Solution guide: Digital healthcare architecture

After the storm

This has been a hugely challenging decade for global healthcare. Considering the challenges the industry already faced in terms of human resources, funding, built and digital infrastructure, as well as the steep growth in healthcare expectations and demand, it’s no wonder that adding a global pandemic to the list, created a perfect storm.

The direct impact of the pandemic was death, suffering and anxiety on a scale unprecedented this century. The indirect effects were more complex and far-reaching. Key among them were mental health issues, the negative impact on the global economy and the generation of massive patient backlogs.

Paradoxically, on the ICT front, the pandemic has been a positive help to digital transformation. It arrived as cloud infrastructure services had matured to the point that significant outsourcing could be contemplated. Cloud services enabled track and trace and effective research collaboration for vaccine development and administration. During Covid, social distancing drove a massive shift to virtual care using cloud-driven services, powering a faster transition than in any other sector.

Digital Healthcare accounts for just a small percent of total healthcare spend currently, but it is the fastest growing segment. At the upper end of the forecasts, Precedence Research predicts that digital health will see a CAGR of 19.2% over the coming years, taking it from $270 billion in 2021 to over $1354 billion in 2030.