Article

How digital health technology can end the annual NHS crisis

December 16, 2022
Article

How digital health technology can end the annual NHS crisis

December 16, 2022

Mert Aral

Chief Medical Officer

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The last ‘worst winter’: How digital health technology can end the annual NHS crisis

This time last year, the NHS was bracing itself for the worst winter on record as the COVID-19 pandemic and its knock-on impacts dragged on1. We’d hoped we would end 2022 in a better position, but this is not the case.

As we approach the end of 2022, things are set to be even worse. Soaring cases of respiratory infections including flu, COVID and RSV threaten what is being referred to as a 'tripledemic', which will only compound the pressure on an already struggling NHS.

Combine this with the cost of living crisis which is damaging people’s health, squeezed budgets, staffing shortages and a demoralised NHS workforce and you have the perfect storm for a winter from hell. It comes as no surprise that nurses are striking across England, Northern Ireland and Wales in December due to the pressure of their workload and pay2.

Our remote patient monitoring system requires 40% less time to review patients, which helps relieve the pressure on overwhelmed nurses and clinicians.

Shah et al. (2021)

It is glaringly apparent that our healthcare system is struggling to cope with demand and, as a result, services are crumbling. People with chronic conditions are much more susceptible to other infections in winter, especially if they are elderly or frail.

As a result, hospital beds are maxed out which means there’s no room for new patients from A&E. Consequently, people are being turned away and sent to other centres, which only delays treatment and leads to worse outcomes. The knock-on effects are like dominoes falling and now we have reached a crisis situation that’s costing health, money and lives.

Working in the NHS, we always accept that winter is a difficult time, but it’s steadily getting worse. This is simply not sustainable and has a huge human and societal cost.

Something has to change.

Putting virtual wards to work

At Huma, we’re building the evidence to show why digital health technology is the solution that’s urgently needed to relieve the pressures on the NHS by saving time, increasing clinical capacity and helping deliver better care.

One key example is virtual wards, which are a top Government priority to alleviate the winter pressure and are being rolled out across the country3.

Huma’s hospital-at-home platform has already improved efficiency in the NHS and has proven to almost double clinical capacity4. According to research, our remote patient monitoring system requires 40% less time to review patients, which helps relieve the pressure on overwhelmed nurses and clinicians5.

Virtual wards can also significantly improve patient outcomes and save lives. One recent study found that COVID-19 patients who used Huma’s app to monitor their health status had a 3-4 times lower mortality rate and shorter duration of hospitalisation than those who didn’t use it6.

Cutting waiting lists and workloads

Digital health technology helps to ensure that people whose health is deteriorating get timely access to the care they need, while freeing up precious appointments that aren’t needed by those whose health is stable.

In one study, we collaborated with Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals who used Huma’s technology to remotely monitor cardiac surgery patients and identify those at risk of deteriorating. Out of 525 patients, over 9% were flagged as high risk and as a result, almost 90% of those who were deteriorating were prioritised for earlier life-saving surgery, illustrating the crucial role of digital tools in modern healthcare7.

In another study with Welsh health boards, Huma’s remote monitoring app was evaluated in patients with heart failure. The results showed more than 80% reduction in the time needed to optimise patients’ medications (34 days compared vs 6-8 months national average) and a 19% drop in the number of outpatient appointments. What’s more, 10% of patients avoided readmission to hospital following discharge8.

One of the main reasons behind this growing body of evidence is the fact that remote patient monitoring enables better communication between patient and the care team. In some cases, over 80% of instances where patients have had their care escalated has been as a result of the app9. This shows how problems can be dealt with in a more timely and proactive way before they get worse.

Time for a change

Winter comes around every year and as the population grows and ages, the pressure on the NHS will only increase. We must now focus on improving efficiency so that we can cope with these growing demands.

To address the NHS shortcomings, we need to work smarter and more efficiently. Although there is no single solution, digital health technology has the power to make a huge difference across many areas as demonstrated.

An accumulating body of research is proving that health technology can ease the pressures on healthcare workers and provide better care and outcomes for patients. Most importantly, it can save time and valuable resources by freeing up clinicians, nurses and other healthcare workers from routine tasks so that they can focus on treating the patients who need care the most.

It’s a no-brainer that we should be using digital health solutions. The healthcare workforce and Huma are more than ready to deliver on this, but it is now up to the NHS to implement them as quickly as possible. This should be the last ‘worst winter’ - it’s time to change things for the better.

Discover Huma's virtual ward technology

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Making an impact

3000+

3000+ hospitals and clinics supported across Huma platforms to secure the most sustainable impact for patients1

×2

Our platform can almost double clinical capacity and reduce readmission rates by >30%3

27m+

Huma's digital-first health platforms support a network of 27m patients1

1m+

Over 1 million devices have been shipped in support of our projects and we know what it takes to deploy at scale1

Winner of the 2022 Prix Galien award for digital health, widely regarded as 'pharma's Nobel prize'4

Selected as one of 'The Most Important Healthcare Design of 2021' by Fast Company5

Winner of the 2022 Prix Galien award for digital health, widely regarded as 'pharma's Nobel prize'4

Winner of the 2022 Prix Galien award for digital health, widely regarded as 'pharma's Nobel prize'4

Article

How digital health technology can end the annual NHS crisis

December 16, 2022
Article

How digital health technology can end the annual NHS crisis

December 16, 2022

Huma joins digital pioneers to advance health equity in care and research

Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Dan Vahdat, is returning to the annual World Economic Forum’s main conference where he will join a panel discussion devoted to improving care for non-communicable disease and tackling health equity. Accompanied by Chief Financial and Strategy Officer, Ingeborg Oie, Dan is looking forward to connecting with other attendees to explore how Huma’s digital health platform can make healthcare more equitable, and advances proactive, predictive care.

Huma joins digital pioneers to advance health equity in care and research

Date:Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Time:4:15 - 5:15 p.m. CET
Location:Ice Village, Eisbahnstrasse 5, Davos, Switzerland
Dan will join the Digital Health Action Alliance panel at Davos to discuss Turning the Tide in Non-Communicable Disease Care Through Digital Health and Community Connection. Huma has a long history of advancing the care of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and lung conditions. Huma’s innovative remote patient monitoring platform enables broad patient recruitment, reduces reliance on in-person clinic visits and increases health system efficiency.
*This session is open to registered Annual Meeting 2023 participants and Affiliate badge holders.

Huma is one of the first to sign the Zero Health Gaps Pledge

Huma is one of the first signatories to the Zero Health Gaps Pledge, the World Economic Forum’s Global Health Equity Network’s (GHEN) initiative. Huma supports GHEN’s ambition to build a future without disparities in health or wellbeing outcomes. Huma’s digital platform has been built on a deep clinical knowledge of complex patient needs and how people engage with technology and we are committed to ensuring our technology promotes health equity. We are proud to work with governments, hospital groups, universities, life science and technology companies to bring greater scale and impact and help all people live longer, fuller lives.

Huma at World Economic Forum

Global Innovators and Tech Pioneers
Dec 2022: Huma selected to join 100 innovative companies on a two-year journey as part of the World Economic Forum’s initiatives, activities and events, bringing their cutting-edge insight and fresh thinking to critical global discussions.
Learn more
Working Together, Restoring Trust
May 2022: With the aim to address economic, environmental, political, and social fault-lines exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dan Vahdat speaks at WEF annual meeting about the importance of scientific collaboration.
Learn more
Accelerating innovation and breaking new ground
October 2022: Dan joined the WEF Biotech Future Forum 2022 to discuss how start-ups are breaking new ground in biotech and changing the way we interact with the world, but also how the sector can earn trust, scale successfully and spot the brightest innovations.
Learn more
Making connections at Davos
Jan 2019: Dan attended WEF as an unofficial attendee and spoke to CNBC about the importance of meeting in-person to make connections.
Learn more

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Article

How digital health technology can end the annual NHS crisis

December 16, 2022
Media contact
A headshot of Karen Birmingham PhD
Karen Birmingham PhD
Head of PR & Communications
karen.birmingham@huma.com
Article

How digital health technology can end the annual NHS crisis

December 16, 2022
Media contact
A headshot of Karen Birmingham PhD
Karen Birmingham PhD
Head of PR & Communications
karen.birmingham@huma.com

The last ‘worst winter’: How digital health technology can end the annual NHS crisis

This time last year, the NHS was bracing itself for the worst winter on record as the COVID-19 pandemic and its knock-on impacts dragged on1. We’d hoped we would end 2022 in a better position, but this is not the case.

As we approach the end of 2022, things are set to be even worse. Soaring cases of respiratory infections including flu, COVID and RSV threaten what is being referred to as a 'tripledemic', which will only compound the pressure on an already struggling NHS.

Combine this with the cost of living crisis which is damaging people’s health, squeezed budgets, staffing shortages and a demoralised NHS workforce and you have the perfect storm for a winter from hell. It comes as no surprise that nurses are striking across England, Northern Ireland and Wales in December due to the pressure of their workload and pay2.

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About Huma

Huma began its journey in 2011, when the company was founded in London. Since then, Huma has grown to become a global healthcare company, spanning across multiple geographies and operating across four continents.

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