i3 - March/April 2020 - 24

REARRANGING A COMPLICATED
MEDICAL ENVIRONMENT

Deloitte's The Future of Health report
expects that technology will drive the
restructuring of the health care industry.
The consulting firm expects that by 2040,
"the consumer will be at the center of the
health model" thanks to new interoperable, always-on data tools and "new combinations of services offered by incumbents
and new entrants (disruptors)." That is a
24

MARCH/APRIL 2020

i3_0320_22-25_Feature_Health.indd 24

Deloitte's
The Future of
Health report
concludes
that data
analysis and
technology
"will empower
consumers
to address
many routine
health issues
at home."

major overhaul from the current U.S. health care system, which Deloitte describes as "a collection of disconnected components (health plans, hospital
systems, pharmaceutical companies and medical
device manufacturers)."
Deloitte predicts that integrating wearables and
other health monitoring devices into daily activities
will accelerate. Its report concludes that data analysis and technology "will empower consumers to
address many routine health issues at home," citing
the example of an at-home diagnostic test that could
be used to determine whether a visit to a doctor is
necessary. The integrated system could also order a
prescription if needed which might be delivered by
drone to the home.
The report also envisions personal monitors, such
as a smart mirror with biosensors that could track
body temperature and blood pressure, evaluate skin
condition and other factors. It would then mesh that
personal information with social determinants such
as weather reports to assess whether it is a good day
for outdoor exercise. Similarly, a tech-enabled toilet
could identify biomarkers that would indicate
changes in health status long before symptoms
appear, Deloitte contends.
"The next generation of sensors will move us from
wearable devices to invisible, always-on sensors that

Joan Alturo

"Humana Digital Health and Analytics
(DH&A) supports these efforts and meets
customers where they are," explains Marc
Willard, vice president of Platform
Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at
Humana DH&A. The objective is to build
"consumer-centric digital products, tools
and services that support our integrated
care delivery model and enable differentiated health care experiences that are connected, simplified and personalized."
To develop its services, Humana has
combined technologies for "whole-person health care" as part of the "creation
of a better health care ecosystem." The
approach encompasses "cloud-enabled
data democratization, advanced analytics and deep learning" Willard cites its
commitment to creating "a longitudinal
health record that delivers a comprehensive view of our members' health
over time."
One objective is the need to make "the
health care system easier to access and
navigate." Humana calls upon a nationwide "array of expertise," including data
scientists, experience designers and engineers. Willard expects Humana to expand
its commitment to "virtual care capabilities, which provide convenient and accessible care, slow disease progression and
facilitate independence."
Humana will also continue to build
strategic partnerships with organizations
and entrepreneurs to test and identify the
latest innovations. "These involve experimenting with and learning from new
health technology, insight sharing with
entrepreneurs in the health ecosystem,
and bringing innovative solutions to fruition quickly and efficiently," he says.

I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

3/17/20 2:03 PM
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/life-sciences-and-health-care/articles/future-of-health.html
i3 - March/April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i3 - March/April 2020
