Pogo Digital Healthcare in Barcelona

Last week, Zoe and Kate from the Pogo team attended the Mobile World Congress 2023 in Barcelona, where innovation and technology from across the world was showcased. We also attended the Digital Health and Wellness Summit, which was hosted by the ECHAlliance as part of the congress. The Summit was an excellent opportunity to engage in conversations about emerging trends in the digital health space, and to hear from key stakeholders in the sector.

Both the Congress and the Summit highlighted that digital technologies, including those within health and healthcare, are at the forefront of the future. Below are some of our key takeaways from the events:

1. The value of patient-centred technology:

This lies in its potential to enhance patient outcomes, increase patient satisfaction, and improve efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery. Emerging technologies must priorities the needs of patients in order to address the key challenges facing healthcare systems, such as rising costs, increasing demand, and limited resources.

2. The need for increasing sustainability:

If the global healthcare sector was a country, it would be the fifth-largest greenhouse gas emitter on the planet, releasing around 8% of total Co2 emissions. These figures are pushing the sector to strive for more sustainable practices across all aspects of healthcare. Digital healthcare has the potential to play a crucial role in several ways:

• Reducing carbon emissions set off by travel to and from healthcare facilities.
• Reducing paper consumption through electronic health records and digital documentation.
• Improving efficiency of healthcare delivery, reducing waste and unnecessary procedures.
• Remote monitoring can reduce the need for hospitalisation through connected devices and wearables.

3. The movement towards a digital front door:

This would enable patients to record their symptoms, find the right route of referral and receive information and advice that’s relevant, without leaving their homes. This could be in the form of online appointment scheduling, virtual waiting rooms, or online health education and resources. A digital front door could be highly beneficial, making it easier and more convenient for patients to access healthcare services, reducing the risk of exposure to infectious diseases, improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.

4. The new focus on mental health:

A high prevalence of mental health issues globally has led to an influx of new digital health products aimed at providing mental health support, and breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health. An increasing demand for these services will bring new products and innovation to the market in years to come.