Summary

Emre Ozcan, Global Head of Digital Health for the health sector at Merck KGAa Darmstadt Germany, shares his personal journey into digital health and the three elements that led him to this field: curiosity, the need for value-based healthcare solutions, and his organization's focus on science and technology. He discusses the challenges of implementing digital health in a global healthcare system and emphasizes the importance of starting with concrete opportunities and building the right ecosystem. Emre also highlights the need for a user-centric approach and the integration of behavioral science in digital health solutions. He discusses the importance of agile development and the willingness to fail and learn from failures. Emre identifies AI automation and the use of digital biomarkers as game-changers in the future of digital health.

Takeaways

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Personal Journey into Digital Health

03:04 Value-Based Healthcare and Real-World Evidence

05:47 Building the Right Ecosystem for Digital Health

09:33 Understanding Patient Behavior in Digital Health

37:31 AI Automation and Digital Biomarkers in Digital Health

Antonio Spina, with the Center for Health & Healthcare at the World Economic Forum, discusses the role of digital health in transforming healthcare. He highlights the importance of public-private collaboration and multi-sectoral cooperation in driving digital health initiatives. Spina emphasizes the need for governments to set the overall agenda and provide the mandate for managing population health, while private sector stakeholders bring focused solutions to the table. He also mentions the significance of common ground in areas such as data standards, interoperability, privacy and security policies, and funding pathways. Spina concludes by emphasizing the need for dialogue and collective action to enable the effective implementation of digital health solutions. The conversation explored the challenges and opportunities of AI in healthcare. The key question is how to balance innovation and safety in the implementation of AI technologies. While regulations and guardrails are necessary, it is important not to hold back innovations that can improve outcomes and access to healthcare. The scalability of AI tools is crucial to save lives and reduce morbidity and mortality. Ongoing dialogue and partnerships across sectors are essential to navigate the complexities of AI in healthcare.

Summary

Ryan Sysko, CEO of AmalgamRx, shares his journey in the digital health industry and the challenges faced in the early days. He discusses the importance of evidence and reimbursement in the industry and how AmalgamRx focuses on building value in the digital health ecosystem. Sysko also highlights the role of AI in digital health and the need for regulatory changes to foster innovation. He emphasizes the importance of solving real challenges, building a strong team and culture, and executing effectively to drive success in the digital health space. The conversation explores the future of digital health and pharma companies. It discusses the importance of building successful partnerships and the need for pharma companies to adapt to new technologies. The potential future of pharma companies in the total chronic condition management space is also examined, as well as the impact of disintermediation on early stage diagnosis. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the future of patient care.

Takeaways

The early days of digital health were characterized by a lack of evidence and reimbursement, but the industry has evolved to prioritize clinical trials and regulatory clearance.

Building a successful digital health company requires solving real challenges, attracting talent, and creating a strong culture.

AI has the potential to transform the digital health space, but it is important to set realistic expectations and address regulatory concerns.

AmalgamRx aims to enable better healthcare decisions by supporting providers and patients through integrated decision support and patient engagement platforms.

Success in digital health requires a focus on execution, understanding customer needs, and adapting to the evolving regulatory landscape. Building successful partnerships in the digital health space requires research, planning, execution, evaluation, and iteration.

Pharma companies are creating more intimate relationships with their customers and may need to take on more responsibility and risk for patient outcomes.

Disintermediation may impact the early stage diagnosis process, as more data becomes available and non-pharma companies can diagnose diseases.

The future of patient care will involve a more holistic approach, with data directing the type and timing of care.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Digital Health Workbench podcast

01:24 The early days of digital health and the need for evidence

05:32 Reimbursement challenges and the FDA clearance process

08:02 Launching as an employer program

10:37 The evolution of the digital therapeutics (DTX) market

12:26 Transition from WellDoc to AmalgamRx

17:34 AmalgamRx's role in the digital health ecosystem

20:26 The tools of building value in digital health

23:07 The value of AI in digital health

26:12 The focus on drug asset development with digital technologies

30:37 The future of the digital health ecosystem

35:49 Regulatory changes for digital health

39:06 AmalgamRx's mission and goals

40:43 The tools of building value in digital health

42:42 The importance of execution in digital health

43:05 Success factors for customers in digital health

44:01 Building Successful Partnerships

45:28 The Future of Pharma Companies

47:16 Pharma Companies in the Total Chronic Condition Management Space

47:45 Disintermediation and Early Stage Diagnosis

48:51 The Future of Patient Care

In this episode of the Digital Health Workbench podcast, host Geoff McCleary interviews Peter Niemi, CEO and co-founder of Recovery Plus Health. They discuss Peter's journey to digital health, the challenges and solutions in the reimbursement process, the future of telehealth reimbursement, and the surprises and insights gained from patient interactions. Peter also shares the digital tools and technology used in Recovery Plus Health, the critical tools for success as a CEO, and the scaling and future goals of the company. They touch on the integration and collaboration with other data systems, the importance of clinical trials and real-world evidence, and the future of digital health in addressing fragmentation and health inequity.

Takeaways