The Outlook for Wearable Health Technology

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Wearable tech – the new golden ticket for patient adherence?

Wearable technology is being credited with increasing patient adherence, easing implementation of treatments, and creating Real World Evidence that can be used for Payer and HTA negotiations. But what's actually stopping companies from using it?

The report details the findings from conversations with 10 of the world’s leading experts and explores several case studies giving you the latest insights into the applications and outcomes of using wearable tech. Find out exactly what you need to know about how wearable tech is developing and ensure you are prepared for the next five years.

“I see wearables for a pharma company as a means to get to better treatment for patients, but also it needs to happen in a collaborative way with all the different stakeholders in the eco system.Pharma cannot own that. That’s not our role.”
Erik Janssen, Vice President Global New Patient Solutions Neurology at UCB 

Answering key questions:

• Who is driving demand? The call for real world data is stronger than ever, but who is pushing the hardest - patients, HCPs, regulators, or others?
• We're collecting data, now what? How can the data generated from wearable tech be used to provide answers to the increasingly data-heavy questions payers and regulators are asking?
• Who's calling the shots? With a multitude of concerned stakeholders all vying for attention, which ones hold a true influence over wearable tech uptake and use?
• Sensors, implants or biometric feedback systems? Picking correctly could make or break your strategy. Which one (or ones) should you be dedicating the most resources to?
• A toy or a tool?  The huge disconnect between 'health grade' (personal fitness based wearables) and 'med tech' grade wearables continues, but what solutions exist that will bridge this gap and when will they be implemented?
• What are the barriers to implementation? Buy-in from stakeholders is just one of the many difficulties pharma faces in normalising the use of wearables. What are the other barriers and what strategies can be adopted to guarantee successful implementation?
• 'Beyond the Pill' finally a reality? With wearable tech providing more data than ever before, could it be the key component that demonstrates the true value of your services beyond just your medication?
• Prioritisation is crucial, are you ready? Which chronic diseases will see wearables having the greatest impact?

Critical information on the implementation of wearable tech

• Analysis of 15+ out-of-industry partnerships: Find out the successes and failures of pharma's new partnerships with tech giants like Google and Apple.
• Problems you didn’t even know existed: Managing, storing, processing of the data, creating effective partnerships, regulatory compliance and patient relationships are just a few complications you’ll face, but solutions do exist.
• The physician is always right: “If we’re willing to pay $5,000 for a stay in the intensive care unit, why wouldn’t we pay $299 for a device you can wear?” Testimonials from physicians as to what they will and won't stand for.
• Perfect a five-year plan to secure your place in the 'wearables market': Whether or not you act, these changes will happen. Be proactive not reactive and hone your strategy for the future with these crucial insights.

Expert Contributors

FirstWord interviewed 10 experts from the US and Europe. Respondents have between 5 and 30 years’ experience working in a variety of organisations, including:

• Experts from Big Pharma (VPs, Global Marketing Directors, Research Directors)
• Renowned Consultancies
• Leaders of patient advocacy groups 

Content Highlights

• Key questions answered in the report
• The evolution of wearable technologies in the health and consumer markets
  • Health, fitness wearables evolving towards ‘medical grade’ devices
  • Wearable technologies popularised by shift towards patient‑centric healthcare
  • Pharma lags behind general healthcare, tech companies in developing wearable technologies
  • Wearable tech holds promise of enhancing clinical adherence and generating insights for personalised programmes
  • The importance of differentiating between consumer-grade and medical-grade wearable technologies
  • Potential to improve adherence to treatment currently driving pharma interest in creating health wearables
  • Aligning patient and pharma perspectives of ‘relevant’ monitoring parameters
  • The down-line influence of wearable tech for payers, consumers
  • Future benefits: altering disease progression
  • Collaborations between pharma and tech companies
• The role of wearable devices in chronic disease management
  • Contribution of variables assessed to date
  • Patient satisfaction and improved healthcare behaviours
  • Remote care with ‘ambient monitoring’
  • Potential for future use of wearable devices in chronic disease management
  • Using wearable devices to aid clinical decision making
  • Incorporating general fitness and activity levels into a public health context
  • Leveraging wearable device data for clinical trial support
  • The potential for wearable technologies at point-of-diagnosis
  • Rehabilitation – hospital based and home based, remote patient monitoring
  • Use of wearables for long-term patient support and adaptation
• Challenges of developing wearable devices
  • Challenge I: Managing the data derived from use of wearable devices
  • Challenge II: Weighing consumer-grade wearables compared to medical-grade devices
  • Challenge III: Data management, processing and analytics necessary to draw value from wearable technologies
  • Challenge IV: Pharma leadership needs to get on board with collaborative health solutions
  • Challenge V: Partnering with tech companies and public bodies
  • Challenge VI: Managing patient expectations
  • Challenge VII: Working with regulatory bodies
• Market landscape for wearable devices
  • Opportunities for pharma in the wearable technologies market space abound, but uptake is dependent on patient attitudes, motivation
  • Senior population, chronic condition monitoring are obvious entry points into the marketplace
  • Market potentially exists for wearable technologies that can guide physician decision making, demonstrate treatment efficacy
  • Pharma can steer creation, adoption of next-generation medical wearables
  • Partnerships will be key to expanding pharma’s involvement in wearables

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