Healthcare is evolving in a more proactive direction with the development of data, artificial intelligence and cloud technologies. IT service providers with high-quality data, a microservices software architecture that works in the cloud environment and seamless integrations with surrounding systems will succeed in this new market, says Mylab’s CEO.
Laboratory information systems are at a very essential point in the health data processing chain: an estimated up to 70 percent of the medical decisions are based on laboratory results* and the importance of laboratory data will only increase in the future.
“We believe that it is only a matter of time before healthcare dares to move in a more data-driven direction, and laboratory data is key to this,” says CEO Samuli Niiranen of Finnish Mylab, which has specialized in laboratory information systems since 1987.
Healthcare requires continuous improvement in effectiveness. More efficient use of data enables many types of developments.
“My guess is that in 5-10 years it will be normal that simple basic diagnoses will be made quite automatically based on data, somewhat in the same way that e.g. mortgage decisions have been made electronically for years. This will allow healthcare professionals to focus on demanding diagnostics, improving effectiveness. The legislation is not yet in favour of this, but technologically this is already fully possible”, Niiranen says.
Efficient use of data across specialties
More efficient use of data also enables more predictive care. In predictive healthcare, data from different systems and sources can be utilized in a variety of ways, using artificial intelligence to generate predictive information and cloud technologies for efficient computing. For example, diagnosing cancer and heart symptoms can change radically.
“Previously and today, doctors check basic information, such as age, weight, cholesterol, previous possible heart attacks, whether there is pain, and so on. The problem is that the information used is spot-on. For example, there may be something significant in the development history of weight and cholesterol that is not apparent with a single measurement. And naturally, it is challenging for doctors to fully predict how the patient’s situation will develop based on the data,” Mylab’s Chief Product Officer Juha Högmander illustrates the current situation.
In the future, systems can combine relevant data about a patient from different systems, calculate how much e.g. developing obesity will impact the patient, and how his or her health status is most likely to develop in the future. Combining data across different laboratory and diagnostic specialties is an important part of this development.
“It is essential that we detect the development of diseases earlier, when it is possible to provide more effective treatment,” says Högmander.
Mylab sees itself in a unique position because laboratory data has been collected with the company’s information systems in a structured format since the 1980’s.
“Our unique data set which dates back decades enables us to understand the broad context of different laboratory data points and to draw meaningful insights from it” Högmander emphasizes.
Data fragmentation is a challenge in Sweden
Finland is already closer to this future, because the country’s laboratory is centralized. In Sweden, one of the biggest practical challenges is the fragmentation of the healthcare IT field: All 21 regions have their own systems and practices, and national standards are used to a limited extent.
“In Sweden, it is really important to have a unified healthcare IT field, which is a prerequisite for the effective utilization of data,” says Petter Olofsson, who is responsible for Mylab’s Swedish business.
Mylab will present its AI-based My+ service at the Vitalis event in Gothenburg from 22 to 25 May.
*Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Teaching laboratory medicine to medical students: implementation and evaluation, 2012.