Patients put first at digital health dialogue

The upcoming FT Digital Health Summit in London explores ways the healthcare industry is adopting digital technology keeping the consumer in focus.

The healthcare industry has been slow in adopting a digital transition. But one thing is clear - the industry is finally starting to put the patient first, when talking about the growth of digital health. Digitally transforming an industry without the consumer in mind can often lead to resource-waste approaches. This has been shown in other sectors. So the need to put the patient first in every development phase of healthcare’s transformation is essential. Taking place next week, the FT Digital Health Summit aims to do just that. Leaders from the NHS digital arm will deliver compelling keynotes on how one of the biggest healthcare organisations in the world, is balancing the pace of disruption with unique customer preferences, not seen in most other industries.

In addition, what has also come to light in recent weeks is the devastating impact of cyber attacks on important institutions in the UK. Cyber security is of course vital in all industries, but in healthcare, it brings a whole host of problems, not least of which is the distribution of private medical records. This threat has the potential to single handedly halt healthcare’s digital journey.

About the author: Charlie Hayward is the senior content editor at Financial Times Live.

HealthCode is a supporting partner for FT Digital Health Summit, London, set to take place on June 27, 2017. HCo members interested in attending the event can write to hello@healthcode.io for a discount on the registration fee.