Top life sciences industry predictions for 2022

Author
Teun Schutte
Publication Date
9 December 2021

Top life sciences industry predictions for 2022

If 2020 was the year that erased seemingly indestructible boundaries between technology and patient care, and 2021 was a year of digital momentum in healthcare and life sciences, we expect 2022 to be the year these advancements meet increased focus on the patient journey and deliver real value for end users.

Getting the most out of technology in life sciences comes down to understanding what patients go through in each stage of the process, figuring out frictions in that journey, applying solutions to meet people where they are, and giving them as much control as possible in managing their own health.

Here are three areas we expect to see major progress in 2022...

Digitization of clinical trials

For obvious reasons, clinical drug trials have received a lot of attention over the last 18 months. One trend that will continue to gain steam in 2022 is the digitization of clinical trials, leveraging technology from other industries (think curbside pickup).

Onboarding is one of the biggest opportunities for digitization of clinical trials, cutting back on paperwork and improving data capture. The ability to verify identification and eligibility to participate, and ensure informed consent, are easier and more streamlined with digital tools.

Increase in use cases for voice technology across healthcare and life sciences

As voice technology has improved, we should expect to see it applied in more ways across the full journey of both patients and healthcare professionals.

One major appeal on the patient side is accessibility. Literacy, specifically average reading and writing levels across broad populations, are sometimes disregarded in traditional methods of collecting or recording important information. This can be seen in the simple exchange of information during appointments or in clinical trials where people are asked to record their own experience and data.

Additionally, voice technology creates value by saving time for physicians and providing a quality summary of the consultation, and giving patients the option to listen back to what was discussed, share it with family or some else they trust to give better context and acceptance.

AR and VR improve the exchange of important information

Like voice technology and other digital advancements, augmented reality and virtual reality have a place to grow and improve processes within the patient and HCP journey.

One area to look for great use cases would be around medication. For example, if patients are able to scan a code on their medication and receive more content and context around usage, you will see the journey improved on both sides. It will take less time from physicians, and lead to more correct usage and greater overall medical adherence. 

The focus on healthcare and life sciences has been greater over the last 18 months than arguably any other time in history. This attention, and the unique challenges the industry faced in battling a global pandemic, have set us up for a faster technological evolution than we would have faced otherwise. 

We look for these areas to continue to grow and evolve as the industry becomes more focused on delivering the best possible experiences throughout the entire patient journey. 

Ready to build your roadmap for success in 2022?

Let's Talk

Teun Schutte

As an expert in digital healthcare and organizational excellence, Teun Schutte is the Managing Consultant of Digital Strategy Healthcare, Mobiquity. Teun has an established career in healthcare, with a specialism in respiratory health. Beginning his career at GlaxoSmithKline, he spent over 13 years at the organization and worked across 6 different roles. Teun joined the company as a Clinical Research Manager and rose through the ranks to become the Head of Sales and Marketing for Respiratory. Teun has worked on developing digital health solutions, such as the deployment of the MyAsthma application, a COPD coach, and he was integral to the transformation of GSK towards empowerment and digitalization. In 2015 Teun completed Nyenrode Business University in Amsterdam in Healthcare Innovation and Management which further strengthened his expertise in health innovation. Teun joined Mobiquity in 2016 to strengthen the team with his healthcare strategy and digital experience. He has worked with the Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology to redefine the patient pathway from the perspective of the family. He created a digital assistant for pain management and worked in many more disease areas to design and validate digital opportunities, always with delivering value to all users value in mind. In his free time, Teun undertakes voluntary work for the Personalised Healthcare Catalyst Alliance where he has created multi-stakeholder journeys and projects for rheumatoid arthritis and depression, such as “HelpYourFriendsHelp” - a project which activates the social network for people with mental challenges. He is also a volunteer for “Het Longfonds” – a Dutch non-profit which tackles chronic lung diseases. Teun is an authority on using digital technologies to create human-centric healthcare solutions, multi-stakeholder design, respiratory healthcare solutions, realigning the patient pathway from various stakeholder perspectives, and reimagining financial well-being as part of every healthcare strategy.

Let our expertise complement yours

Give us your information below to start the conversation.