The Cost of Diagnostic Delay and Error

3D facial analysis for rare disease diagnosis and treatment monitoring: Proof-Of-Concept plan for hereditary angioedema

Rare diseases pose a diagnostic conundrum to even the most experienced clinicians around the world. The technology could play an assistive role in hastening the diagnosis process. Data-driven methodologies can identify distinctive disease features and create a definitive diagnostic spectrum. The healthcare professionals in developed and developing nations would benefit immensely from these approaches resulting in quicker diagnosis and enabling early care for the patients. Hereditary Angioedema is one such rare disease that requires a lengthy diagnostic cascade ensuing massive patient inconvenience and cost burden on the healthcare system. It is hypothesized that facial analysis with advanced imaging and algorithmic association can create an ideal diagnostic peer to the clinician while assimilating signs and symptoms in the hospital. 3D photogrammetry has been applied to diagnose rare diseases in various cohorts. The facial features are captured at a granular level in utmost finer detail. A validated and proven algorithm-powered software provides recommendations in real-time. Thus, paving the way for quick and early diagnosis to well-trained or less trained clinicians in different settings around the globe. The generated evidence indicates the strong applicability of 3 D photogrammetry in association with proprietary Cliniface software to Hereditary Angioedema for aiding in the diagnostic process. The approach, mechanism, and beneficial impact have been sketched out appropriately herein. This blueprint for hereditary angioedema may have far-reaching consequences beyond disease diagnosis to benefit all the stakeholders in the healthcare arena including research and new drug development.

Reimagining India’s Health System: Technology Levers for Universal Health Care

Just as the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the inadequacies of our current health systems and rekindled the debate around universal health care, the Lancet Citizens’ Commission on Reimagining India’s Health System was launched in late 2020. As a part of the commission, we articulated how technology can enable universal health care. We begin by stating the foundational values—a set of normative statements—that should underpin the use of technology in our health systems. Then, after summarising the paradigm shifts necessary to achieve citizen-centred universal health care, we articulate five ‘technology levers’ to enable those shifts. Finally, we describe the intersections and synergies between technology and the other pillars of health systems, namely, human resources, financing, governance and citizens’ engagement.