Care@Home—a new MedTech mindset

In brief

• Our new report describes the key challenges and opportunities for MedTech companies supporting the patient-centric shift to at-home care.

• Industry pressures, patient expectations and the humanization of medical technology are all driving the healthcare at home trend.

• Care@Home requires a new mindset: the home is not a hospital and devices and services need to be redesigned.

Healthcare is trending—toward at-home care

Trends in the healthcare ecosystem indicate that some parts of patient care are shifting to the home setting. There is increasing pressure from payers and insurers to reduce the cost of medical care and increase the adoption of value-based care models. New models like the End-Stage Renal Disease Quality Incentive Program are intended to link a portion of payments to a healthcare provider’s performance, based on quality of care and patient outcomes.

At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced how care is delivered. Accenture research conducted in the early days of the pandemic indicates that nearly 50% of patients were getting treatment at home and 62% of healthcare providers thought patients would be more interested in home-administration of treatment.

Patient and healthcare provider expectations are leaning toward at-home care, where the patient can be more comfortable and have a better quality of life. Our research found that virtual consultations were valued by our survey respondents, with 22% feeling confident about their virtual healthcare appointment.

Furthermore, the consumerization of medical technology presents new opportunities. In an Accenture survey, 8% of respondents reported that they have used remote patient monitoring to track symptoms or a condition and share data with a medical professional. And 8% used digital therapeutics. These tools are easy to use by patients and give healthcare providers new insights to inform their care decisions. They are also disrupting the MedTech landscape.

The challenges of at-home care

New models of service and operations will be required for healthcare providers. In some cases, training might be needed for clinicians who are unfamiliar with the home environment or patients and their at-home caregivers who have not previously used the device or equipment.

Other challenges will include the need for patients or their caregivers to order supplies and manage inventory, the technical difficulties of adding connectivity to devices and changing regulatory requirements.

MedTech companies will also be competing with startups capable of building disruptive solutions. Companies like Apple and Google already have a range of devices in the home, plus a consumer mindset, powerful brand recognition and trust. In some ways, this puts them ahead of companies just entering the sector.