The Healthcare Industry’s Shift to Digital Health — In conversation with Nnamdi Njoku
As is the case with most industries today, digital transformation has become a necessary imperative within the healthcare industry. Healthcare with its dynamic nature and ever-changing face demand constant delivery around the world. Hence, staying up to date with technology and really reaping its benefits is crucial for the healthcare industry to deliver on patient expectations.
Today we are in conversation with Nnamdi Njoku — an agile leader passionate about healthcare equity. Having had a breadth of diverse experiences and the ability to shape technology strategy, Nnamdi is sharing his views on the shift to digital health in this interview.
Nnamdi, we talked about the future of health care as one of the topics that are top of mind. Can you talk to us about how you see the transformation from Medtech to Digital Health and what are some of the major challenges the industry is facing?
“From a broader point of view — I see two shifts taking place. The first has to do with the big shift from hardware to software. From hardware to algorithms, to AI, to cloud computing, and so on. As somebody in the medical technology space, I know that we spend a lot of time on this shift. The second would be the integration of systems thinking and building out ecosystems. We must treat patients after taking into consideration the ecosystem they live in. At the end of the day, we must know how they interact with digital healthcare tools and so on.
“But what factors are really driving both these shifts? The first would be the access to tools that we didn’t have before — things like cloud storage capability. We can now leverage computing power and store important data. Another driver of these shifts is the patient experience. As healthcare professionals we must be sure to understand how patients will live their daily lives with their therapies or devices. Hence, the integration of digital tools, medical technology, and the patient experience are all key factors.
“All this brings me back to navigating the shift to digital health and I believe there are certain factors that help organizations navigate such a shift.
1. The purpose of the organization. Outlining a purpose that is crystal clear has a two-fold benefit. The organization can be intentional in the type of impact they are trying to create and are able to attract the right talent that holds the same values.
2. Upgrading the digital acumen of the organization. For example, having a consistent language throughout the organization to discuss such topics creates a sense of uniformity and builds a narrative around successfully navigating this shift.
3. A true understanding of the patient you are trying to serve. Any kind of medical therapy touches upon every aspect of a patient’s life and may cause an unintended impact. Hence, understanding a patient's lifestyle is fundamental.”
Thanks for sharing, Nnamdi.
