The future of health has already begun – but where does it lead us to? Patricia Gee is director of the future of health initiative at Deloitte Switzerland. We have talked to her about the drivers and barriers of the healthcare of the future. In our podcast episode, you will also learn how highly she thinks of Basel – and about her home team, the Chicago Bulls.
Patricia Gee leads the future of health initiative at Deloitte Switzerland. She sees a change in the perspective on healthcare that slowly drifts away from sick care towards health and wellbeing. With COVID-19, prevention gained awareness, with simple things like washing hands and wearing masks.
“The concept of health has gone far beyond the brick and mortar health system and has foot in the pockets with individuals,” says Patricia Gee. But it takes more than the individual to take responsibility for him- or herself. The whole complex health system needs to change.
Data is the underlying piece for the future of health
To make that shift happen, however, a couple of things need to happen: “Science and technology are not holding us back. The bigger challenge often tends to be human behavior and that tends to be a difficult thing to change.”
Patricia Gee doesn’t rely on an individual change agent in driving the future of health but sees this as a task for the whole ecosystem. But the underlying piece of that is data. “It’s crucial that we have data, and that we have the ability to connect it, read it, understand it and apply it.” While the data load is growing every second, interconnectivity of data is still an issue. “Imagine the power of connecting that data,” says Patricia Gee. The power of data doesn’t only lie in recognizing illness in a state when it can still be reversed and in better individual health but mainly in helping create better policies and in building trust.
“Basel will diminish the rest of the world”
Patricia Gee is convinced that the Basel Area is ideal to push the future of health for new startups and entrepreneurs who dare to think big. “Given the environment with universities, technology schools, academic hospitals, you have the perfect melting pot of expertise and access.”
DayOne, the healthcare initiative led by Basel Area Business & Innovation, is critical to push the future of health further, according to Patricia Gee. “These kinds of organizations are critical. It’s critical to come together as an ecosystem to solve issues, to find solutions. If you bring companies like us as advisers, companies like Novartis and Roche, patient organizations and people from hospitals and institutions in the area as well as startups together, that’s where the magic happens. When you bring a billion of people into a room to solve a problem together.”
About the Basel Area, Patricia Gee says: “I cannot imagine the significance that the Basel Area will bring not only to Switzerland. But also the rest of the world will diminish. The institutions and the talent create the perfect environment for continued opportunity.”
