As clinicians and patients explore new and better methods to improve treatment, the digital healthcare revolution has already begun, and it will pick up steam in 2022. Companies with great offerings, management teams, and balance sheets stand to gain a lot of money. In the first nine months of 2021, healthcare mergers were hot. According to Rock Health, they raised $21.3 billion in venture capital across 541 agreements, shattering the previous record of $14.6 billion achieved in 2020.
However, with the usage of AI, IoT, and data analytics, startups will continue to lead the way in innovation, especially as data becomes the fundamental currency of healthcare. Given this context, here are six emerging themes we will be keeping an eye on in 2022.
According to McKinsey statistics, virtual visits increased over 40 times during the epidemic, demonstrating how telemedicine might revolutionize how we think about care relationships. The majority of these encounters revolved around acute care. However, in order for telemedicine to reach its full potential, patients must engage more regularly, especially in the case of chronic diseases.
Companies that revolutionize the way patients engage with the healthcare system by designing their entire business around the patient experience will be successful. As the baby boomer generation ages, chronic care costs are expected to climb, putting more burden on the healthcare system. Diabetes is one chronic ailment where telemedicine will play a bigger role. That is why Teladoc Health, a market leader, paid $18.5 billion for Livongo last year.
Entrepreneurs and investors are expected to expand telemedicine into additional chronic care areas, such as cardiology, by 2022. A heart attack occurs every 40 seconds in the United States today, and heart disease costs the country $219 billion each year. Cardiovascular disease may diagnose and treated through telehealth, which is a convenient and cost-effective option. Patients in isolated or rural locations, for example, can use telehealth to connect with cardiologists and receive therapy without having to travel long distances.
Overall, in 2022, telehealth firms are expected to significantly expand their offerings throughout the chronic care landscape. Digital therapeutics is one of the most cutting-edge developments in healthcare today, with the potential to transform how the treatment is given. This, more than any other sector, is where I predict the most entrepreneurial and investment activity will occur in the coming year.
