Dr. Praveen Patil, Head of Strategy at Sony Research India
“We are already more than 16 months into the pandemic and most of us have adjusted to the new normal and made the best of all the ‘work from home’ situations. While some have gotten back to our long lost hobbies, others have discovered new hobbies and a few are still in the discovery phase.
As I sit back and reflect upon how the entertainment and healthcare industries, in which I serve, have changed their strategies to not only sustain but also be ahead of the competition, three significant areas come to mind. What is interesting is that they have stark similarities.”
The first area is “Getting Personal”
“Know your patient” and “Know your viewer” are the success mantras for both these industries.
Getting Personal: COVID-19 has taught us that “one size fits all” is no longer effective. Some people feel no impact of COVID-19 and for some, its impact is limited. But for a few unfortunate ones, it is fatal. The need for personalized care and treatment has always been there, and COVID-19 has accelerated that need, not only for communicable diseases but even more so for NCDs.
“Know your Patient” is the next emerging theme in healthcare, and the constant digitization initiatives by the Government of India will only enable us to collect more information and customize the care that they truly deserve.
Switching gears to entertainment: With all of us forced to stay at home, TV has become humans’ best friend. But is this friend running out of content? Not really. Content exists in many forms but trying to fit it in the conventional genres will not work anymore. Customizing as per the likes & dislikes of viewers based on the time of day, time of the week, and mood of the user is the next big thing for all entertainment companies
The second area is ‘Reality, Real time and Remote’.
Can I get healthcare services without physically travelling short or long distances? Yes, it is possible with the rapid increase in the adoption of telemedicine in India clubbed with real-time monitoring devices that send information for decision-making. These methods are reducing both accessibility and availability issues, especially in smaller cities where there is a shortage of doctors. As technology and adoption improves, the trend will shift from real-time monitoring (diagnosis) to real-time management (prognosis).
Coming down to entertainment, gone are the days when one had to wait for Prime Time to watch their favourite show. We have now moved to flexitime (watch it anytime from anywhere and quite literally from any device). Hence, the rise of the OTT platforms is and will be the next emerging trend in entertainment.
Well, it’s time to bury the slang “idiot box” that was coined several decades ago. The box is becoming smarter, more cognitive, and even more intelligent. Imagine your TV becoming your all-in-one buddy who will show you what to watch, which game to play, helps schedule meetings, and also help you upskill for your next job. That’s how the future of entertainment looks right now.
In the healthcare industry, the application of AI isn’t new. However, there is a shift from treatment-centricity (better decision making) to patient-centricity (improving patient experience). Intelligent patient chatbots and contextual patient engagement apps will be the future of healthcare.
All in all, the healthcare and entertainment we receive in the coming future will be personal, real-time, and smarter. Sounds like a bright future to me!”
These are a few upcoming trends that will revolutionize the Healthcare and Entertainment industries. We should be celebrating the fact that our generation will be the one to experience it all!