An aging population in combination with a change in lifestyle are the main reasons for chronic diseases. WHO reports that more than 70% of all healthcare costs are related to chronic diseases. In the US, healthcare costs are predicted to account for 18% of GDP by the year 2020. This situation emphasizes the need for a change in the way healthcare is provided today, and inspires new players from many industries to enter the healthcare market from different directions.

In the search for new businesses and revenue streams in the healthcare industry, many people have asked the question: “Who’s going to pay for it all?” At the end of the day, there are two possible payers. The consumer/patient can pay out of his or her own pocket, or the healthcare payer (the healthcare system or the health insurance company) has to pay in return for improved outcomes and overall savings.

Market analysis shows that patients in general are not willing to pay healthcare costs out of their own pockets. Despite differences in the healthcare systems from country to country, the general picture is that the patient expects the healthcare payer to pay for the healthcare they need when they are diagnosed as ill. On the other hand, patients – or perhaps we should call them consumers now – are willing to pay a limited amount of money to purchase products and even services that can help them stay healthy or able to live with their illness. This is what fuels the wellness industry, and RTX believes that in the future we will see wellness and health-related applications appear in many different lifestyle and consumer products such as cell phones and other electronic devices.

With this in mind, it is the healthcare system that will pay the bill for professional healthcare in future. Health systems are therefore preparing themselves to manage this new challenge.

 

Numerous research projects carried out in many different countries have worked with the problem of dealing with the ever-increasing number of chronically ill patients. The model identifies the essential elements of a healthcare system that encourage high-quality care of chronically ill patients. These elements are the community, the health system, self-management support, delivery system design, decision support, and clinical information systems.

Evidence-based change concepts under each element, in combination, foster productive interactions between informed patients who take an active part in their care and providers with resources and expertise. The model can be applied to a variety of chronic illnesses, healthcare settings and target populations. The bottom line is healthier patients, more satisfied providers, and cost savings. Telehealth is the delivery of health-related services and information via telecommunication technologies, which can be utilized to support the productive interactions between patient and caregiver.

 

 

There are several challenges in changing the way healthcare is provided. The problem with telehealth is that you often have the effort carried by one party and the advantages enjoyed by another. This results in reluctance on the part of the established healthcare system where the reimbursement model often has to be changed. The driver is the potential cost savings resulting from telehealth. In most countries the health insurance companies are very interested in the potential offered by telehealth, and as the evidence of cost savings becomes available via patient trials, health insurance companies are pushing to achieve competitive advantages.

 

It seems obvious that one product or one solution will not be sufficient to cover the needs of technical solutions for providing telehealth. There are a number of issues to consider when selecting the most appropriate telehealth solution. In fact the answer seems to be a combination of several solutions. Even though a large percentage of chronically ill patients are elderly people, the differences in individuals are significant. Megatrends are influencing all of us in different directions. Some are prepared to use new technologies, some are not. Some prefer the one solution, some prefer others. After all, the market is fragmented with different needs and preferences for different groups of patients. And in contrast to the wellness approach, where the patient pays out of his or her own pocket and makes his or her own choice, the professional solution has to be widely accepted by a majority of users.

Here the solutions have to be designed for scalability, so total cost of ownership is optimized. It is not only a matter of upfront costs. It is a matter of being successful in achieving the ultimate goal: supporting productive interaction between caregivers and a large group of patients out of hospital.

Today, a range of different solutions is available on the market based on different technologies. Which one is the best practice in the long run, only time will tell.