As part of our NHS at 70 series Hotwire spoke with Alex Gilbert, Partnerships at Medopad, one of the UK’s fastest growing health tech companies, having raised $28Million Series-A funding, and quadrupling in size over the past 7 months.
Medopad is a digital health company combining remote patient monitoring, patient education and telehealth into one holistic app-and-web based platform. Their technology allows them to create modular apps specifically targeting the needs of individual cohorts across over 20 different diseases. They are currently working across Healthcare, Life Sciences and Government to empower and engage patients to take control of their care.
Since their first mobile app back in 2011, Medopad has expanded across every facet of digital health, transforming how healthcare providers, doctors and patients connect with each other – using remote patient monitoring applications, mobile technology and advanced data analytics.
“From the point of our inception, we recognised technology’s vast potential for change,” notes Gilbert. “This drove us to begin work on our first mobile application, and the rest is history. “Our remote monitoring tech and data analytics deliver a highly personalised, efficient care experience. And I’m lucky to work with the most exciting team in Digital Health to empower and engage the healthcare industry globally.
The NHS is a beacon of safety and dependence
“I believe primarily, for all of us, the NHS has always represented a beacon of safety and dependence when we’re at our most vulnerable” Gilbert explains.
“To have a dependable healthcare resource ensuring all of us receive appropriate care is a service I believe we take for granted all too often. However flawed the system may be, we should all be grateful for the many amazing healthcare professionals across the country who work tirelessly to make all of our lives longer, happier and healthier.
And if he were able to recreate the NHS, there are three things that he would change.
“Firstly, as Sir David Nicholson once pointed out: ‘The NHS must change if it is to survive and remain sustainable’ – and obviously, given the field I work in, I have a personal bias towards a lot of that change being driven by technology. However, I believe one of the primary topics to focus on is the simplification of our healthcare system through more streamlined services and improved patient education.
“Through our own work, we’ve found patients feel lost and uninformed too often during their care program, leading to a sense of distress. If we can make things more palatable and understandable for patients, I believe that in itself could make a big difference.
The NHS needs a bigger focus on data and proactive care
“The second change that I would make is that I would like to see a bigger focus on the collection and use of data to offer personalised care and medicine,” says Gilbert.
“Each person is different, and, in kind, so should their care be. In an ideal world, we should be caring for the patient rather than treating their disease.
“Finally, if the NHS is to truly thrive, we must look to reduce the burden on our healthcare system by switching from reactive to proactive care. The patient should have all of the information and insight they need to allow them to truly understand the risks associated to their behaviour or diseases, whilst also being provided the right tools to manage their condition.
“Using tools such as democratised personal health records and self-management apps could empower and engage the patient to take control of their care.”
Tech and innovation in the NHS: educate, empower and engage
Gilbert is a passionate advocate of technological innovation in both the private sector and in the NHS to drive positive change in the UK’s healthcare sector.
“Tech and innovation are both of the utmost importance to the NHS and broader health of us all as individuals. Innovation has continually driven improvements in the way we are cared for, from drug discovery to diagnostic development.
“Innovation through tech, specifically, offers infinite opportunity to educate, empower and engage patients whilst supporting clinical teams across all levels of service delivery.”