While we were already moving in this direction here in Canada, demand for virtual care—a prominent segment of digital health—is now up dramatically. And virtual care is just the start. There are many other areas of opportunity in digital health, whether it’s secure ways of sharing images and records from smartphones, intelligent health care diagnostic equipment or novel machine learning algorithms that predict disease and infection outbreaks.
But it’s not just demand that’s up—we’re also seeing corresponding levels of satisfaction with digital health solutions. Citizens are adopting these solutions and forming new, potentially longer-term habits, such as online booking and quantified self and virtual visits.
The bottom line? We’ve seen a supercharge in the adoption of digital health solutions. Startups in the space have already raised US$17.8 billion globally year to date (YTD), well on track to outpace last year’s levels.
The digital disruptors changing health care in Canada | PwC Canada