The following is a guest article by David Bates, PhD is the CEO and co-founder of Linus Health.
During the pandemic, the healthcare industry navigated both unprecedented challenges and an unprecedented rush of innovation. From small practices to large health systems, healthcare organizations continuously pivoted to serve their patients as circumstances changed, adopting numerous improvements – many now permanent – to how they do things in the process. Deploying digital solutions to overcome access barriers and streamline processes, while also enhancing the patient experience, was a common theme. However, one area of healthcare that still has yet to capitalize on the digital innovation win-win potential for patients and providers is brain health. Late diagnoses and short windows for intervention persist around cognitive disorders in particular, due in considerable part to lagging digital enablement at an enterprise level.
The reactive nature of cognitive care has been a long-standing issue, but the impending surge in expected brain and cognitive disorders as the population ages makes it a problem requiring even greater urgency. Looking at dementia alone, according to the World Health Organization, 55 million people globally have a form of it and that number is projected to rise to 139 million by 2050. Millions more loved ones and friends will face repercussions on their lives. But there is reason for hope. From cancer to cardiovascular disease, we have seen time and time again how early intervention can change the course of diseases – and brain health should be no exception. In fact, research indicates that signs of Alzheimer’s disease can be present over a decade before symptoms appear and, while we may not yet have the necessary treatments for complex brain diseases, we are undoubtedly missing major opportunities for proactive intervention – whether it’s helping patients adopt a growing set of evidence-based lifestyle changes or connecting them with appropriate clinical trials – and planning for individuals and their families. New approaches and tools are essential to changing the outlook for brain health.
Despite its potential, early detection in brain health continues to evade the industry due to a variety of factors – from the feasibility of routine screening with traditional solutions, to shortages in specialist availability, to conflicting views on the merits of different interventions. However, one key factor that we can address quickly is the practicality and accessibility of brain health assessments. This is the key to unlocking new opportunities for proactive screening in primary care, where well-meaning providers face mounting pressure to screen their older patients but have had to rely on outdated tools like pen-and-paper tests. Such tools not only offer limited insights, but also don’t align with busy practice workflows or support providers with next steps when necessary. This is where digital innovation opens up a wealth of new opportunities.
Digital assessment and clinical guidance solutions are critical to enabling the shift in brain health from a largely reactive model to a proactive one, paving the way for brain health to catch up to so many other areas of healthcare. Sensitive tests administered on a tablet or smartphone can provide objective results in minutes, coupling clinical expertise and artificial intelligence to uncover early, subtle signs of cognitive impairment. In addition, they fit smoothly into practice workflows and drive operational efficiency further with results available online, stripping out manual scoring and recording work for staff. Finally, unlike paper-based tests, they have the ability to go beyond scores to provide clinical insight on what providers should do next – with digital content that can continuously expand and evolve alongside the science.
Digital assessment solutions also offer a new level of accessibility. With more than six billion smartphones in use globally, digital solutions, available through straightforward software-as-a-service subscription models, hold the potential to alleviate a host of access barriers to better brain health – from socioeconomic and cost of care-related factors to location and physician supply-related factors. The combination of testing delivered on widely available devices and purchased through a scalable model can not only facilitate greater access to routine and symptom-based assessments, but also enable providers to monitor their patients without requiring a visit to the office, further enhancing access to care without exacerbating appointment availability issues.
A digitally-enabled, proactive approach to brain health can empower providers to intervene to impact outcomes for preclinical patients, not just those already exhibiting symptoms of an issue. This is a transformative step in the evolution of how we assess and address brain health. And, while technology is an essential enabler in bringing this new reality to fruition, it’s not enough alone. Making a shift to proactive brain health will also require cross-sector collaboration; aligned reimbursement models; care delivery innovation to bridge primary and specialty care (and navigate specialist shortages); continued development of real-world evidence on the impact of interventions; and more. Thankfully a wide variety of dedicated and inspiring consortiums, organizations, and individuals are already working tirelessly around the world to turn the tide on brain health outcomes. There is still a long way to go though and extending the power of digital health to brain health is a key early step in accelerating this shift.
About David Bates, PhD
David Bates, PhD is the CEO and co-founder of Linus Health, a Boston-based digital health company focused on transforming brain health for people across the world. He is a scientist, engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, and investor. David was a founding partner of Tamarisc Ventures and co-founded Bode, a tech-enabled hospitality company for group travel. He is on the board of several technology companies, as well as the philanthropic TMCity Foundation. David has previously held positions at Morningside Ventures, F-Wave, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, University of Louisville, and Georgia Tech. He earned his PhD in Chemical and Materials Engineering from the University of Auckland and his BS and MSc in Applied Biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
