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Healthcare
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Wearable Tech in the NHS’s Next Phase of Healthcare Outcomes Acceleration

By
Distilled Post Editorial Team

Sanius Health is excited about the recent developments from the NHS regarding better access for patients to their medical records, alongside the Health Secretary’s vision for patients to take greater control of their health journeys through wearable technology. The company is proud to have been pioneers in this space, particularly in blood cancers, rare diseases, and its flagship area of Sickle Cell Anaemia. With over 3.5 million and 15 million people in the UK estimated to be living with a rare disease or chronic condition, respectively, which costs the NHS approximately £3.4 billion and £20.5 billion annually, this presents an opportunity for the company to work closely with the NHS to scale the successes it has already had in improving outcomes for patients and their families.

 

Through its use of AI, wearable technology, disease-specific patient wallets, and its award-winning patient support and coaching services, Sanius are excited about the potential to partner with the NHS to expand these efforts at scale, reaching millions of patients and families across the UK.

 

The team believes there is a key role for patients, carers, and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in co-designing how these solutions can be successfully implemented. Already, Sanius’s partnerships with patients, NHS clinical colleagues, and patient organisations have been a significant area of success. Bringing some of this learning to the NHS's strategy for wearables will be critical.

Dr Sanne Lugthart, leading clinical haematologist, commented, “This has been an area of great progress for patients and for research. I have worked with the Sanius team on several patient-centric programmes that have demonstrated better outcomes, improved access, and truly addressed some unmet needs for patients and carers.”

 

Vincent Sai, CEO of Modality Group, added, “We see this as the future for patients across our footprint in the UK, which was a key reason for our strategic partnership with Sanius Health in supporting key disease areas.” Indeed, such approaches align closely with Sanius’ collaboration with Modality Partnership to enhance chronic condition management, particularly asthma. By leveraging AI-driven technologies and insights from wearable devices, this partnership aims to improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden on NHS resources. An upcoming study approved by IRAS, in collaboration with Portsmouth NHS Trust, will further focus on demonstrating the impact of digital tools in asthma management, empowering patients to actively monitor their symptoms, and receive timely feedback. Together, these initiatives illustrate the potential of technology to transform healthcare delivery and support patients in managing their conditions more effectively

 

From a patient perspective, the Sanius wearable, patient app, and medical data ecosystem have had significant outcomes across multiple disease areas. Bob Perry, an active member of our Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinaemia (WM) community, shared that, “As a blood cancer patient of nine years, I started wearing my Sanius-sponsored watch in January. It is invaluable for me as I can monitor my ECG, O2 intake, temperature, sleep, and fitness, and tie these in with the accompanying app. I can then provide this information to my consultant when I have my regular check-ups, and it provides her with more than just the vitals 'on the day'.”

 

Bob continued, “Already this year, I was able to bring some Atrial Fibrillation to her attention. Without the watch, I wouldn't have known about it. This is a massive step forward not only for me being more involved in my care but also in providing ongoing and current information to my healthcare team.”

 

Similarly in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), Reia DaCosta commented, “As a mother of three and someone living with sickle cell disease, I never imagined that a small device on my wrist could make such a significant impact on my life. Smartwatches always seemed like luxury gadgets for tech enthusiasts or fitness buffs—certainly not a necessity for someone like me. However, joining the Sanius Health ecosystem opened my eyes to the potential of these devices, and I can now confidently say that my smartwatch has not only improved my daily life but quite literally saved it.”

 

Opportunities for Wearable Tech in Healthcare and Outcomes Improvement

The government’s 10-year plan to revitalise the NHS emphasises a significant investment in wearable technology. This initiative aims to empower patients to monitor their health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, from home, thereby reducing the need for hospital visits and enabling more proactive care. By leveraging wearable tech, the NHS aspires to alleviate pressures on healthcare services and enhance patient outcomes through real-time data collection.

 

Sanius Health’s commitment to supporting patients with its ecosystem has already seen notable results across the healthcare landscape. Indeed, closely aligning with the NHS’s focus on both moving care from hospitals to the community and creating more prevention-centric approaches, its work has to date supported the development of key predictive algorithms to support early acute event detection, using data collected from wearables and patient-reported outcomes.

 

These algorithms have demonstrated the ability to predict 84% of acute events such as vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) for patients, as presented at the American Society for Haematology Meeting 2023. From here, we have continued to explore ways to enhance patient quality of life by identifying critical symptoms and facilitating timely interventions. For example, in diseases such as WM, the team’s work in wearable metric insights has identified potential correlations between these variables and key symptoms relevant to disease states and patient quality of life, highlighting key targets for remote monitoring and patient health deterioration prevention in real-world settings.

Critically, a core part of the government’s shift to wearable technologies such as smartwatches will be to empower patients with better visibility to actively monitor and manage their health in real-time, both at home and in their communities. Already, Sanius has been at the forefront of this movement, offering patients live feeds of their objective wearable, patient-reported outcome (PRO), and integrated medical record data through our specialised patient apps. Alongside curated insight reports, these tools have provided patients with insights into their health trends, helping them to become better informed and more engaged in their healthcare journey.

 

As Sanius Health continues to enhance its collaborations with healthcare professionals, caregivers, and patients while accelerating its work in improving care and outcomes, the company sees a significant opportunity to leverage its experiences to support the NHS’s next wave of healthcare pathway advancements. By employing advanced wearable technology within a patient-focused and co-designed ecosystem, the company aims to ensure long-term adherence and effectiveness. With an approach proven to be disease-agnostic and well-adopted by both clinical colleagues and patients alike, the team welcomes those interested in learning more about its work to date to reach out at info@saniushealth.com.