Harnessing digital to optimise the patient experience
Digital health is the point at which healthcare, technology, data and analytics converge. The World Health Organization believes digital health has the potential to improve health for everyone.1 Here are two examples of our digital health work:
Clinical trials
We aim to increase access for underserved communities by using digital technologies. One of the challenges of study participation for patients is the amount of time spent attending clinic visits. With virtual visits, non-invasive data collection and technology that monitors patients in their homes instead of in a hospital setting, we are reducing the number of clinic visits needed. We are scaling this model globally across our therapy areas and implementing strategies that aim for the majority of our clinical trials to be hybrid — partially in-person and partially virtual.
Digital therapeutics
As we move forward, the use of devices and sensors to remotely monitor patients should reduce by half the incidence of acute hospital visits across all our therapy areas. Our vision is to reimagine healthcare by delivering better outcomes using digital therapeutics (DxTx). In 2020, we developed an innovative DxTx aimed at supporting earlier identification and management of Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD). ILD is an umbrella term for a wide range of conditions that cause scarring (fibrosis) of the lungs, impacting the patients’ ability to breathe. The new DxTx is intended to enable the early detection and management of ILD.
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