Disrupting healthcare from the outside

With demographic drivers and technological improvements in treatments, we can easily fall into the trap of thinking ever greater financial resources are required directly into frontline healthcare to drive optimal outcomes. Political positioning and press outrage do little to challenge this thesis.

But there are more efficient approaches, focusing on prevention rather than cure as well as re-focusing effort to address inefficiencies and rethink engrained procedures.

Data is a primary focus for healthcare across the globe, with the US regulatory push towards outcome, rather than procedure, based payments and a continuing push for data interoperability. In the UK, data and technology is also being actively pushed by the government, with more frequent regulatory reporting pending and benchmarking driving towards more automation to reduce time-pressures and improve accuracy.

Large scale investments in data, predictive analytics and ultimately broader AI solutions are becoming increasingly important as available data volumes expand, but these can only yield the promised benefits if the data on which decision making is based is “clean”. “Garbage in, garbage out” will not build the user confidence required for large scale adoption.

Here at Polestar, we see among our existing and prospective technology IP clients that step changes often come from looking at things completely afresh. Involving sector knowledge later to fine-tune assumptions made from a new perspective, rather than seeking to evolve from within existing parameters, is generally driving the disruptive changes required.