The Power of Healthcare Data – Crack Complexity, Unleash Potential

Executive Networking Dinner Summary | May 11th 2023, Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

On May 11^th, 2023 Morgan Philips Germany hosted one of its much appreciated MP Talks Executive Networking dinners.

The theme was actual and of particular importance for those who work in and with Healthcare:

“The Power of Healthcare Data – Crack Complexity, Unleash Potential”.

Three exceptionally competent speakers treated different aspects, challenges and potential of Healthcare data:

Understanding the Role of Healthcare Data in Precision Medicine 

Fernando Andreu, CEO of 2curex talked about precision medicine and data. He subdivided data according to different aspects which made understand the complexity from both, the qualitative and the quantitative side: three data sources will be combined to start with, that is data from the patient, data from treatments and data from the outcomes. This combination will be used to predict possible treatments through algorithms. The probability of success rises. An example of this may be a breast cancer patient who shows an overexpression of a protein called HER-2 is likely to benefit from a drug called trastuzumab. This is amazingly helpful knowledge. Mr. Andreu states that there are currently more than 150 similar associations (Companion diagnostic) already approved by the FDA for clinical use.

Some of this data comes from medical devices, highly regulated and structured whereas data regarding the environment of the patient is not at all.

Information is first gathered in Clinical Trials and after that in Real World Data.

Mr. Andreu mentions the most exciting recent developments in this area: the transition from genomics to multi-omics. Not everything can be explained by genes and their alterations but there are new areas like proteomics. Companies are looking at more than 10.000 proteins per patient sample.

Secondly the emergence of Phentotypic tests. Scientists do not look at the molecular mechanisms of a disease but at the outcome of these processes. This is what 2cureX does. They receive a biopsy of the patient’s tumor and then expose avatars to different drugs and drug combinations creating a drug sensitive profile that is unique to the patient.

Third, Mr. Andreu explains the development of image-based diagnostics where AI interprets pathology slides. The subjective part of image interpretation is removed. Qualitative information is shifted to quantitative information which allows integration with other data sources.

Bottomline the potential of integration and analysis of collected data is amazing in regards to new therapeutic approaches, prevention, prediction, early detection and a personal approach for each patient.

There are also challenges like ethical questions, the healthcare system itself and the integration of all this information in clinical practice, the operational side. Our next speaker addressed some of these.

Pervasive Computing: A Catalyst for Healthcare Data Innovation 

Markus Jostock, Founder and CEO of Arxum refers to the IT side of healthcare.

He describes the speed of development in IT explaining Moores law. Moore stated that the speed of a computer doubles in more or less two years whereas its size diminishes at the same scale: half the size double the speed. This process has been going on since 1965.

After one decade a computer is 32 times more potent than it used to be at the beginning of the decade.  

After two decades it is 1000 times more potent. Exponential development. We now embrace the area of pervasive computing, the IOT.

The reduction of the size and growth of potential leads to computers on your wrist and new applications with AI.

Digitalization has started more than 50 years ago and it will go on. Critics say Moore’s law ends at one point but we have quantum computing around the corner.

Pervasive computer systems create a pervasive availability of data. Today we face AI applications like ChatGPT as just one. Data helps us making decisions. We have information to our disposal in real time. Mr. Jostock wonders if companies are prepared for these changes, for the potential of an enormous amount of data being able to improve efficiency in an incredible way. All companies do already have computer systems and amounts of data. They do want to scale and thus do need data storage and transfer options. There is a concern of data security, of data access. At that point block chain appeared 13 years ago, a groundbreaking new technology. Data management becomes more secure, more transparent and more efficient. Data can be traced, origin and originality, the footage can be proofed. Intended alterations can be detected – think of fake pictures. Compliance is the argument, regulators can control.  Mr. Jostock states that paper is still used but that compliance is very limited and depends on the individual responsibility of human beings.  Paper use in laboratories is  time consuming. With new technology you resolve several problems including the cost. Pervasive computing and data leads to pervasive  compliance. Regulators are aware of that. Not only in healthcare but also in sustainability, logistics, procurement and other areas compliance will move to a common standard requested by most companies, regulators and patients. You may think about the green claims directive. Mr. Jostock suggests companies to be aware of these developments and to be in control.

Digital Pathways: Revolutionizing Healthcare Access and Affordability 

Our third speaker, Mrs. Daniela Hommel, CEO of Curalie gave our audience a concrete example of how data can improve the situation and possibilities of treatment for patients not having good access to physical healthcare or a  healthcare system.

Mrs. Hommel started her talk giving us an idea of the actual healthcare situation in Germany: 5000 doctor practitioners missing. 15.000 missing including the ones in hospitals. Assuming a doctor can see 10 to 20 patients a day this means that 1/3 of Germans do not get adequate treatment today. In Africa, Asia or Latin America the situation is much worse. On the other hand side the OECD states that healthcare in its current form is no longer manageable financially, at least in developed countries where costs explode due to chronical lifestyle diseases. Between 2030 and 2050 healthcare cost will make about 10 to 20% of the GDP if no change is in sight.

What has data got to do with this situation? Imagine that a population of 500.000 people could be served with 8 doctors, few nurses and an initial investment of 3 to 5 million. How? With a digitized medical pathway for the most common diseases. Patients consult doctors via video. Necessary blood tests, x-rays and so on can be done in an asset-like setting, imagine a container like the Amazon pick up boxes.

Most diseases require 5 to 10 steps. Mrs. Hommel underlines the cost effectiveness and the widespread distribution of healthcare. In Kenya this is already done, in cooperation with local hospitals for more severe cases.

The challenge may be to reach people who were not taken care of before. Will they accept the offer and use it? How can they be engaged long-term? Another challenge was the translation of non professional symptom description into data. Curalie found a way. Data protection was no major issue.

Altogether, connected treatment data processed in an app is cost effective, opposes personnel shortage and – gives healthcare access to patients who usually would have difficulties to be treated.

All three speakers gave profound insight in what can be done with data in regards to healthcare.

The main three aspects of the outcome are:

• Personalized and effective treatment and new research possibilities through more sophisticated data collection, data procession, data interpretation and prediction, storage and security
• Healthcare in neglected areas
• Cost effectiveness for the healthcare system

Additionally, real time information and treatment and time saving operational processes contribute in a definitely positive way.

The application of advanced qualitative and quantitative data processes is mostly positive for both patients and healthcare system.

Ethical Challenges and Opportunities in Healthcare Data Innovation 

The panel discussion moderated by Günther Illert of Healthcare Shapers following this valuable knowledge sharing confirmed the interest in the topic. The audience was eager to ask questions and make comments. Guests were interested in knowing if patients were incentivized to provide data, how the ethical side is handled when predictive patient data is available and where government, political decisions (e.g. compliance and government relations ) are collocated in this transformational process. The political strategy in Europe is considered disruptive.

Professional conversations and networking went on during the excellent dinner, showing the engagement of our expertise participants. Some guests mentioned constructive cooperation proposals afterwards.

Morgan Philips Talks - Executive Dinner also this time brought excellent professionals together. All of them committing to shape healthcare in the best possible way by cracking complexity to unleash its full power.

We need to acquire knowledge and handle means properly and consciously in order to improve ourselves and the world!

Soon we will be dedicating our Executive Networking dinner to another groundbreaking theme.

Stay tuned!