When it comes to discussing healthcare failures, the US is reminded of the infamous nature. What other countries require the average citizen to pay $7,151 a year for basic access? And that's if they have a good health bill.
Things get worse for the four families, with research from the Milliman Medical Index, which shows an average cost of over $32,000 in 2024. A report from the American Association of Health Pharmacists has since revealed a 10.2% increase to last year's record of $80.59 billion. This is despite Trump's claim that he would cut costs.
It clearly needs to change, particularly that 66.5% of US bankruptcies currently stem from health costs, according to financial and health data from the World Population Review.
For example, it may be permissible to think that the situation across Europe and the UK, where systems tend to be publicly funded, is better elsewhere in the world. Nevertheless, there is a problem here too. There are long waiting lists, resource constraints, and patient conflicts when trying to access treatments and consultations. There is even a problem with increasing privatization. All of these factors come together to aggravate the illness and reduce the quality of life.
Needless to say, regions of the world whose population has no access to healthcare at all are in need of even worse help.
The unexpected savior
Twenty years ago, the idea of a technology to replace doctors could have raised concerns about dystopian society, and it would have appeared to be potentially raising concerns. But we live in a reality where wearables, virtual recovery programs, and remote diagnostics are all part of everyday life, with digital innovation progressing to the extent that this future is possible. And our healthcare system and population are thriving accordingly.
This does not mean that Tech will completely replace, or completely replace, proper face-to-face care. However, it's time to embrace a more holistic approach to patient care. In addition to seeking medical behavior from doctors, people are also encouraged to take a positive step. Fear can be easily alleviated when you remember that other forms of home treatment, such as in-person nurse visits, have also been around for a long time. This is a faster, more efficient, and resource-intensive way to track and maintain control of symptoms. There are still human teams if necessary.
Patient control and quality of life restored
This shift is far from being ignored, and patients are actually empowered. Take, for example, the excitation player. Designed for those who snore or suffer from mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), this home care can be used during the day and fits seamlessly into the user's life compared to traditional CPAP machines. By strengthening the tongue muscles, innovation not only prevents symptoms, but also actively targets airway obstruction, which is the root cause of the problem, and reduces problems such as daytime fatigue. Patients significantly improve their mental health and quality of life without the need for invasive equipment or frequent medical appointments. It is a better health outcome and significantly reduces stress. Everything is for home treatment.
Of course, these benefits are not only limited to snoring. Home devices can help you with everything from managing your blood sugar levels to tracking vitals that can affect your heart health risks. The surveillance provided will then allow users to take as appropriate corrective action as possible, improving and regaining control over their own well-being and health.
More personalized treatment
People who use these at-home solutions also find health anxiety less burdensome. It is also safe in the knowledge that assessments of when to seek external help are based on data. There, we automatically share abnormal and worrying results with our doctors to promote more appropriate and immediate medical practices. Doctors usually don't spend too long with their patients, making it difficult to get an overall overview of their lifestyle and health. However, if data is continuously incorporating from home sources, they can provide valuable insights that allow for more customized treatment plans and more accurate diagnosis. Additionally, measurements are more frequent and less likely to be distorted as they are done in natural settings rather than in clinics that can cause stress.
This notable difference also means catching concerns before, preventing problems from escalating and putting even more strain on the system to provide a long-term solution. This is a huge cost advantage for both hospitals and patients.
Changes in thinking
While many of the above advantages have been proven, one of the overlooked advantages is psychological. When patients regain a sense of control and know that their condition is being cared for even the background, they are much more responsive and anxious. This means that not only prevents stress from worsening their condition, they can engage in informed discussions with their doctors. Secondly, they are actively involved and informed, which means gaining even greater autonomy and confidence.
People who need frequent treatment – Being chronically or terminally ill, being able to manage things from home as much as possible can be an important lifeline. Clinical health care settings can be unwelcome, uncomfortable, and difficult to travel and expensive. Home solutions are a great way to bridge this gap, moving the distance rather than patients who may get tired of being their advocates. In this context, barriers are removed and the frequency of intervention has the greatest impact, resulting in significant improvements in treatment compliance.
Active participants
With the global healthcare system failing, it's time to make patients more active in their health. British Prime Minister Kier Starmer has already called it, reforming the National Health Service (NHS) approach to focus on prevention rather than premature treatment. By allowing society's most vulnerable, sick, elderly, immobilized, disabled people, to allow them to take proactive action to improve their lives from the comfort of their own home, without any banned costs, without loss of hope that will completely debilitate them from the comfort of their own home, without the loss of hope that they will not do, without any banned costs, the home device can save the system of death otherwise own.
It's not a panacea or a replacement, but it works together.
About the author
Akhil Tripathi is a serial entrepreneur of Med-Tech and co-founder of Excite OSA.