The Future Without Masks: Health in 2025

• Global usage of health, fitness, and wellness apps for smart devices increased by 341% in 2020.

• The global telemedicine market, with a projected growth rate of 15% prior to the pandemic, is now expected to grow by more than 19% annually in the coming years.
• In the US, virtual care visits will exceed 1 billion in 2021, with 900 million of these being COVID-19-related visits.
• A CARE International survey in 40 countries revealed that due to the pandemic, 27% of women and 10% of men reported an increase in mental health disorders.

The above outlines the key characteristics of the healthcare sector today: aging population, increased costs, growing use of fitness tracking apps, removing patients from hospitals by providing personalized care based on their preferences, and an emphasis on mental health.

But what will the healthcare sector look like «without masks» – that is, once we have overcome the pandemic? There are three basic predictions we will mention, taking into account all participants in the healthcare «ecosystem»: public organizations, pharmaceutical companies, service providers, doctors, and the patients themselves. Each prediction is reinforced by the developments brought about by the «new normal,» while analyzing the trends and data available to us today in order to accurately describe tomorrow.

Prediction 1: From healthcare to healthy aging

The reality in 2025

Most people will be fully aware of the risks to their health and will take a preventive approach to care. Based on personalized data that will be immediately available to them, they will know the chances of developing chronic disease and will focus on prevention in order to age healthily.

They will maintain their physical and mental health by taking advantage of exercise and nutrition programs. They will be more receptive to prevention, including vaccinations, genetic testing, and therapies that enhance vitality, wellness, and immune system health. They will monitor healthcare data through apps and mobile devices., For some, however, information alone will not be enough to change their lifestyle, and they will choose to use virtual «health coaches,» creating a «digital twin.».

What is happening today?;

Smart mobile devices have now been transformed into health devices, offering electrocardiogram capabilities, early arrhythmia prediction, blood oxygen level monitoring, exercise tracking, personalized activity recommendations, and sleep quality assurance.

INVITAE provides at-home DNA testing, helping patients understand the risk of developing certain types of cancer, heart disease, and neurological disorders.

NOOM is a health coaching app based on real data that aims to reduce obesity and diabetes. It has more than 47 million users worldwide, who lose an average of 7.5% of weight within four months.

DNANudge offers on-site DNA testing in less than an hour. The user, after providing a sample with a portable “lab-in-a-box,”, receives personalized nudges based on their DNA to increase physical activity, choose foods that best suit their profile, and follow a healthier lifestyle.

Prediction 2: Society benefits from a strengthened public health system

The reality in 2025

Public health will be a priority for governments worldwide, with the largest share of healthcare funding allocated to public health. National public health agencies will take on the task of building and maintaining a robust and flexible public health infrastructure., which will include regional coordination units, trained personnel, and modern data collection and utilization systems.

Digital integration and accelerated adoption of scientific and technological advances will have reduced health risks, promoting prevention. The public health system will be supported by smart national screening and vaccination programs that target high-risk populations through the use of technology, genome analysis, and artificial intelligence. Local authorities, supported by digital technology and behavioral analysis science,  will focus on addressing social factors that affect health, with a view to continuously developing, monitoring, and preventing outbreaks and increasing resilience.

What is happening today?;

Improving public health has become a priority for governments worldwide. For example, the General Secretariat for Health in Portugal is utilizing the ‘SNS 24’ platform, to enhance the digital literacy of the entire population in relation to health. This is a free online and telephone service that provides immediate health information and answers questions 24/7, and is also used for vaccination planning. It offers services that enable citizens to resolve health issues without having to visit primary care facilities or hospitals. But in Greece, too, the Intangible Prescription platform is being used to schedule vaccinations via smart mobile phones.

Childhood obesity is a major issue in Australia, with 17% of children being overweight and 7% obese. The Australian government has organized feedAustralia, a program for early intervention, child nutrition, and education. More than 6,000 preschool services use the relevant tools, which include a nutrition database with more than 200 healthy recipes and snack suggestions with specified energy content and food group analyses.

Grapevine Health is a non-profit startup in the US that designs health information campaigns targeting vulnerable populations. It uses short videos and digital media to inform and educate people about health issues. Grapevine Health also participated alongside 16 other health technology organizations (including Microsoft and Google). in a collective effort to leverage technology to combat health inequalities, which have become more pronounced during the pandemic.

Prediction 3: Care designed around the person, not the provider

The reality in 2025

Healthcare delivery will focus on a ‘digital first’ approach to provide patients with the most appropriate care environment. Primary care networks will put the patient at the center, while advanced technologies and data will provide seamless care. Digital tools will support healthcare professionals in jointly designing personalized care plans with their patients.

Remote patient monitoring tools, collect and interpret data in real time, either in the hospital or at home, so that healthcare professionals can take preventive action. Remote preventive diagnosis minimizes human error or delays, as problem areas are identified in a timely manner and specialists are properly prepared before contacting the patient.

Improved communication between healthcare professionals will support coordinated, effective, and cost-efficient care. Advanced network connectivity will facilitate real-time monitoring, combining data from biosensors, health apps, and the patient's personal file.

What is happening today?;

Digital transformation has already begun to serve patients. The Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University uses special tablets next to patients' beds, which act as digital assistants for patients and their relatives. They allow access to patient files and test results, are used to schedule tests, determine medication times, and even for informing patients about their illness, as well as for notifying staff about simple matters. – for example, for food issues, enabling better prioritization of responses from nursing staff. In Greece, telemedicine applications are developing rapidly, and pilot solutions already exist that offer relevant services in remote areas.

Bradford University Hospital has established a Digital Command Center, which supports monitoring and coordinating hospital operations in real time – admissions, emergencies, surgery lists, using analytics as a key tool.

The Sheba Medical Center in Israel has launched an Innovation Center, with the aim of becoming an incubator for start-ups that will collaborate with the hospital to identify patient needs that will be met with innovative approaches.

It is a fact that the healthcare sector is undergoing transformation and redefinition, taking into account not only the above predictions, but also a host of other factors such as the empowerment of doctors with diagnostic and therapeutic standards such as ‘Digital Therapeutics’, developments brought about by the Future of Work, the increasing emphasis on added value in terms of clinical outcomes and the integration of next-generation supply chains into healthcare.

As much as our era is characterized by the new normality imposed by pandemic, we cannot overlook the positive developments in the implementation of digital transformation and the application of innovation in many sectors, including healthcare. In fact, based on the data and trends we are observing, we can perhaps claim that the future of healthcare ahead of us already looks brighter.