Five things to know about the rapid acceleration of digital health

SXSW conversation reveals doctors and patients predict more transformation ahead

Last month, Real Chemistry — a global health innovation company — brought together leading innovators at SXSW to discuss the issues driving the health care industry forward. The virtual event was chock-full of robust conversations about important health care topics.

Real Chemistry hosted five official sessions, helping people go deep on what’s next in health care and how patient lives have improved as a direct result of breakthrough elements of health technology. The company also hosted a two-day virtual Media Lounge that included panels and fireside chats.

Five things to know about the rapid acceleration of digital health

One of the most informative sessions presented in the virtual lounge focused on five things to know about the rapid acceleration of digital health. Real Chemistry recently completed a survey of 1,000 patients, 500 physicians across specialties, and 10 qualitative interviews of biopharmaceutical company leaders. The company gathered the best and brightest connected to the biopharma and health care industries to explore this important topic.

Jo Ann Saitta, global chief digital officer of Real Chemistry, moderated the discussion, which featured technologist and strategist Ron Kim, SVP and chief technology officer of Merck, Brian Solis, digital anthropologist and global innovation evangelist of Salesforce, and Manoj Narayanan, chief technology officer of Real Chemistry. You can watch the full session here.

These experts tackled such topics as the complicated definition of digital transformation, how the consumerization of health care is impacting our industry, and understanding behaviors of the most technologically advanced doctors and patients. Key takeaways from their discussion included the following:

• Doctors are increasingly online in both their professional and personal lives. Reaching doctors in the right place with the right message is more complex today than ever before.
• As physicians become more digital, successful companies will partner with them using technology and digital approaches that provide advantages in diagnosing, treating and monitoring patients.
• Companies will benefit from helping empower patients, as they become more active in the ongoing monitoring of their disease and seek new ways to engage within the health care system.
• The role of the pharmaceutical rep will continue to evolve. In-person visits are important, but doctors acknowledge that additional channels of communication and approaches provide unique value. Although doctors continue to prefer in-person visits as their primary source of interaction with pharmaceutical companies, there is an opportunity to reach patients more effectively by utilizing smart digital communications strategies with physicians.
• Demographic changes and digital engagement in health care will continue to drive health care providers and patients, and companies will need to provide technology solutions to be successful.

You can access all of the content from the Real Chemistry Health Innovation Lounge for free here.