Technology
Electronic Health Records as a GPS for Healthcare
Electronic Health Records as a GPS for Healthcare
As patients are bombarded with more choice and information than ever, the burdened health system seems to lack the appropriate support to manage increasing demands for personalized and convenient care.
Today’s infographic comes to us from Publicis Health, and it demonstrates how electronic health records are an important piece in the puzzle to improve experiences for patients and providers alike.
At a Crossroads
As it stands, the current healthcare industry faces several challenges. Patients today have more complex needs and wants, while physicians are struggling to keep up.
- 25% of Americans have multiple chronic conditions.
- 63% of patients forget to adhere to medications.
- 40% of doctors feel that their work pace is chaotic.
- 60% of doctors feel that visits are too short to treat patients effectively.
Adding to these challenges, the healthcare industry is grappling with significant amounts of technological change, while also trying to keep costs in check. Between 2015 and 2017, hospitals lost $6.8 billion in operating income – that’s an average decline of nearly 40% in just two years.
A New Direction for Patient Care
Enter electronic health records (EHRs) – platforms used to conveniently store a patient’s health information and offer all sorts of services, from scheduling appointments and consultations to identifying patients at risk and guiding care decisions.
An improvement on physical paper charts, EHRs allow a patient’s medical history to be shared securely and instantly across different settings.
First conceived in 2009 under the Obama administration’s Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) act, EHRs have rapidly evolved as they’ve been implemented in the industry, with 87% office-based doctors nationwide relying on the system.
Today, EHRs are a massive industry: the global market was worth $23.6 billion in 2016, and it’s expected to reach close to $33.3 billion by 2023. It’s clear their real capabilities are still just at the tip of the iceberg.
As technology progresses to incorporate artificial intelligence and big data into healthcare, the point of care for patients will likely extend beyond the four walls of a doctor’s office and out into the world. In other words, EHR systems act like a GPS, helping doctors and care teams navigate patient care more efficiently. This improves patient-doctor interactions, resulting in better outcomes.
Of course, there are always challenges to overcome. Here are a few key considerations for EHRs:
| What’s the Problem? | The Solve | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Apps aren’t for all ages | Conversational AI platforms | - All age groups are familiar with chat platforms - Streamline user interactions - Increases engagement |
| Expensive professional health system resources | AI-powered virtual assistance | - Concierge services for patients - Access accurate patient information - Increases engagement and adherence |
| Generic, one-way content | Personalized content | - Educational and relevant content, based on individual needs |
| Missed appointments or medication | Reminder services | - Supports optimal care - Improves adherence |
| Accessibility issues | Telemedicine or transportation services | - Enables patients with transportation challenges to receive the care they need |
Thinking Beyond EHR Systems
Capturing real world data and patient-reported outcomes will be important for wider applications, towards:
- A deeper understanding of patient journeys
- Informing clinical trial design and execution
- Better characterizing patient demographics
- Evaluating treatment options for sub-populations
In the future, healthcare and pharma companies could potentially use EHRs as one part of an entire suite of solutions to improve their workflow – and extend the point of care everywhere.
This is part six of a seven part series. Stay tuned for the final piece by subscribing to Visual Capitalist for free, as we wrap up the major transformative forces shaping the future of healthcare.
Technology
Nvidia Joins the Trillion Dollar Club
America’s biggest chipmaker Nvidia has joined the trillion dollar club as advancements in AI move at lightning speed.
Nvidia Joins the Trillion Dollar Club
Chipmaker Nvidia is now worth nearly as much as Amazon.
America’s largest semiconductor company has vaulted past the $1 trillion market capitalization mark, a milestone reached by just a handful of companies including Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft. While many of these are household names, Nvidia has only recently gained widespread attention amid the AI boom.
The above graphic compares Nvidia to the seven companies that have reached the trillion dollar club.
Riding the AI Wave
Nvidia’s market cap has more than doubled in 2023 to over $1 trillion.
The company designs semiconductor chips that are made of silicon slices that contain specific patterns. Just like you flip an electrical switch by turning on a light at home, these chips have billions of switches that process complex information simultaneously.
Today, they are integral to many AI functions—from OpenAI’s ChatGPT to image generation. Here’s how Nvidia stands up against companies that have achieved the trillion dollar milestone:
| Joined Club | Market Cap in trillions | Peak Market Cap in trillions |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | Aug 2018 | $2.78 | $2.94 |
| Microsoft | Apr 2019 | $2.47 | $2.58 |
| Aramco | Dec 2019 | $2.06 | $2.45 |
| Alphabet | Jul 2020 | $1.58 | $1.98 |
| Amazon | Apr 2020 | $1.25 | $1.88 |
| Meta | Jun 2021 | $0.68 | $1.07 |
| Tesla | Oct 2021 | $0.63 | $1.23 |
| Nvidia | May 2023 | $1.02 | $1.02 |
Note: Market caps as of May 30th, 2023
After posting record sales, the company added $184 billion to its market value in one day. Only two other companies have exceeded this number: Amazon ($191 billion), and Apple ($191 billion).
As Nvidia’s market cap reaches new heights, many are wondering if its explosive growth will continue—or if the AI craze is merely temporary. There are cases to be made on both sides.
Bull Case Scenario
Big tech companies are racing to develop capabilities like OpenAI. These types of generative AI require vastly higher amounts of computing power, especially as they become more sophisticated.
Many tech giants, including Google and Microsoft use Nvidia chips to power their AI operations. Consider how Google plans to use generative AI in six products in the future. Each of these have over 2 billion users.
Nvidia has also launched new products days since its stratospheric rise, spanning from robotics to gaming. Leading the way is the A100, a powerful graphics processing unit (GPU) well-suited for machine learning. Additionally, it announced a new supercomputer platform that Google, Microsoft, and Meta are first in line for. Overall, 65,000 companies globally use the company’s chips for a wide range of functions.
Bear Case Scenario
While extreme investor optimism has launched Nvidia to record highs, how do some of its fundamental valuations stack up to other giants?
As the table below shows, its price to earnings (P/E) ratio is second-only to Amazon, at 214.4. This shows how much a shareholder pays compared to the earnings of a company. Here, the company’s share price is over 200 times its earnings on a per share basis.
| P/E Ratio | Net Profit Margin (Annual) | |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | 30.2 | 25.3% |
| Microsoft | 36.1 | 36.7% |
| Aramco | 13.5 | 26.4% |
| Alphabet | 28.2 | 21.2% |
| Amazon | 294.2 | -0.5% |
| Meta | 33.9 | 19.9% |
| Tesla | 59.0 | 15.4% |
| Nvidia | 214.4 | 16.19% |
Consider how this looks for revenue of Nvidia compared to other big tech names:
$NVDA $963 billion market cap, 38x Revenue
$MSFT $2.5 trillion market cap, 12x Revenue$TSLA $612 billion market cap, 7.8x Revenue$AAPL $2.75 trillion market cap, 7.3x Revenue$GOOG $1.6 trillion market cap, 6.1x Revenue$META $672 billion market cap, 6x Revenue pic.twitter.com/VgkKAfiydx— Martin Pelletier (@MPelletierCIO) May 29, 2023
For some, Nvidia’s valuation seems unrealistic even in spite of the prospects of AI. While Nvidia has $11 billion in projected revenue for the next quarter, it would still mean significantly higher multiples than its big tech peers. This suggests the company is overvalued at current prices.
Nvidia’s Growth: Will it Last?
This is not the first time Nvidia’s market cap has rocketed up.
During the crypto rally of 2021, its share price skyrocketed over 100% as demand for its GPUs increased. These specialist chips help mine cryptocurrency, and a jump in demand led to a shortage of chips at the time.
As cryptocurrencies lost their lustre, Nvidia’s share price sank over 46% the following year.
By comparison, AI advancements could have more transformative power. Big tech is rushing to partner with Nvidia, potentially reshaping everything from search to advertising.
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