In Norway, robots mimic consumer products to remind patients when to take their medication, manage available doses, speak directly to patients and communicate other information through light and text displays. “One of our patients using the robot is in his 40s and has Parkinson’s disease, and he needs to take his medication at precise times,” explains Grete Kvernlund Berg, PA’s Norwegian representative and government expert. “He went from spending most of his time at home in bed to going skiing. Another patient likes the robot so much that he takes it with him everywhere.” Benefits from the program include fewer home visits, an increased sense of security, positive health effects and increased activity levels.
Elizabeth Lee, digital expert at PA, added: “The key thing leaders need to understand when introducing new, innovative technologies like robots is that they need to create solutions that are carefully designed with the user at the heart.”
Success often breeds success. Of a wearable device that monitors heart rate, Lee asks: “Could we combine this technology with other digital therapeutics to detect anxiety and treat it with an app? How can we combine this technology with artificial intelligence to better prevent strokes? How can this technology complement human interaction and care? These are questions we help clients answer every day as they seek new opportunities in care and new revenue streams. The real magic is that new products and solutions may lay the foundation for further innovations and business lines. The possibilities are endless.”
What’s the next step for person-centred care?
The future is exciting, with a variety of new technologies promising to further personalize care. Take, for example, the continuing advances in genome sequencing. Scientists are expected to soon be able to create a genetic blueprint for every individual, providing doctors and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with a valuable tool for developing tailored treatments and treatment plans.
And now, scientists at PA’s Global Innovation and Technology Center are accelerating the development of Ori Biotech’s platform technology to enable market-scale production of cell and gene therapies. In the future, patients will have much sooner access to high-quality, affordable cell therapies. Projects to modify genes to treat a wider range of diseases, including some that are currently untreatable, will begin soon.
Paolo Siciliano, a life sciences expert at PA, believes there has never been a better time to get into the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. “As a human race, we’ve only just scratched the surface of what we can achieve,” he says. “The power of IoT and big data analytics, along with a deeper understanding of the human mind, creates incredible opportunities to create innovative technologies that deliver more personalized, more meaningful care. The future is very bright.”
Technology has the potential to solve many of the world’s toughest challenges, but it takes human ingenuity to make it happen. PA Consulting partners with WIRED to share insights into what it takes to develop and deliver life-changing technology.
This article was first published by WIRED UK.
