Navigating the Complexities of Digital Healthcare

The COVID-19 pandemic fast-tracked an already expanding telehealth industry, and while there is no doubt about the convenience this will create for health consumers, the complexities of implementing these practices go far beyond the creation of apps for patients to communicate and share data with their doctors.

Janice M. Suchyta and Andrea Linna, Partners at law firm McGuireWoods, are advising IT companies, software developers, and medical device manufacturers as they navigate through this complex new world of digital healthcare.

They know that as the industry expands, so too will the ever evolving rules and regulations that companies will need to follow. It might seem daunting to stay on top of those restrictions, not to mention how public and private sectors will work together to share sensitive patient data across multiple platforms, but the lawyers share what they are seeing, to help you know what to expect from this exciting new world.

“There's going to be a huge trend in regards to developing data platforms that are interoperable so that everyone is on the same system and is able to use these interchangeably without having to use different platforms,” says Janice, “It's going to be very exciting.”

Along with data platforms that communicate with each other, there will also be apps where a doctor or care provider can monitor patients through a computer or wearable. That’s right, interconnectedness is the key to the future of digital healthcare on many levels.

On-demand healthcare, Janice and Andrea say, is headed beyond primary care. Behavioral health, psychology, and tele-psychiatry will also be added to the mix. Data is and will continue to be a necessary tool for providers to care for patients at a distance, and that is where the complex regulations come in, as you’ll hear in this podcast episode. Companies will also need to invest in data security, and stay current with how to protect this sensitive data in a world where hackers and breaches are top of mind and make people hesitant to share personal information. 

Tune into the episode to begin to understand some of the complexities of digital healthcare and how it will change how providers give care and patients receive it, especially in the post-COVID-19 world where virtual will certainly be here to stay.

 

Featured Experts

Name: Janice M. Suchyta

What she does: As a Partner at McGuireWoods, Janice advises health IT companies, technology companies, software developers, biotech companies, network device and medical device manufacturers and private equity and venture capital firms in regulatory matters. 

Organization: McGuireWoods 

Words of wisdom: “There's going to be a huge trend in regards to developing data platforms that are interoperable so that everyone is on the same system and is able to use these interchangeably without having to use different platforms. It's going to be very exciting.” 

Connect: LinkedIn

Name: Andrea Linna

What she does: As a Partner at McGuireWoods, Andrea helps healthcare companies navigate telehealth, telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, different emerging technologies, HIPAA, and healthcare IT such as electronic medical records. She also works with healthcare companies across the spectrum on mergers and acquisitions and other regulatory compliance...