The Ever-Evolving Healthcare Tech Landscape

1. How do you think the Healthcare Tech landscape has evolved over the years? What are some of the advantages of current technological developments?      

Healthcare is a sector that has many structural problems, which makes organizations look for innovative solutions, many of them technological. In this context, there is a growing demand for this type of solution in the market and a lot of people are interested in this area. The fact that we have people working in a sector with these gaps to be addressed means that there is an appetite for venture capital to invest, helping to develop these innovative solutions that have large-scale potential.     

I believe that evolution is only just beginning. The trend is for more mature entrepreneurs to create more sophisticated and better-quality solutions and a virtuous cycle generating additional demands and financing. There are also regulatory aspects that have matured, which are important for this evolution. The "Startups Framework" is a good example, as is the General Data Protection Law (LGPD). All these laws and regulatory mechanisms pose challenges for startups, but they also increase the level of security for those who are investing, as it is easier to identify and mitigate risks. In conclusion, these are important considerations in relation to the evolution of the healthcare tech scenario in Brazil.

2. What challenges do you think face the Healthcare Technology scenario, and how can they be mitigated?

One of the challenges is regulatory. It is an interesting challenge, requiring consistent solutions. One example is the LGPD, which is important legislation for the country and ensures that companies comply with the way data is handled, increasing safety for patients and service providers. This is a major challenge, not only for a startup, but for healthcare institutions in general.

Another huge challenge is cybersecurity. We live in a world where hacker attacks and data hijackings are constant, and health institutions, which have sensitive information in their databases, can be targets. So, concern among managers and businesspeople in healthcare over cybersecurity is on the rise. These organizations, regardless of their size, need to be aware of this.  It is essential that they take care of their internal processes with employees, to ensure that data processing and information security are always taken very seriously, along with investment in technology to prevent these intrusions.        

Finally, there is a third challenge, which is more focused on making information travel fluidly in the system, benefiting users. The challenge of creating data interoperability mechanisms for better care. Making the individual able to use services in the best way, when needed. This is because our system, from a data point of view, is still extremely fragmented. Then you have to add security to technical connection issues between solutions, to facilitate access to services and the provision of services. I see these as the three major challenges that those who work with healthcare technology face.

3. What are some of the trends in technology that influence Healthcare Tech today? What are some of the best practices companies should adopt to get ahead of the competition?

Connection comes in here, too. Companies need to understand that their solution is only a piece of the whole, and they must prepare to connect with multiple technologies at the same time because there is a journey that patients will go on. Those that are structured by building solutions that take in this complete flow, and include LGPD and data privacy issues, will certainly reach hospitals and healthcare centers better able to scale their technologies.

4. Do you have any advice for industry veterans or healthcare tech startup entrepreneurs?

For beginners, I think they should always try to take a macro look at the business. Not to think of an isolated solution, but rather the flow of this technology within a whole. Start the process by validating this information. It is also important to be close to the care team and people who understand healthcare. This contact can help build solutions that truly add value. That is because implementing healthcare technologies is not just about digitizing a process, it is delivering value with that digitization. One can often think of digitizing something in which the patient's experience will not be so positive. So, you must understand that we will not introduce technology to everything.     

For veterans, we must mature technology, adapting it to security issues that are now very much at the forefront. Understand the law in depth. Like beginners, they need to think about the connection, but mainly in applicability to standards. Healthcare is a highly regulated sector and those in it need to be aware of all the regulatory issues.