reducing the burden on professionals and getting closer to the patient. Let's not forget that, for a long time, for many elderly or less elderly people, the only contact with the outside world was a video consultation with their doctor or nurse, once again using technology to humanise highly complex situations. This is perhaps the most emblematic example of how technology should be available to citizens, making it more understandable and humane.

Even more so after a tough health crisis, at SEIDOR we are aware of our responsibility to contribute knowledge to the evolution of the healthcare sector, and we want to put our experience and capabilities at the disposal of the patient, and the necessary tools at the disposal of healthcare professionals. The future of healthcare will have to solve complex problems for society, but the application of cutting-edge R&D will help solve its immediate challenges. Good interpretation of technology will be a key factor in achieving this.