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‘Health Innovation to Come from High Street’

The High Street and third sector will soon become mainstream providers of digital health and care services to the public as a result of growing pressure on the NHS, according to Scottish healthcare consultancy, D Health.

The claim comes from the company’s recently published study which considers the slow uptake of new technology by state healthcare services and the modest commercial success experienced by developers and entrepreneurs.

D Health believes that the current system’s inability to cope with our aging population and increasing lifestyle disease burden will mean that some services, particularly those relating to care of the elderly, mental health and obesity, may become over-prescribed or lose priority. This, in turn, will create opportunities for retailers and organisations such as charities and housing associations to bridge the gap.

CEO Dr Steven Dodsworth, formerly a scientist with the UK arm of the Human Genome project, leads D Health. He said: “Most of us have heard about apps that reward people for performing beneficial behaviours, web portals that enable patients to book appointments or order prescriptions and devices that track and monitor patients remotely. Despite the potential of such technology to reduce costs, increase efficiency and empower patients, success has largely been limited to short term pilots and sparse availability depending on your financial position or postcode.  

“Chronic disease, mental health, obesity and isolation are already significant issues for many citizens and their prevalence will increase markedly over the next 20 years. As demand for health and care services grows, citizens will be increasingly willing to adopt new, unconventional approaches to meet their needs. The third sector will adopt a greater role in the provision of health, care and wellbeing within the communities it serves.

“This is already starting to happen. For instance, an organisation in the north of Scotland is developing a smartphone app that will enable elderly and vulnerable people to access basic support services, helping them to maintain and independent home life. Similarly, supermarkets and high street pharmacies across the UK have started to introduce drop-in facilities and self-help kiosks. We anticipate that a new wave of low-cost, effective and digitally-enabled products and services will become available to the general public.

“Innovations such as this show that new ways of delivering health and care are possible and can support the move towards sustainable models for the future that have the users at their heart.”

For more information about the report – A strategic Review of Digital Healthcare – visit www.dhcl.org

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