INNOVARA DIGEST: NIPPING DISEASE IN THE BUD–DEVELOPMENTS IN PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS

The idea of predictive analytics, or the analysis current data to make predictions about the future, is not new—it has been used in marketing, underwriting, and economics for some time. This week’s Innovara Digest covers recent developments in predictive analytics in healthcare.

• Predictive analytics in the hospital: A group of researchers from the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands created a model that predicts the three-year risk of major bleeding in patients after a stroke. Analyzing data from six randomized clinical trials, they discovered 10 predictors: male sex, smoking, taking aspirin, high stroke disability score, high blood pressure, low BMI, elderly, Asian ethnicity, and diabetes.
• Predictive analytics from your phone: an Indian startup, Healthians, has developed an app that allows you to log your vitals, family history, and lifestyle habits; take blood tests; and book doctor consultations. The app predicts risk of disease and makes recommendations. “Understanding a medical report and its implications on one’s health has always been a challenge,” explains Deepak Sahni, Founder/CEO. “The smart report is meant to empower users with a fore-knowledge of possible health risks and to effectively manage chronic diseases.”
• Predictive analytics from your wearables: Sanofi and Evidation Health are working together to quantify the impact of patient behavior, such as activity levels, diet, social media consumption, and more. They will then use these digital biomarkers to predict the onset of conditions or the likelihood of relapse “Consumers are sharing their digital footprint through wearables, sensors, and apps, and we need to listen so we can better help them navigate their day-to-day health journey,” says Christine Lemke, co-founder of Evidation Health.

Despite all of these advancements in predictive analytics, only 30% of hospitals have used it for a year or longer. According to Hospitals & Health Networks Magazine, hospitals struggle to implement predictive analytics in an actionable way, citing lack of resources as the largest obstacle. “It holds huge promise,” says Michael Kanter, M.D., EVP of Quality at the Permanente Federation. “But it’s one thing to predict the future and a whole other thing to change it.”

Experts writing for Harvard Business Review suggest getting buy-in at all levels: demonstrate the clinical impact to all staff, develop a clear implementation plan, take a lifecycle approach to managing and maintaining the tools, and nurture ongoing attention from senior management.

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Need help getting buy-in from management and staff? We offer a variety of courses on data and RWE through our Medical Affairs Academy. Learn about what management wants and how to present to them