The power of physician-driven digitalisation in healthcare

The digital age is impacting virtually every sector, with healthcare as a prominent arena for innovation and transformation. Previously, when potential investors spoke very positively about the success of Babylon Health and how Cory.Care should model itself on it, I already knew that there would be no follow-up meeting. Every now and then I would raise the question: where was the humanity in Babylon Health's approach? Where was the most important aspect of care, the personal interaction between patient and doctor? Growth, growth, growth, that was the most important thing for them.

In 2019, I started Cory.Care with the aim of using digitalization to help people more efficiently with their healthcare needs, to relieve doctors and to place a strong focus on prevention. In the not too distant future it will be possible to analyse 'big data', also with Cory.Care, but the question of whether AI will play a role in this in the future remains unanswered. For now, however, it is essential for us that people are helped properly, efficiently and with accurate diagnoses and treatments. Our symptom checker, for example, is a tool for this, but it is not a cure-all. A few extra questions or a video conversation with the doctor will result in an accurate diagnosis and the patient will also have a better idea of what to do. The best outcome, of course, is that the patient starts working on self-management. That's how we look at it. For us, quality is more important than quantity and that is how we continue to grow, not always the fastest way, but in healthcare it is the best.

The Babylon Health debacle illustrates how crucial it is to approach healthcare and its digitalization with due care. Their missteps in providing accurate diagnoses highlight the need for human expertise and oversight. That is why at Cory.Care we focus on:

1. In-depth understanding of clinical needs: Physicians are knowledgeable about the complexities and nuances of health issues. A technology platform that integrates their insights is undoubtedly better positioned to meet patients' real needs.

2. Direct feedback loop: This direct involvement allows for faster adjustment and refinement of services based on patient and physician needs.

3. Trust and Credibility: Patients feel safer and more confident when they know they are being cared for by systems and platforms managed and guided by medical professionals and not just technology.

4. Ethical Considerations: The primary focus always remains the patient's well-being and not profit.

It is clear that the future of healthcare is one of balance: the combination of technological advances with humanity, which can best be provided by medical professionals. It is still a long way and the Netherlands does not have a culture to quickly embrace these concepts, but something needs to change in healthcare and digitalization is part of that. As the founder of Cory.Care, I am committed to this path and to ensuring the best possible care for every patient, both digitally and physically, as long as the human element is guaranteed.