It is no secret that the primary health care sector in Denmark is under pressure – we see an increased pressure at the clinic, need for in-home care, nursing homes, and pharmacies.
The lack of general medical practitioners will have a big effect to the Danish population in the future. Today, 127,890 Danes are referred to a medical clinic run by either the regions or a private player, as they struggle to get a general practitioner. At the national level, 60 percent of general practices are closed to new patients, and it is estimated that in three years from now, 300,000 Danes will be without a permanent GP. One solution is to ensure that more trained doctors make their way become general practitioners - especially in rural areas, where the shortage is the greatest. However future tech can also be used to ease the pressure in the primary health sector.
Digital treatment is accelerating due to the pandemic
In the United States, the covid-19 pandemic has accelerated an already existing trend in the way patients seek information and treatment. Patients and relatives have sought solutions that seamlessly and easily integrate various aspects of the primary health care sector into their daily lives - such as video consultations and drive-in tests. During the pandemic, the new demands to see as few people as possible to reduce contamination have contributed to these solutions becoming increasingly popular - especially digital and virtual treatment options and at the same time meets the demand of working from home. It is highly likely we will see an increasing demand that extends beyond the duration of the pandemic. In the future, the role of the family doctor - and the primary health care sector in general - will be significantly different if it was up to digital start-ups who are ready to provide an alternative and more digital experience for patients. Although the healthcare systems in the U.S. and Denmark are very different, the solutions that are now being developed in the U.S. could become relevant for Denmark, as they open up the possibility of better patient treatment and utilization of digital advances. One thing they have in common is that they all strive to facilitate and digitalize the routine tasks that help to limit the capacity of doctors, we have a great interest in keeping an eye on what new technology brings.
Tech is helping to solve the lack of GPs in the US
The shortage of GPs in the United States and the often very long wait it involves has opened up a digital market where patients choose a virtual solution that allows them to see a doctor right away. Through virtual treatment platforms such as Doctor on Demand, Dispatch Health, Carbon Health, and Heal, the patient can arrange a virtual doctor appointment with a licensed doctor through an app from anywhere and at all times of the day. These solutions all use the patient's smartphone to make encoded video calls through the companies' own user-friendly app, which provides a completely new experience of “going to the doctor´s office”.
Lab at home
Within laboratory technology, Silicon Valley has an idea of how we in the future, can handle this from home - and use the phone to make and send tests to the doctor. LetsGetChecked and EverlyWell allow the patient to check and collect samples in their own home and send them to laboratories for analysis, after which the result is available digitally a few days later. Patients can order analysis for everything from cholesterol, sexually transmitted diseases, allergy tests, and of course corona tests. In addition to urgent visits and tests, regular health checks are also a big part of the primary sector's responsibilities. Health checks give doctors the opportunity to collect information, establishing a better knowledge of the individual patient, and at the same time take care of health problems before they develop into more serious diseases.
Health-checks while shopping in the stores
New digital technology can also change where and when these examinations take place, as digital tools allow patients to do parts of their examination from home and share video and information directly with the GP. We can expect to see solutions like these in Denmark within a number of years. Capturing data at home is becoming more and more common - some examples worth mentioning are TytoCare´s 'TytoHome' (a digital app, containing of a thermometer, otoscope, tongue spatula, and stethoscope) or Eko´s 'Duo Stethoscope' (ECG and stethoscope in a small device). In the US, it´s becoming normal to find “health kiosks” in supermarkets. An example is Higi, providing the opportunity to screen for heart diseases and diabetes on the spot while shopping for your groceries. With simple WIFI, it allows patients to send information to their doctor - without having to go to their office. Examination tools, which use artificial intelligence, give GPs new opportunities to collect and process information, gaining a better picture of the patient without overburdening the existing workflow.
Denmark holds excellent potential for tech-solutions
One of the many strengths of the Danish healthcare system is the close integration of data and information into one fused system, which can be accessed by all parties in the healthcare system. It should be treasured and protected – as it is valued and increases the efficiency of the entire healthcare. But this very closed system in the Danish healthcare sector may also prove to be a barrier for the implementation of new technology, which is knocking on the door to strengthen patient care and help ensure more efficient use of the healthcare system's scarce resources. Therefore, it is relevant to have an open debate about the best ways to integrate data in the future, ensuring Denmark’s participants in the digital health-wave, which has the potential to change patient care.
In 2021, Innovation Center Denmark in Silicon Valley will have an extra focus on technology that will affect the health system and the way we go to the doctor in the future. We take a closer look at new, innovative technology, data, and artificial intelligence, as well as how the big technology giants are moving into this area with rapid strides. Stay tuned and read more here.
