Wired Health 2019 covered several exciting ways healthcare is being revolutionised by technology. Ruder Finn's health tech experts in London have summarised the key themes and topics from the conference ranging from AI, sensors, personalization and the hospitals of the future which are shaping the future of digital health landscape.

1. he future of Digital Health

2. Wired Health 2019
2
Our life expectancy
is increasing, but our
health expectancy
is decreasing.
Professor Dame Sally Davies, outgoing Chief Medical Officer
of England, stated that the UK’s health expectancy issues are
the biggest concern facing our healthcare profession today.
Wired Health 2019 covered several exciting ways healthcare
is being revolutionised by technology, to help people live
longer lives in good health. At the time when the
possibilities of machine learning to change the face of drug
discovery and healthcare delivery are moving from science
fiction to fact, Professor Davies’ advice to her successor is
encouraging: “be bold in what you set out to achieve and
always do something people tell you not to do.”
Here we have summarised the key themes and topics from
the conference, which are shaping the future of digital
health landscape.

3. 3
AI will be at the forefront of next generation healthcare
A running theme throughout Wired Health for the
past few years, and continuing in 2019, was the
role of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. It
was noted that concerns exist amongst some
physicians that AI will replace doctors or surgeons
in patient care. However, the mood of WH2019
countered this. Speakers were in agreement that
the public will always value, and more importantly
want, human interactions when it comes to the
personal care of themselves or loved ones.
Where AI will have a crucial role is as an enabler
for faster drug discovery and diagnoses, more
tailored treatments and a better understanding of
diseases pathologies. Pearse Keane, Consultant
Ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital, and
Alan Karthikesalingam, Research Lead at DeepMind
Health, presented their approach in using AI in
detecting eye disease.
AI is being used to detect those first signs of eye
disease from an OCT scan, making sure patients
are seen by the right professional, quicker. People
are currently losing their sight because they can’t
see hospital specialists in time. AI can also
eliminate the costly false positive results made by
ophthalmologists on the high street who, through
advances in scanning technology can now access
ultra-high resolution imaging, once the toys of
hospital-based clinicians only. This means that
specialists are treating those who need it most and
already know exactly what is wrong with them.
Several presenters talked about how AI and
machine learning is set to improve patients’ lives
and the vital role it will play alongside healthcare
professionals in the future. To meet this need,
universities such as UCL, who were speaking at the
event, are empowering students with the skills
they will need when working in a technology-first
healthcare profession. As Dean Mohamedally,
Principle Fellow for Applied Software Engineering
and Industry Projects noted, as we enter a machine
learning world, the next generation need to be
prepared.
AI will not replace doctors,
doctors using AI will replace
those that don’t.
Wired Health 2019

4. 4
Technology will know more
about our mental and
physical wellness than many
clinical visits.
We leave digital signatures about how we are
feeling all the time, without ever realising it. As
Poppy Crum, Chief Scientist at Dolby
Laboratories explained; the way we talk, look,
and hear can unconsciously reveal how we are
feeling on the inside. Use of sensory
technology has already exploded due to huge
reductions in the cost, size and availability of
these sensors; and this is only set to increase.
Sensors will be used in the future to detect
these feelings and help diagnose a wide variety
of diseases and mental health issues, even
before normal clinical presentation.
She used the example of the way people speak.
Sensors can track various tones in the voice to
detect and alert someone to when something
is wrong. Technology can capture information
on individuals more effectively than ever
before, leading to a faster and more accurate
diagnosis.
We also saw another example of the way we
respond to certain external situations will
indicate our internal state. The WH19 start-up
showcase winner, FacePrint, an app developed
by High School Student Erin Smith, helps to
diagnose Parkinson’s disease and other
neurological conditions through facial
recognition. Well done to Erin, awesome piece
of work.
The app can identify certain facial expressions,
such as a smile or laugh, when a patient is
watching a comedy programme, indicating
changes in the brain linked to certain
neurological conditions. This its hoped will lead
to earlier diagnosis of PD or other such
neurological conditions, years before the
traditional symptoms present and disease has
progressed.
It’s not what you say, it’s the way you say it
Wired Health 2019

5. 5
Healthcare gets personal
Throughout the day, the topic of healthcare
becoming more tailored to an individual kept
coming up. A one size approach to diagnosis and
treatment simply doesn’t align with the
possibilities that technology is opening up
throughout the industry.
The afternoon panel session concentrated on this
topic. Whilst recognising that the UK healthcare
system has a way to go before everyone is
receiving fully personalised care, it has certainly
has made huge strides forward in recent year.
Wearables have kicked off the trend of
personalised healthcare, as each device looks at
the wellness of the individual using it. However,
there is a way to go before everyone is using a
truly personalised healthcare device. The main
hurdle to overcome here is trust. This issue was
discussed throughout the panel session and in
other presentations.
As Nicola Perrin, Head of Data for Science
Health at Wellcome Trust noted, the public
don’t yet feel comfortable sharing all of their
personal healthcare data. She explained how
healthcare bodies need to be transparent on
how they use data and who they are sharing it
with, if they this trust is to be engendered.
Berci Meskó, Director of The Medical Futurist
Institute, explained how vital personal
healthcare is for the elderly. With 25% of the
EU being over 60, this is a large pool of people
who potentially have numerous healthcare
needs. Through technology, they can monitor
their health more accurately and more timely
than ever before.
Wired Health 2019
Technology healthcare devices
can work for all generations – if
they are tailored, practical and
understand their audience.

6. 6
A major highlight of the event was a talk from
‘The Worlds Most Watched Surgeon’, Professor
Shafi Ahmed. He explained how he is
embarking on an ambitious project to build and
launch the world’s first fully digital hospital in
Bolivia. A country that has approximately 12
million people and just 6.3% of the GDP goes
to healthcare.
By drawing on his own experiences and taking
the know-how from innovations in healthcare,
the new hospital will have all the latest
technological developments. Everything from
voice technology and facial recognition, to
surgical robots and virtual reality
environments. They will also be training staff
from scratch on the work process needed to
encourage collaboration and innovation.
The Hospital of the Future
Wired Health 2019
When discussing the possibilities for the new
hospital, Professor Ahmed referenced a quote
from Pablo Picasso – “Everything you can
imagine is real.” He applied this thinking to the
project they are undertaking and reinforced the
believe that technology has a huge role to play
in shaping the future of healthcare.
While he admitted there will be mistakes and
lessons to learn along the way, this really is a
blank canvas and presents the opportunity to
create something that can be used as an
example for others to learn from. This is re-
imagining the possibilities of healthcare and
something he hopes will be replicated across
the world.
The dream of this hospital has become reality
and is due for launch in the first half of 2019.
Building a hospital that is
digital first means it is
accessible to all.

7. 7
Wired Health provided an opportunity for leaders in the health
tech profession to come together and explain their ideas on
where the industry is headed. It was clear by the end of the day
that the future is full of new and exciting possibilities.
Through the digitalisation of healthcare, people can get to the
right professions quicker and with a more accurate diagnoses,
untimely improving patient lives and increasing the populations
health expectancy.
Wired Health 2019

8. Ruder Finn is a global communications consultancy driving
marketing, brand building, internal communications at the
convergence of healthcare and technology. Our clients include
leaders and disrupters in pharmaceuticals, ICT and healthtech.
To find our more about our capabilities contact:
Leah Peyton (healthcare) lpeyton@ruderfinn.co.uk
Tracey Bowditch (technology) tbowditch@ruderfinn.co.uk
in Ruder Finn’s London office
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