Charles Taylor, founder and chief technology officer of HeartFlow, shares his predictions on where medtech is headed in 2021.
The world of health received an unprecedented amount of public attention in 2020. As Coronavirus spread, never before had so many concerned themselves with disease case numbers, hospital capacity, treatment research or vaccine development.
The crisis has rolled on unabated after a summer lull. However, despite recent setbacks across the globe, there seems to finally be light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine roll-out gearing up.
But after we emerge from the other side, what will the new post-COVID world look like? The Coronavirus jolted the health industry and sent medtech trends into turbo charge. Most of the changes brought in are unlikely to be reversed. So, in light of this, what should we expect from medtech in 2021?
Telehealth and virtual care
We are now all too familiar with the concept of social distancing and, unfortunately, the adherence to this practice will remain necessary for some time after the vaccine rollout. This is especially so in hospitals and other medical environments populated by large quantities of vulnerable individuals.
Treating patients while respecting social distancing presents challenges and in some scenarios is simply impossible. Physicians must seek an alternative leading to a proliferation in the adoption of telehealth and virtual care practices.
Telehealth enables healthcare professionals to remotely monitor data on certain aspects of a patient’s health. It is a broad term that comes in a wide variety of styles, from a simple virtual check-up to complex robotic surgery performed through remote access.
In terms of cardiac care, the NHS recommends a CT-first approach. Coupled with technology such as the HeartFlow Analysis, many patients can be diagnosed for coronary heart disease (CHD) within a matter of days and in one hospital visit. Initial discussions can be conducted virtually, then the patient needs to visit the hospital for a CT scan, which takes approximately 90 minutes and requires minimal interaction with the clinical team. The physician can review and interpret the CT scan remotely, and if additional information is needed, the data from this scan is then sent to HeartFlow where an interactive, 3D digital model of the patient’s arteries is created.
The HeartFlow 3D digital model is then sent to clinicians, so it can be reviewed remotely, and the appropriate treatment determined, giving them greater confidence in their diagnosis. It is a good example of the NHS’ approach to adopting digital technologies that help the service become more efficient. The whole CT-first approach reduces patient waiting times and the amount of time spent interacting with medical professionals in person, which has been a critical advantage during the global Coronavirus pandemic. Further, as described in the recently completed FORECAST trial conducted in the UK, this approach can significantly reduce the need for invasive cardiac catheterisation without adding additional costs and further lessening interactions with the clinical team. Fewer invasive procedures are good for patients, but also good for physicians and other healthcare providers trying to conserve precious resources.
Data and privacy
The pandemic has served as a stark reminder of the immeasurable value of data. It has been central to our understanding and management of the crisis. From the monitoring of case numbers, deaths and hospital admissions, to controlling outbreaks via track and trace systems. The NHS has clearly recognised the potential of data and AI and invested accordingly – this trend is likely to continue into 2021.
As data and AI have become more commonplace across all sectors, there has been a general unease around the issue of privacy that this raises. However, the pandemic has engendered a cultural shift. The use of data for health reasons has become normalised and the crisis has underlined the benefits of giving up such information, potentially resulting in the life of a loved one being saved. While the dichotomy of data and privacy clearly presents a trade-off, COVID-19 has tipped the balance in favour of data.
Trust in medical professionals to handle data responsibly will remain a key issue, and transparency will be essential. None of us would be comfortable with our information going out into the world for an unspecified use and so the collation of data will continue to become more targeted. At HeartFlow, we recognise this and take great effort to illustrate the direct relation between adding data into our algorithms while adhering to strict patient privacy protocols, and the significant benefit this brings to patients and physicians.
Looking beyond COVID
Earlier in 2020, we knew much less about the virus and were still unsure of its lethality. Consequently, COVID patients were prioritised and resources shifted accordingly.
Further to this, there was a perception that hospitals were Coronavirus hotspots and major concerns emerged over a lack of PPE. This unfortunately resulted in many patients avoiding necessary medical attention for non-COVID ailments, either missing out on vital procedures or being diagnosed at a later date when their condition had worsened.
Thanks to mass global research initiatives, we have now much better information on the virus, who it affects most and how to treat it. As a result, balancing the treatment of COVID and non-COVID patients has become more manageable.
This has meant that investment and research in other areas of health have started to pick up again. For example, in cardiac care, the NHS has resumed its adoption of new CT scanners of greater image quality and efficiency. Such scanners are a key investment and provide a richer diagnosis, including atherosclerosis plaque information. Meanwhile, large, international randomised controlled trials necessary for vital developments in evidence-based medicine have been relaunched.
COVID-19 will undoubtedly remain a key medical issue in 2021 but will hopefully become vastly more manageable as vaccines become more broadly available. This means that the medical community will be able to renew focus on other deadly conditions, such as coronary heart disease, which remains the world’s biggest killer.
