Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
for 2018
February 2018
At Omnicom Health Group, we’ve read a lot of digital trend reports for 2018, and picked the top
five areas that have been evolving rapidly in the healthcare space over the last two years. To help
keep you better informed, we have included references and links with rich resources in all five areas.
We expect that in 2018, these technological innovations will allow for more efficient care
coordination, evolve how patients are treated, and improve healthcare delivery and
communications.
1 2 3 4 5
Artificial
Voice Assistants VR Gaming as
Virtual Health Chip Technology
Intelligence with Screens
a Treatment
1
Our Digital Health Picks
1 Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an emerging technology infrastructure and system that exhibits
human-like intelligence. It utilizes natural language processing, machine learning, and
removal of human biases, enabling predictability and ultimately improved decision-making.
The rapid development of AI and machine learning
in partnership with increased healthcare research
will result in new developments in drug discovery
and usage, making it more personalized,
intelligent, and efficient. AI’s rapid progress will
not only have a substantial impact on pharma in
2018, but also in the future. Since data is the
foundation of AI, our clients will explore ways to
leverage this data to better serve their customers.
Additionally, AI will assist with treatment outcomes
through analyzing health data and aid pharma in discovering more treatments and cures for
terminal diseases. AI is behind some of the most influential technologies such as Voice
Recognition Technology, Natural Language Processing, Real Time Emotion Analytics,
Robotics, Chatbots, and many more.
Welcome
3 VR Gaming as a Treatment
Virtual Reality (VR) gaming has gained a foothold in the general consumer market, but still has not
reached the mass market. In the healthcare sector, VR gaming has had even less of a presence,
typically only being deployed in convention-type settings. However, there are innovative
breakthrough VR gaming experiences that are being used as treatments for phobias, sickle cell
anemia, vaccine administration, and more. Pharma companies have been looking for ways to
support patients that go beyond the pill. VR gaming for conditions such as ADHD and Alzheimer’s,
has the potential to be transformative in the industry. Regardless of whether pharma clients are
directly funding VR treatment research,
promoting these therapies, or competing
against them, pharma companies must
have the knowledge and expertise to
market and advertise treatments other
than pills (or devices) to stay relevant. VR-
as-treatment can be life-changing for
certain patients and HCPs. Alternatives or
supplements to conventional therapies
are appealing to patients and HCPs alike
for safety, efficacy, and compliance
reasons. Given the potential
opportunities, pharma companies and
medtech startups are investing heavily in
not only building interactive experiences,
but also in testing them in clinical trials.
4 Virtual Health
Virtual Health combines clinical care and professional teamwork through telemedicine,
telehealth, and collaboration at a distance by connecting clinicians, patients, care teams,
and health professionals. This enables Virtual Health to provide health services, support
patient self-management, and coordinate care across the care continuum. Furthermore,
Virtual Health not only facilitates care to under-served areas, but also enables the
implementation of preventive services and ongoing monitoring, grants quick access to
medical records, and triages care while reducing doctor and hospital visits and costs. The
proliferation of Virtual Health will necessitate the reimagining of the HCP-Patient journey,
the re-evaluation of what resources pharma provides and through which channels, and the
potential reorganization of the sales and patient services structure. Virtual Health represents
a significant trend for this year due to several pertinent factors:
• Changing healthcare laws and regulations
• Increased cost and margin pressures
• Shift to value-based systems and preventive care
• Aging population and physician shortages
• Greater comfort with technology and the need for on-demand services
4 Virtual Health
29 states and D.C.
35% of employers with on-site
currently uphold laws mandating health
facilities offer telemedicine services and
plans cover telemedicine services1
~70% of employers plan to offer
telemedicine services as an employee benefit
by 20172
64% of Americans
Meanwhile,
reported they would attend an
appointment via video telehealth4
1. State Telehealth Laws and Reimbursement Policies Report, 2. Towers Watson Survey, 3. Manhattan
Research Taking The Pulse U.S. 2017, 4. American Well 2015 Telehealth Survey, 5. Canopy Health
5 Chip Technology
The sophistication of Chip Technology has advanced to the point in which it is no longer
merely an amazingly compact substitute for wires, tubes, and connectors, but rather a
legitimate stand-in for humans and animals throughout multiple stages of drug
development and testing. Since only 1 in 10 drugs that enter clinical trials achieve FDA
approval and the average time from preclinical research to the market is 12 years, this
technology has the potential to cut time and costs, and identify successes earlier while
delivering on personalized treatments sooner.
While digital communication garners much of the attention in our industry, and AI, AR, and
VR receive substantial media coverage, Chip Technology is squarely in the sights of the
industry, poised to fundamentally change the way pharmaceuticals are brought to market.
For example, Emulate Inc.’s Human Emulation System was selected for experimental use
on the International Space Station, Tara’s technology is in use by 10 drug companies, and
TissUse in Berlin is using a multi-organ chip to drive insights on a systemic level. Most of
these developments indicate more rapid testing as well as the approval and
personalization of medicines.
These technologies are already transforming healthcare. We cannot wait to see what the
next round of innovation will yield. We welcome your feedback and thoughts!
To learn more about how Omnicom Health Group can drive innovation for
your brand or company, visit http://www.omnicomhealthgroup.com or
contact us at technology@omnicomhealthgroup.com.