Engineering truly democratised healthcare

THE provision of healthcare is a basic human necessity, but access to healthcare is by no means universal. While the UK's National Health Service, Obama's Affordable Healthcare Act in the US and Singapore's national health system have all succeeded - at least in part - in bringing affordable health services to more people, truly democratised healthcare is yet to materialise.

This is where technology can revolutionise the healthcare industry. In the same way as the taxi industry has been transformed by the emergence of Uber and similar data-powered services which put the user in control, the healthcare industry is undergoing a shift towards digitally-enabled "self-care". Wearable technologies, mHealth applications and more sophisticated drug-delivery devices are empowering patients like never before, with intelligent technology infrastructure enabling the next level in healthcare. As connectivity becomes more globally ubiquitous, the prospect of using technology to complement existing healthcare provision has exciting potential for saving lives and democratising healthcare the world over.

Better access to healthcare is one of the foremost advantages of improving global connectivity. Virtual healthcare services such as Doctor on Demand facilitate video consultation with medical professionals via a mobile app. This is hugely advantageous to patients with disabilities that prevent or impede them from visiting their doctor regularly.