Digital Trends in HealthcareUltimate Guide For Pharmaceutical Companies

nhanced technology isn’t just for gaming or just having fun, it is in good use in different scientific fields. Pharmaceutical companies are keeping up relatively quickly with new digital trends, so let us guide you through the current development of technology that can help any pharmaceutical or healthcare companies to stand out in the competition in the digital world.

EPHARMACompanies

DIGITALLET’S G O

Mobile applications

Wearables

Augmented Reality

Virtual Reality

Patient’s Digital Journey

Closing thoughts

CHAPTERS01

02

03

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01 Mobile Applications

a mobile appdevelopment?92% of all people in Switzerland own a smartphone and 97% of them use their smartphone EVERY DAY.

Are you considering

People spend 3-4 hours a day with their mobile device and most of that time is within apps.

Apps have several advantagesThis doesn’t mean that you necessarily need an app; most of the time a good, mobile-ready website is enough.Apps should serve a specific and frequent need - if a user doesn’t feel the urge to use the app regularly, they will not download it.

● Can be used offline● More user-friendly user interface● More fast/responsive than web page● Better access to hardware-related functions

○ Camera, GPS○ Microphone, Bluetooth ○ Touch ID, Face ID

● Much better at handling AR (augmented reality)

Commonly used application topics in

healthcare

Patient engagementEmpower patients to actively participate in their health care.

● Health education● Search for HCPs● Health-data tracking

Medication AppsHelp patients to manage medication● Medication plan● Intake reminder● Pill identifier

Rehabilitation AppsSupport patients in their recovery from illnesses or injuries.● Follow up care plans● Rehabilitation journals● Interactive physical therapy sessions● Cognitive skills trainers

Mental health AppsHelp patients manage their mental state or fight mental disorders.

● Mood diaries● Addiction trackers● Self-care tips and reminders

Meditation and relaxation manuals

Wellness AppsEncourage patients to lead a healthy lifestyle

● Fitness and exercise sessions● Meditation manuals● Nutrition calculators● Consumption trackers

Most Popular Healthcare appsGlobal app users are using the following types of mobile applications

59% 52% 36% 28% 25% 12% 10%

Fitness Diet Nutrition

Symptom navigator

Patient portal app

Health tracker

Medication manager

Chronic condition manager

Medical app vs. App as a ‘medical device’

t is strictly regulated if an app can become a “medical device”. It is because healthcare apps are becoming part of daily life – but using an unregulated medical app might just result in life-threatening consequences. Those apps that are about to be registered as medical devices have to undergo several assessments to prove that they meet certain requirements.These rules are changing from time to time, we recommend to check each health and/or medical apps with the responsible authority.

IVS

App as a “Medical device”

Medical/Healthcare

App

Novartis wanted to help visually impaired people in their everyday life – so we came up with a smartphone app idea helping them in their following daily needs.

Color recogniser - Reading out loud the colour

Money recogniser - Reading out the value of a banknote

Contacts - Users can add voice and sound effect

Magnifier - This function helps users to read the smaller prints

Timer - Using the vibrate feature of the phone

Weather - Pictograms, color coding and audio guide.Reference from Swiss Tomato

Medical apps best practices

Ada – Your Health GuideAda is a health guide app that uses a powerful algorithm to diagnose the problem the user is suffering from.How does Ada work?

1. You tell Ada what’s bothering you.2. You then answer some simple, personalized questions.3. Ada starts to assess what could be wrong.4. Ada then provides instant information that’s relevant to

you.

Medical apps best practices

MedisafeMedisafe is a free app that lets users set pill reminders. It is a must-have app for people who are sick and have to intake medicines daily.

In addition, the app has an option to turn on Prescription Refill alert on/off. Once you set a pill reminder, you can see the details, side effects, dosage, and interactions of the tablet/capsule.

Apart from pills, Medisafe can also remind users of the upcoming appointments with doctors.

Medical apps best practices

Connected DevicesA connected medical device can collect and store data about patient use and trace the effectiveness of a particular device and treatment to help them do so. They can also help with device traceability and provide ease for software updates when a critical problem is detected in the field.

The Eversense Mobile Application for Glucose Monitoring works with the Eversense Continuous glucose Monitoring (CGM) System. The app runs on a compatible mobile device and receives and displays sensor glucose data from the Eversense Smart Transmitter. The Smart Transmitter sits on your upper arm, receives the glucose data, calculates the glucose value, and sends it via Bluetooth to the Eversense Mobile App on your phone or watch.

Medical apps with connected devices best practices

allows the user to take a medical-grade EKG anytime, anywhere using their smartphone paired with an EKG Monitor. It takes just 30 seconds to detect normal heart rhythm or AFib and it is easy to use – the user simply puts their fingers on the electrodes (no wires, patches or gels required). Kardia Mobile will wirelessly communicate with the Kardia app to let the user know if their EKG is normal or if atrial fibrillation (AF) is detected. The EKG can be emailed to the user’s doctor at any time for analysis.

The Kardia App

Medical apps with connected devices best practices

Set all the settings for a root canal treatment device via a Bluetooth connected iPad app

DENTSPLY

Medical apps best practices

02 Wearables

Don’t forget

about wearables The emerging wearable market provides devices that can engage your customers even more.

earable technology in healthcare is applied to those electronic devices that can be worn by customers and collects data of users' personal health and exercise routine.The wearable device is usually connected to a mobile application and sends data through bluetooth, wifi or other connection.

W

wearablesSome exciting

Stress-busting headband

Intelligent thermometer

Blood pressure monitor

Irregular heartbeat check

UV sensor

Smart contact lenses

Wearable ECG

Smart insulin patches

Smart belt against falls

Smart tattoo

Transfer smartwatch data for medical purposesAn app to improve treatment therapy for elderly patients. The elderly patients’ vital data was gathered using a smartwatch and these data were exported to a platform accessed by the therapists to personalize treatments. Reference from

Swiss Tomato

Medical apps best practices

03 Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality in Healthcare

Augmented Reality will be a game changer in healthcare industry within the next few years.Currently AR is used mostly for demonstration and education.

In average 7% of Swiss population is using Augmented Reality.

User profile by age group

Augmented Reality Users

18-24 year old 35-44 year old Above 65 years old

12% 5% 1%

Which is only 1% less than the global average. This number is increasing rapidly from year to year.

The essence of Augmented Reality is to provide an enhanced experience where 3D content - generated

by the device - is added to the user’s environment.

Benefits of Augmented Reality

Educate patients

Hands on learning

experienceIncrease

sales

There are three common solutions currently on the AR app market.

Marker-based Markerless

Marker-based AR uses the camera to scan physical images, “markers”,

then triggers a certain computer-generated content.

Markers can be AR-codes, physical objects, or printed images

Markerless AR applications do not use markers obviously, however, they use

pre-baked content and 3D models which run within a downloaded smartphone

application anyway.

2

Working on both

1

What can you do if you do not want to have an application?

WebAR

Working on both

For AR mobile apps the user has to

download an app from a secure link or from one of the application stores. From user aspect it is not the most comfortable solution. People do not want to download separate applications because they fear from the storage limitations.

With WebAR user does not have to download any application. The AR only needs a link/URL. This URL could be routed from a website, embedded into a QR code, etc. Technically these WebAR solutions are also ARKit and ARCore solutions but embedded into web browser.

No app needed

True-Sized AR

Surface & Ground Detection

Animation

Benefits of Web-based Augmented Reality

ser has the ability to watch the model in three different aspects. Embedded webview, model view in blank background and AR view in real environment. In all view format, user can move, rotate, scale the models, or even take a screenshot and send it over email, or any kind of social media.

U

WebAR Limitations

Due to the fact that it runs in a web browser the models has major

limitations in terms of polygon count, models size and texture quality. For best results the model size must be

under 50Mb (incl. textures).

Zappar created bespoke AR and MR experiences for Accuray to

showcase their innovative radiation therapy machines, the Radixact and the CyberKnife, at

ESTRO 36 in Vienna Austria.

Video

Zappar

Augmented Reality best practices

This application was developed for demonstration purposes, and intended to show how impressively and effectively Augmented Reality can be used in the Medical and Educational sectors. With AR, things that otherwise invisible with the naked eye can be presented in 3D.

AR Solution for Opthamologist Conference

Reference from Swiss Tomato

Augmented Reality best practices

Bayer embarked on the journey to use augmented reality to help its salesforce to stand out. The app is used by sales representatives at doctors’ visits or at medical conferences to augment the content of brochures and product packages with rich content like video or 3D animations.

AR app with our Illusion Factory technology

Reference from Swiss Tomato

Augmented Reality best practices

04 Virtual Reality

Virtual RealityVR functionality demands the use of a headset device, like Oculus Go or HTC Vive.Any experience created with VR is about to impress. It transports and immerses users into a different world, where parameters re set entirely by you.

RelaxationVR can provide calmness and relaxation to patients. It can be useful when treating anxiety or depression.

Pain reductionVR can teach patient through demonstrating breathing techniques and positive thinking to feel less pain.

Connect with reality

VR can be useful in treatment of dementia or hallucination to make a difference between the imagination and the real world.

Patients care

Human simulationThe VR simulation enables medical personnel to interact with each other and patient. They participate in an interactive training.

Virtual reality diagnosticsVR can be used as a diagnostic tool and can remove some unnecessary surgeries from the healing journey.

Virtual robotic surgeryVirtual Reality is used in robotic surgery. Here, the doctor controls a robotic device from another location.

For healthcare providers

Virtualoperating room

Novartis leverages virtual reality to stand out in medical conferences and other events, helping doctors understand the mechanics of its new treatment options. The users could experience a virtual operating room using VR and see the effects of a new medicine with their own eyes in a highly realistic environment.

Reference from Swiss Tomato

Video

Virtual Reality best practices

VR app for Novartis

05 Digital Journey

Finally, let us guide you through a basic patient journey map with the possible digital touchpoints where you have the chance to engage your customers/patients.

Here, we would like to emphasize the importance of the porper

DIGITAL MARKETING.

Patient journey map digital touchpoints

Search for healthcare provider

Search forsymptom online

NEW SYMPTOM PREP FORDOCTOR VISIT DIAGNOSIS SELECTING

TREATMENTCONDITION MANAGEMENT

SHARING

Make online appointment

Online research what to ask

Check on Google maps how to get there

Visit social media groups with the same illness

Look up online the diagnosis

Compare online medications

Check reviews and ratings

Join social media groups with the same illness

Share experience on social media, give ratings

06 Closing

Closing thoughtsAs digital technology evolves, pharmaceutical and medical companies have more and more opportunities to engage their customers or healthcare providers. Because of digitalization, patients play an active role in their treatment, do their online research before they consulting a doctor and have high expectations from pharma and medical companies.Involving the right partners and experts is key in this journey, as well as a spot of trial and error - you learn things by doing them!

Ready to start?

AboutSwiss Tomato

1 2 3 4

App Development

Website Development

Digital Marketing

Virtual & Augmented Reality

What we do

Clients

SWISS BRANDS

CONSUMER

GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

LUXURY

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MEDICAL FINANCE

Who we are

Award-winning digital agency

Best of Swiss Web 2019Winner, Mobile CategoryDer Die Das app

Best of Swiss Apps 2019, Top 5, AR/VR Category

Best of Swiss Apps 2019 Bronze, Entreprise CategoryMCI Share app

Best of Swiss Web 2019, Top 4, Mobile Category

Developer of an Apple Featured App(Top 0.2%), 2019

Best of Swiss Web 2017Top 3, Mobile Category

Best of Swiss Web 2016 Top 3, Mobile Category

Best of SwissApp 2015, Finalist, Mobile Category

Best of Swiss Web 2019, Top 4, Innovation Category

Team across 3 locations.

GenevaSwitzerland

ZürichSwitzerland

BudapestHungary

HQ

Who we are

Have a project in mind?Let’s have a tomato juice together!

+41 76 201 43 00dora.virovecz@swisstomato.comhello@swisstomato.ch