Personalised and protected: Health and wellness for the globally mobile

From vital signs to MRI results, patient records are awash in data.

Even a simple blood test can yield dozens of important data points. Not to mention the data gathered from health apps and assessments and fitness wearables. But accessing, analysing and using that data can be difficult when the information is spread across disparate databases.

An obvious solution would be to create a single digital environment in which an individual’s health and personal data could be securely stored. This would provide a 360° view of the person’s health, enabling personalised health care solutions and ultimately driving down utilisation and costs.

But questions inevitably arise. Who would pay for such a solution? Would their motivation be wholly altruistic? How would the data be safeguarded and still made easily accessible to authorised users? Would care providers and individuals in developing nations have the technology required to access such a system? And would individuals who’ve been stung by countless data breaches in recent years trust that their data would be secure?

In this paper, we examine the impact big data could have on the delivery of quality health care and explore some of the large and small ways that impact is already being felt. We also outline what Aetna International is doing to connect individuals to quality, accessible, personalised care and health solutions, whether they’re frequently away from home or settling into a new life abroad.

Personalised and protected: Health and wellness for the globally mobile

Further reading:

Your health data: Sharing and protecting it for good

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About the authors

Dr Sneh Khemka, Vice President, Population Health Solutions and vHealth by Aetna, Aetna International

Dr Sneh Khemka, MBChB, MRCOphth, (Hon) MFPH, is the President of International Population Health Solutions at Aetna International.  He is a surgeon by background, holds an honorary membership of the Faculty of Public Health, and is a key figure in international healthcare improvement.  

Sneh heads Aetna International’s efforts to help governments and large organisations manage the health of their populations better, primarily through infrastructure development (major Information Technology systems), clinical data analytics, health and disease management, and ultimately primary care.

Alan Payne, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Aetna International

Alan Payne is the Chief Information Officer for Aetna International. Alan is a seasoned executive-level Digital and Technology leader, a successful entrepreneur and a qualified Chartered Management Accountant, with a proven commercial track record of implementing at all sizes of organizations. His experience includes over 25 years in Insurance, Health care, Banking and Capital Markets, bringing digital innovation, vision, knowledge, drive and the ability to deliver globally across multiple businesses and support functions.  

He has commercially negotiated complex contracts, and has a deep knowledge of developing sophisticated architectures and platforms to satisfy business and consumer needs in international cultures and organisations, having lived and worked on four continents. Alan holds an Honorary Professorship at the University College London Faculty of Engineering (Intelligent Systems) and has specific research interests in Digital Health, Artificial Intelligence and Entrepreneurship.

Special thanks to our contributors:

Dr Dan Knecht, Vice President, Clinical Strategy & Policy, Aetna and Susan Garfield, Principal, Commercial Lead, Advisory Life Sciences Sector, EY

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