My experience has shown me that the best innovations start with empathy and true appreciation for the most pertinent needs of those living with chronic conditions. While scientific and pharmaceutical advancements, disease understanding, and disruptive technology or digital offerings are all important tools in tackling MCCs, the future of care should be equally focused on what matters the most to people living with those chronic diseases. With that in mind, reducing the burden of long-standing chronic diseases on the individuals and their families is imperative. In the case of diabetes for instance, research conducted by Novo Nordisk has shown that 88% of people living with diabetes think about their condition when they wake up in the morning and 94% think about it when they are choosing or preparing meals. In fact, seven out of ten people who are dependent on insulin wish they could take a day off from their diabetes.

Current technological innovations for people living with diabetes have enabled instantaneous monitoring, recording of medication dose, connectivity with their HCP (synchronously or asynchronously) and the possibility of remote access to critical data. It is truly incredible what has been achieved in the last 100 years, since the initial discovery of insulin and the first treatment for diabetes in 1921.

Digital health offerings and education will enable people living with chronic conditions such as diabetes to access their health data and more actively engage in their self-management. However, I am aware that data in isolation may be overwhelming so it is essential that these solutions are combined with context, education, social engagement and stepwise empowerment.

With digital health comes a new connectivity between people living with a chronic condition and their healthcare professionals. For example, blood sugar measurements, insulin dose, exercise time points, diet and lifestyle and other vital signs can all be captured and shared with HCPs through digital apps. The convenience of such data can help to enhance the quality of conversations at the point of care, facilitate the process for shared decisions and ensure consultations are more efficient.

Telemedicine, the provision of remote medical services, has also advanced in response to COVID-19 social distancing measures and holds the promise to expand access to quality medical care for people with chronic conditions. While telemedicine cannot fully replace valuable face-to-face time with HCPs for thorough examination and assessment, virtual appointments still carry significant value, for example by helping to reduce stress – something of significant importance for people who manage chronic diseases over their lifetime. From a health system perspective, telemedicine may also alleviate health-system staffing constraints by allowing part-time or geographically distributed providers to support in disease management.

‘In a post-pandemic, omnichannel world, the need for streamlined processes and greater agility in pharma has never been more important’

Assessing preparedness for managing MCCs

A recent report (Economist Intelligence Unit) on the topic of preparedness for effectively managing MCCs demonstrated five broad categories to assess the country status, described as preparedness index. Those five areas are:

1. Guidelines and policy measures to manage MCCs, including those that address social inequalities and drive necessary behaviour change to benefit chronic conditions.

2. Health system infrastructure, including support for patient advocacy.

3. Patient-centricity training and research capabilities to train the healthcare workforce to manage people living with MCCs effectively. Conventional care models are mostly built around acute interventions within relatively siloed specialities, whereas effective chronic care models mostly require durable behavioural change and clinical social work to address socioeconomic barriers to care, alongside multidisciplinary work.

4. Digital innovation and transformation to ensure data collection and developing advanced decision-making tools at HCP levels but also to enable empowerment for best self-management.

5. Focusing on best preventive actions for prevalent chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular and mental health diseases.

While the areas listed above are all crucial in delivering quality care for people living with chronic diseases, I will focus on digital innovation and its role in improving support, and the quality and delivery of care.