Claudia Carr. Image: Connor McKenna/SiliconRepublic.com
BearingPoint’s Claudia Carr discusses the challenges and benefits of utilising technology in modern healthcare systems.
In today’s world, digital integration is slowly but surely affecting each and every industry. For example, the ever-evolving area of artificial intelligence is largely expected to be integrated with countless sectors and industries over time – and already has in some cases.
But AI is only one of many ways that technology can affect industries like never before. One area that is expected to benefit greatly by advanced tech is healthcare.
One company that is doing this is BearingPoint, which is using digital tools to aid healthcare providers and clinicians in providing a ‘patient-centric’ solution. We recently spoke to Claudia Carr, a partner at BearingPoint, about the challenges and opportunities of doing so.
Decisions, decisions
First off, what does patient-centric healthcare actually mean?
According to Carr, patient-centric healthcare “is one that puts the needs of the patient first and recognises that each patient will have their own will and preference about how they’re treated and where they’re treated”.
“We’re now holding a significant amount of data that helps us understand those different needs and digital tools can play a really key role in helping inform decision-making, both for the patient and the clinician.”
However, Carr emphasises that the integration of these tools can have challenges, such as the general adoption of the technology.
“We’re dealing with a workforce that are under time pressure, have important decisions to make, so any amount of change that’ll impact those decisions and timing is going to have an impact on them,” she says.
These challenges even extend to the patients themselves, as Carr explains that digital technology in healthcare “must be designed to meet the needs of those using it”.
Despite these challenges, Carr explains that some elements of organisational design can support this digital implementation.
“We need to recognise that the clinician’s role is around, and focused on, treating patients.
“There are other support roles there that can help with the implementation of that change and understanding what those user journeys are.”
Benefits of tech integration
Carr points to a number of useful applications of tech in healthcare, from precision medicine to the use of data to support decision-making.
“With the implementation of electronic health records and the collection of a 360-degree view of the patient, there’s data now available that allows clinicians to make more informed decisions about the needs of their patients.
“We’ve seen that used very effectively in care in hospitals in a number of countries and we’re also, more locally here in Ireland, working with pharmaceutical manufacturers managing supply chain and ordering system for precision medicine that’s really focused on the specific needs of an individual patient at a particular point in time.”
In terms of data, Carr explains that BearingPoint has been working with hospitals across Europe to improve their data strategies, from delving into patient-level data to understanding data points in the hospital infrastructure as a whole.
“From an innovation perspective, we’ve been working with a number of hospitals to help them look at their wider ecosystem.
“That involves identifying use cases, potential partners and working with them to map through what solutions can deliver the best impact for their particular needs and the needs of their patients.”
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