The most important trends in e-health 2021

E-health in short can be defined as the use of information and communication technology to take care of health. It is a series of activities aimed at better access to information and health services implemented on many levels. I invite you to review the most important trends and challenges facing the leaders of the health industry.

Entities introducing innovations in this category include start-ups developing modern diagnostic tools and building algorithms based on artificial intelligence supporting diagnostic processes, platforms for convenient and safe communication between patients and doctors, or pharmaceutical companies introducing modern therapies. There is also room for the legislator, without whose support the achievements of the latest technologies will not be used in general health care.

Tomasz Domino, COO Infermedica

The three most important e-health trends that will shape the health industry in 2021:

1. Expansion of telemedicine services. The pandemic unleashed the potential of telemedicine and meant that many more people could see the ease and convenience of remote consultations. It has also accelerated the progress in remote care of patients with chronic diseases, as well as broadened the spectrum of medical and health-related services that can be used remotely – from a dietary consultation to a visit to a psychologist. This is a trend that will surely be continued and supported by the spread of medical devices for remote monitoring and examining the patient’s health.
2. Devices and applications for self-monitoring of health. We are already seeing, and we will be seeing more and more home devices that allow for remote monitoring of health or support the initial medical diagnosis, which can be carried out independently. The intelligent scale will monitor the water level in the body, and the electronic stethoscope will allow you to verify, without leaving your home, whether your child has a case of bronchitis. Polish StethoMe and Higo Sense are good examples of pioneering devices of this type that have a great chance for global success.
3. Increasingly wide adoption of AI-based solutions. Artificial Intelligence has the potential to simplify the lives of patients, doctors and hospital administrators by performing tasks that are usually performed by humans, but in less time and at a fraction of the cost. In 2021, we will see the widespread use of AI in areas such as imaging diagnostics, research on new drugs, genomics, and virtual assistants of the patient and physician. Importantly, artificial intelligence will not replace doctors, but will make their work more effective and more satisfying.

The three most important challenges I will face this year are:

1. Transformation of Infermedica towards a platform that coordinates the process of patient care. We are constantly working on increasing the diagnostic effectiveness and expanding the scope of the medical database of disease entities in our system, but this year will be a breakthrough due to the addition of new components allowing for patient support on many different levels – from ongoing health monitoring and prophylaxis, to receiving a diagnosis and treatment plan. . We also prepare new solutions that will support and relieve doctors in their daily work – by making an initial visit note or monitoring the effects of the prescribed treatment plan.
2. Certifications. There is nothing more important in medical solutions, including digital ones, than the patient’s safety and the security of his personal data. For several months, we have been working intensively on a number of certifications that will allow us to increase this safety even more – from ISO certification, through upgrading the class of a medical device, to HIPAA certification. 
3. Further development of the team. In 2021, we plan to enlarge our team, which currently has just over 120 people, to nearly 200. We want to invite even more talented people to our project – from data science specialists to doctors of various specialties – and develop our commercial teams in the United States and Germany. For this and many other reasons, it will be a challenging year, but I also hope for progress and success.

Łukasz Krasnopolski, Founder & CEO of Higo

The three most important e-health trends that will shape the health industry in 2021:

1. After a year with the coronavirus, we can be sure that we can’t be sure of anything. Thus, it is difficult to predict any specific trends, because the activities of the health industry will be very chaotic. Certainly, however, the rapid development of new technologies will accompany attempts to return to normalcy. 
2. The second trend expected will be settling telemedicine in your niche. A niche that has been defined quite strongly in recent months. After the spring delight, or forced – depending on the perspective, the fall came a reflection that the current telemedicine based only on a conversation is not a cure for the present times, it works for simple consultations, but the expectations were much higher.
3. The third, resulting from the great convenience provided by telemedicine, will lead to the search for solutions that will increase the possibility of diagnostics without visiting a doctor. Solutions such as Higo, AioCare or Sidly can significantly increase the range of services provided this way. This will definitely be a significant trend in 2021.

The three most important challenges I will face this year are:

1. Higo makes life easier – especially parents with young children. This is confirmed by all the people who have dealt with our device. Now, the most important challenge lies ahead: to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to experience the convenience of owning our product.
2. By the way, we would like to convince the doctors and medical staff that telemedicine can be a fully-fledged element of precise diagnosticsif we eliminate its main problem, which is the lack of data needed to make a reliable diagnosis. Sometimes the patient’s opinion is definitely not enough. Thanks to Higo, everyone will have access to a tool that will allow you to obtain the data first and then conveniently send it to the doctor.
3. The final challenge will be delivery of the highest quality product. And I do not mean the device itself, which is already exemplary, but a medical service based on it. We will have to develop it together with our business and medical partners. The patient must feel that the diagnosis based on the data collected by Higo is as good or better than that obtained in the facility. And all this without leaving home.

Rafał Piszczek, CEO Medfile SA (haloDoctor.pl)

The three most important e-health trends that will shape the health industry in 2021:

1. 2020 was indisputably the year telemedicine. Doctors became convinced of the latest technological solutions and saw how they can improve their work. In 2021, the telemedicine market will continue to develop. I mean, among others creating mobile applications for telemedicine services and tools for remote diagnostics and patient monitoring. HaloDoctor.pl already cooperates with a partner providing holters to patients, with a built-in SIM card. There will be more and more such tools, which will further drive the development of telemedicine services.
2. A related trend is also the use of potential artificial intelligence in medicine. Due to the deficit of doctors and the aging society, solutions based on artificial intelligence are needed to support the doctor in his work. Imagine a situation in which the patient, after crossing the doctor’s office, will have the so-called prediagnosis by a virtual doctor – completes an online health questionnaire, and the program, based on the collected data about the patient and diseases, will be able to pre-diagnose a health problem. The doctor will still remain the decision-maker in diagnostic matters, but will be equipped with tools to significantly improve his work.
3. Electronic medical records (EDM) is another milestone in the digitization of the Polish healthcare system. The e-Health project assumes the commencement of the EDM pilot program for institutions in 2021. This means that it will soon be mandatory. What is very important for the coming years is doing centralized databasewhich will obtain all available information about the patient, regardless of the facility in which he or she was treated or performed tests. This database will be the basis for the analysis of the collected information about patients and diseases. Then it will be possible to create models for prediagnosis of various diseases. Thanks to this, artificial intelligence will assist the doctor in the diagnosis and its potential will be actually used.

The three most important challenges I will face this year are:

1. The big challenge for us is to go out on foreign telemedicine market. haloDoctor is currently the most popular telemedicine platform in Poland. In 2020, we recorded an average of about 30 thousand. e-visits per month. This year we want to go abroad with our product and compete with global giants.
2. We will also continue to be active support the digitization of the Polish healthcare system and emphasize the role of artificial intelligence in the development of telemedicine services. Our system for electronic medical records, Medfile EDM, is currently used by 13 thousand. doctors and specialists. So we paved the way for digitization of healthcare and now we want to reach a higher level – reach for solutions related to data analysis and remote diagnostics based on artificial intelligence.
3. It is very noticeable unused potential of non-commercial clinical trials in Poland. We want to change that. Therefore, we actively cooperate on projects financed by the Medical Research Agency. We currently participate in over a dozen non-commercial clinical trials. We are guided by the mission of the Agency, which wants to build an innovative health care system, improving the operation of the health service. Part of this process are non-commercial clinical trials that provide patients with an opportunity to access the latest technological solutions. The initiative of non-commercial clinical trials also gives Polish researchers the opportunity to obtain funds and carry out research in Poland.

Anna Goławska, Deputy Minister of Health for IT

The three most important e-health trends that will shape the health industry in 2021:

1. Extension of the functional scope of the e-Health Project (P1)

In 2021, activities related to the digital transformation of the health sector will continue and expand through the expansion of the e-health project (P1). The Ministry of Health decided to extend the functional scope of the e-health (P1) project to include services that allow for the handling of key issues for the patient online, without the need for personal contact with administrative and medical staff, which is particularly important in epidemic emergency situations. The extension of the e-health project (P1) assumes, inter alia, launching the “mojeIKP” mobile application in the first half of the year, which will facilitate access to the Patient Online Account and the expansion of the system with central electronic registration for selected services, e-visit service with a medical worker and e-prescription ordering.

The implementation of these services is planned for the third and fourth quarter of 2021. The central e-registration system in conjunction with e-referral, which is in force in Poland from January 8, 2021, will revolutionize the system of signing up for medical services. Further e-services are also being piloted – reporting medical events and exchanging electronic medical records, which will be mandatory from 2022. These solutions will contribute to more effective provision of health services, improvement of their quality, patient satisfaction and shortening the queues for obtaining the service.

When talking about the development of the e-health area, it is also worth mentioning the solutions related to the pandemic – the possibility of checking the COVID-19 test result, information on home isolation or quarantine on the Patient Online Account, the possibility of checking e-referral for vaccination, as well as an e-card vaccinations and QR codes confirming the fact of vaccination, can be easily downloaded from your Internet Patient Account or in the mObywatel application. The vaccination e-card is a permanent system change – other vaccinations will also be entered into it.

2. Dissemination of e-services in the health care system

The SARS-COV-2 pandemic affects the development of e-health in our country, as a result of which the implemented IT solutions are a key element in the functioning of the health care system. Thanks to previously implemented actions – the implementation of e-leave, e-prescription, e-referral or launching the Internet Patient Account, it was and is possible to provide services remotely, which allows many patients to maintain continuity of treatment during a pandemic.

The ARC Rynek i Opinia study, conducted in November 2020 at the request of Centrum e-Health, shows that compared to March 2020, the percentage of people who made an appointment or survey using e-referral almost doubled (from 8 up to 15% of respondents). The number of users of the Patient’s Internet Account is also growing very dynamically. Currently, there are already 5,4 million active accounts, compared to only 850 thousand. at the end of 2019. Only in one month (October – November 2020), Poles activated as many as one million accounts. Older people are also more and more willing to use IKP – currently more than 10 percent. users are seniors.

3. Remote patient care

One of the innovative solutions implemented by the Ministry of Health, constituting a form of remote patient care, is the Home Medical Care (DOM) program. It is a remote monitoring system for the basic health parameters of COVID-19 patients in home isolation. The program uses the pulse oximeter as a diagnostic tool and the PulsoCare application to transmit and monitor patient data. All test results are sent to a central database. Consultants and doctors in a specially appointed Contact Center monitor the results of measurements of patients on an ongoing basis and, if necessary, refer them to a remote consultation in the form of a teleportation, and in alarming situations they call an ambulance. The DOM program is to support GPs and contribute to improving the safety of patients themselves.

The three most important challenges I will face this year are:

1. Ensuring sufficient dynamics of the vaccination process

Getting a high percentage of people vaccinated in society is one of the most important goals of the continuing vaccination campaign. In 2021, the largest part of the actions will be implemented, both in terms of the number of vaccinated patients and in terms of ensuring the resilience of key and most vulnerable social groups.

Successful implementation of vaccinations depends on good tools supporting this process, organizational efficiency, proper logistics and continuity of vaccine supplies. The activities of the Ministry of Health in this area will focus on the appropriate preparation of medical entities and providing patients with reliable information on vaccination, allowing them to obtain the greatest possible participation in this process.

2. Implementation of telemedicine solutions, e.g. remote monitoring of implantable devices, eKTG, remote stethoscope

The Ministry of Health is preparing to implement new modern telemedicine solutions. It is planned to launch a remote monitoring of implantable devices that will be used in patients who have been implanted with a pacemaker or an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) equipped with a function enabling remote transfer of collected data. The essence of the operation of such systems is to provide the patient with a transmitter, which transmits data from the memory of the implanted device to the telemonitoring center via the telecommunications network. Thanks to the introduction of this solution, the patient gains medical support without the need to visit a medical facility. In case of emergency, it will be possible to quickly take action in the event of a threat to the health or life of the patient.

There are also plans to introduce electronic stethoscopes. Such devices would be used for the initial diagnosis of potential disorders. They enable the diagnosis of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and respiratory diseases. The electronic / digital stethoscope is capable of converting acoustic sound into electronic signals that can be further amplified for optimal listening. Electronic signals can be processed and digitized for transmission to a computer / laptop.

The possibilities of using remote spirometry are also analyzed. Portable spirometers can be used in the diagnosis and monitoring of lung diseases, especially asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Most often, a portable spirometer connects wirelessly to a smartphone application. Data from the device to the application can be transferred via Bluetooth. This application shows the results of measurements, collects the history of tests, allows you to easily search and compare them. Thanks to the device, patients can perform tests on an ongoing basis, and the medical staff has constant access to the results of measurements and can monitor whether the disease is exacerbating or whether a medical consultation is required.

There are also plans to implement eKTG, i.e. a device that allows for non-invasive, safe and reliable testing of the fetal heart rate, the heart rate of the pregnant woman and the recording of uterine contractions. This information, which is the basis for the assessment of the well-being of the fetus, enables immediate reaction in dangerous situations. eKTG is widely used in patients with normal pregnancy as well as with higher-risk pregnancy.

3. Electronic Medical Records (EDM) and Medical Event Reporting (AM)

One of the challenges in 2021 in the field of e-health is the preparation of healthcare entities for the obligation to keep Electronic Medical Records (EDM) and reporting medical events (MS). They will close the catalog of e-services related to medical documentation based on the e-health platform (P1). Handling of medical events will allow for the central collection of information from public and commercial service providers. Collecting data in one place will allow e.g. reduce the need to duplicate reporting obligations, limit the number of duplicate tests, and release patients from the obligation to provide medical documentation to health facilities. As a result, it will allow for the improvement and optimization of the patient service process and the work of medical staff, and will contribute to strengthening the effectiveness of the healthcare sector.

Currently, the electronic medical documentation exchange and reporting system for medical events is piloted, which will last until the end of April 2021. As part of the pilot program, the first medical event was registered in the e-health (P16) system on November 1, and two days later the first EDM exchanged between medical institutions . The introduction of this obligation nationwide is scheduled for July 1, 2021.

Marta Pawłowska MBA, Director of the Health Prevention Office of the National Health Fund

The three most important e-health trends that will shape the health industry in 2021:

Digitization of the healthcare system, i.e. implementation of the next stages of e-health – the pandemic affects the way and pace of implementation of new tools, in 2021 actions will be taken to ensure their effective use and development.

1. Development of the prophylaxis computerization system (piloting new survey tools and new forms of recruiting patients for preventive examinations).
2. EDM introduction expected – i.e. electronic medical documentation (organizational changes in facilities related to it).
3. Actions to increase social acceptance for e-health tools, including the intensive popularization of IKP – they will certainly be very noticeable in the social space.

The three most important challenges I will face this year are:

1. Prevention of civilization diseases, especially neoplastic diseases. The key challenge will be to improve the registration of Poles for the currently available prevention programs, their modification in terms of mechanics, quality monitoring and communication, as well as the development and preparation for the piloting of new prevention programs, together with the increasing number of experts cooperating with the National Health Fund.
2. Prevention of obesity and its complications, with particular emphasis on diabetes – implementation of the first stage of the SUGAR PROJECT, i.e. multi-faceted public health interventions focused on prevention, early detection, comprehensive treatment of obesity and diabetes and their complications, with particular emphasis on educational activities addressed to various target groups.
3. Extensive education of healthcare professionals for more effective disease prevention and health promotion – implementation of the tools currently prepared by the National Health Fund, development of new more efficient channels and forms of cooperation and information, undertaking as many joint initiatives as possible. To popularize prophylaxis in society as widely as possible, speaking with one voice, to awaken awareness as much as possible and to initiate individual action, to implement best practices.

Michał Nitka, Teva’s CEO for Poland and CEE

The three most important e-health trends that will shape the health industry in 2021:

1. One of the most important trends in 2021 will be further development of telemedicine, including solutions enabling remote monitoring of the patient’s condition through integrated sensors, especially in the areas of cardiology or lung diseases. This will be accompanied by supplementing the already existing technological offer with missing elements, so that patient care is comprehensive – from the sensor, through the application, to the platform and remote communication with the doctor. Along with the increasing use of e-consultation services, better pricing for remote procedures on the part of the payer should be expected – we have already seen this trend in 2020.
2. Hope in the development of diagnostics gives more and more the use of artificial intelligence in the interpretation of research and the use of knowledge resulting from the so-called Big Data. These are solutions that are being improved by the largest technological players, including IBM Watson.
3. Another trend worth mentioning concerns distribution and e-commercewhich is increasingly concerned with drugs. 2020 has seen e-commerce solutions booming for over-the-counter drugs flourish, and this year we expect it to continue to grow for prescription drugs, thanks to the growing popularity of e-prescription and the use of a trusted profile.

The three most important challenges I will face this year are:

1. The most important challenge in 2021 will be restoring medical care for patients other than those affected by COVID-19. Data on the reduction in the level of diagnostics, treatment, including surgical treatment, severe and chronic diseases in 2020 are very worrying. From a societal perspective, a key challenge will be to make up for these delays and find a balance between fighting the pandemic and helping patients with other conditions.
2. In terms of the development of telemedicine, it is very important that market changes are accompanied by changes legislative changes implemented quickly. The ambiguity of regulations and maladjustment of the legal environment, as well as the lack of a coherent policy for the expansion of the digital medicine system, may hinder the faster, and at the same time safe for the patient, development of e-health services.
3. It is becoming a challenge for both doctors and patients the multitude of existing solutions (applications, platforms) and the lack of compatibility between them. There are also hardware limitations on the part of patients, especially the elderly. Research shows that even this social group is open to telemedicine, but the problem is, for example, old telephones or desktop computers that do not meet the requirements of most applications. Therefore, the efficient functioning of the hybrid system in medical care, based on direct contacts with a doctor, supported by e-consultation, should be one of the overarching goals for this year.

Dorota Wysocka, Multichannel Marketing Manager Roche

The three most important e-health trends that will shape the health industry in 2021:

1. The growing importance of technology in the treatment and monitoring of the disease – the increasing role of mobile applications – we already provide specialized drugs, now they will be accompanied by applications for patients more and more;
2. AI support both at the stage of drug development and diagnostics enabling an even more personalized path of the patient;
3. The key importance of international and intersectoral cooperation – the coronavirus pandemic has proven the importance of international cooperation – many issues related to health will be jointly developed by many countries, and the intersectoral cooperation between biotechnology companies and the so-called Big Tech.

The three most important challenges I will face this year are:

1. Tiredness from online contacts – this year meant we all spent a lot of screen time and we don’t necessarily want more. Therefore, the challenge will be to create such content / webinars that will be even more professional, refined, substantive and presented in an attractive form. This year’s experience has shown us that sometimes it is worth doing less in digital channels, but better than others.
2. The spread of health fake news – unfortunately, as shown by the so-called Fake news spreads faster than real news – this is certainly true of fake health news. The challenge is reliable education and reaching out.
3. Designing with a focus on mobile – this is another year in which we pay special attention to the fact that most of our recipients meet our online content on mobile devices – hence the need to design campaigns and websites with such an attitude.

Kajetan Młynarczyk, Head of Growth of the patient

The three most important e-health trends that will shape the health industry in 2021:

1. From my perspective, one of the most important trends will be provision of an increasing number of medical services at patients’ homes. In 2020, the number of searches for services related to remote medicine increased almost 4 times. From the Patients’ perspective, e-health means, first of all, no need to go outside. It is not only convenient, but also safe, which is especially important due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, we have learned to work in the home office mode and we are also more and more willing to carry out laboratory tests from the comfort of our home. 
2. The presence of the coronavirus in our lives made us realize even more that health is extremely important. Regular prophylaxis, enabling early detection of irregularities, is not only a concern for health at the earliest possible stage, but also a chance to save time, costs and a number of problems. I think that Poles in 2021 will choose the direction of “e-prophylaxis” to an even greater extent than in previous years. 
3. Another trend that will intensify this year in broadly understood e-health is the powerful development of well-being services. All kinds of counseling, workshops, trainings or consultations with psychologists and nutritionists are becoming more and more popular. And all this, of course, online, without leaving our apartments. 

The three most important challenges I will face this year are:

1. It will definitely be it dynamically changing pandemic situation. I assume that for most businesses this is the biggest challenge they currently have to face. uPatient, as an entity that carries out a lot of tests for COVID-19, also keeps track of this situation on an ongoing basis. I hope that we will be able to focus only on preventive examinations as soon as possible. 
2. Together with my team, we will encourage even more employers to join jointly caring for prophylaxis of employees’ health. Activation to regular and active care for health brings many business benefits as well. For example – people who exercise half an hour a day three times a week achieve 15% more productivity at work. Interestingly, among employees who eat healthy and are physically active, absenteeism is reduced by 27%. (Merrill et al., 2011). With the patient, you can also easily verify the health of employees by organizing preventive actions in offices, thanks to which the employee does not have to call, sign up or go anywhere. It is enough for him to come to work. 
3. Another and equally important challenge will be to further increase Poles’ awareness of the benefits of regular preventive examinations and taking care of work-life balance.

Maciej Woźniak, President of the Management Board of Agencja Whites

The three most important e-health trends that will shape the health industry in 2021:

In the context of marketing for the health industry, there are two trends:

1. Credibility and reputation are the key to success – the first step for patients when choosing a service or medical product was to check the opinions on the Internet. So, of course, it is worth taking care of customer satisfaction, but also measuring it and using it in marketing activities.
2. Improving patient experience by digitizing communication – Virtually every patient satisfaction survey shows that most of us are not satisfied with the quality of healthcare services, both public and private. That is why it is worth investing in online solutions – for example a website with extensive and useful content (also in the form of videos), arranging visits via the Internet, e-consultations or a mobile application.
3. An important trend beyond marketing is undoubtedly the use of artificial intelligence, powered by big data – we are increasingly finding that aggregating and analyzing huge sets of health data helps doctors and pharmacists. This is a chance for more effective and faster diagnoses, new drugs or more personalized therapies.

The three most important challenges I will face this year are:

1. Increased regulation by dominant online platforms – invariably, giants such as Google and Facebook treat the category of “health” in particular. And rightly so! Unverified health information can have disastrous results. The bar for quality and reliability will be constantly raised.
2. Improving the usability of websites for patients – in the pandemic 2020, a multitude of people who are less internet-savvy, often older people, joined the world of e-health. The share of mobile devices in the website visit statistics is also growing. Additionally, Google emphasizes that the website’s UX will be an important ranking element – affecting the visibility of the domain. Therefore, improving the usability of websites will be a priority in 2021.
3. Mismatch between budgets and the consumption of individual media by recipients – some of the health industry, especially the pharmaceuticals, is quite conservative about changing the allocation of budgets from “traditional media” to the Internet. Meanwhile, the habits of the target group are changing. Without an effective online marketing strategy, supported by an appropriate budget, it is difficult to achieve an effective digital transformation today.

Jakub Zieliński, Head of Medonet

The three most important e-health trends that will shape the health industry in 2021:

1. Increased investment in the digital health area – the previous year was a record year when it comes to the amount of funds invested in startups in the digital health area. This trend will surely continue in the coming years. The surge in patient growth in the digital channel caused by the pandemic attracts entrepreneurs and new capital. Healthcare is one of the largest industries and is currently undergoing the greatest transformation in its history. This is the best time ever to start a business in this area. 
2. Accelerating the adaptation of telemedicine – in 2021 we will observe the further dynamic growth of telemedicine. 2020 was a breakthrough for telemedicine services. This year, we can expect new specialized entities and greater adoption of devices for remote diagnosis and health monitoring. 
3. Health “consumerization” and patient focus – health is no longer the domain of companies traditionally dealing with healthcare. Already, companies such as Apple and Amazon are starting to emphasize their presence in this sector more and more. The current model focused mainly on the health provider will be replaced by a more efficient and user-friendly model centered on the patient and his needs. It will not happen in one year, but it is a trend that we will observe for the next decades. 

The three most important challenges I will face this year are:

1. Maintenance good mental condition both my own and the teams I work with every day. We cannot underestimate the pandemic and the impact of almost a year of isolation on ourselves – this is a challenge that will affect all of us, both managers and employees.  
2. Reconstruction community of employees. 
3. Term a new model of work after the pandemicbecause we will definitely not go back to what was before. 

Also read: 10 digital marketing trends for the pharmaceutical industry for 2021