Europe's 10 Most Trusted Home Care Providers May 2021

2021 VOL. 05 ISSUE-01 #TechDriven The Growing Need for Personalised Healthcare Powered by AI and Big Data

Europe’s

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Most

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Trusted

HOME

CARE Providers 2021

A Benchmark of Healthcare Excellence

Dr Graham Wylie CEO

Home Healthcare Comes of Age

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ver the decades the social and cultural fabric of Europe has undergone colossal change leading to a major transformation in the way senior family members were cared traditionally. The break-up of extended families and rampant urbanisation created a huge gap in the care for the elderly and the disabled or those with chronic diseases.

As older people become more care-dependent but do not need hospitalisation, the only viable solution seems to be home care services. The effectiveness of home care services cannot be denied as the benefits are aplenty. Being at home, or in familiar surroundings and in their communities give comfort to the elderly and they remain healthier than they would have in a care centre. Besides, they also have a feeling of security and independence staying in their own homes. Individualised care at home promotes quick healing than in regulated environments of healthcare or nursing establishments.

Life expectancy has increased resulting in a rise in the number of old people, lifestyle diseases, noncommunicable diseases, difficulty in mobility, people with mental disorders or the ones who need companionship and assistance in daily chores.

There has been a whopping rise in the elderly population in the European Union and this is expected to rise exponentially. Nearly 20 percent of the European population is above 65 years of age. From around 90.5 million couple of years ago, it is expected to touch the 130 mark by 2050. With children flying away to different parts of the country, and the globe, home care services become more imperative. Add to it the low birth rates and rising cases of infertility.

Home care provides a huge range of services to assist and care for those who do not need treatment in the hospitals. It could be non-medical personal care, nursing care, home health care. It could include meal preparation, caring for the sick or even healthy senior citizens who live alone, medication reminders, running errands, care during illness, serious injury, progressive diseases like Alzheimer’s, Dementia, even for companionship or palliative care, assistance for daily activities like bathing, dressing, cooking, feeding, transportation, visits to banks or the doctor, supporting the client or patient by doing the laundry and housekeeping, or even shopping.

These services are not restricted to senior citizens but expands to all age groups including children or young adults who need care. Service providers are in huge demand for hospice or palliative care for adults and children with serious illness, from in-home to community-based services.

With technological advancements, it has become easier for health care service providers to coordinate and monitor the clients. Home health care providers are doing exceptionally well in their jobs and their demands are multiplying by the day.

We bring to the spotlight few such exemplary home care services in Europe that have caught the attention of the world, in our latest edition of Insights Care – Europe’s 10 Most Trusted Home Care Providers 2021.

Have a great read!

Sumita Sarkar

Editor’s Note

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Care Force

Accessible and Affable Home Care beyond Basic Needs

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Eidyn Care Where Compassion Conjoins with Quality Care

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Mission TEC (POPSICUBE Group) Promoting a Patient-centric Approach in Home Clinical Trials

Folkestone Home Care Comprehensive and Quality Care for the Aged

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Home Care Preferred A Leading Provider of Quality and Holistic Care

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Medicalib Leveraging Technology to Make Home Care Accessible to All

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West Park Care High Quality and Consistent Care at Home

CONTENTS ARTICLES

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#TechDriven

The Growing Need for Personalised Healthcare Powered by AI and Big Data

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08 A Benchmark of Healthcare Excellence

COVER STORY

5 Reasons why effective telehealth solutions are the need of the hour.

Editor-in-Chief Senior Editor

Sumita Sarkar Anish Miller

Managing Editor

Abhishaj Sajeev

Assisting Editors

Vrushali, Arran

Visualiser Art & Design Head Co-designer Art & Picture Editor

David King Asha Bange Paul Belin Priyanka Rajage

Business Development Manager Marketing Manager

Amy Jones John Smith Sarah Wilson, John Smith, Alex Vincent

Business Development Executives Sales Executives

Kelli, Bill, Anna

Technical Head Assistant Technical Head Technical Consultants

Jacob Smile Pratiksha Patil David, Robert

Digital Marketing Manager Assistant Digital Marketing Manager SME-SMO Executives

Alina Sege Amol Wadekar Atul, Gemson

Research Analyst Circulation Manager

Eric Smith Tanaji

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Company Name

Featuring

Description

Care Force Ltd care-force.co.uk

Michelle Coates Manager

Care Force has been providing domiciliary care to people across Worcestershire since 1992 and is highly regarded in the county as one of the best providers of the service.

Eidyn Care eidyncare.co.uk

Andrew McLennan CEO

Eidyn Care is a unique service which specialises in providing excellent palliative and personal care at home.

Folkestone Home Care folkestonehomecare.co.uk

Emma Hanwell Director

Folkestone Home Care is an independent health and social care provider specialising in private personalised home care and community services in Folkestone and the surrounding areas.

Home Care Preferred homecarepreferred.com

Ken Waterhouse Managing Director

Home Care Preferred delivers at-home care for a wide range of clients, ensuring that they can remain at home in an environment that is comfortable and familiar while receiving the highest standards of care.

Illingworth Research Group illingworthresearch.com

John Illingworth Founder, CEO & Advisor

Illingworth Research GroupTM, a Syneos Health® company, is a leading provider of clinical research home health services, providing highly trained, qualified and experienced research nurses to the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries.

Medical Research Network themrn.co.uk

Graham Wylie CEO and Chairman

MRN is an innovative market-leading Clinical Trial Support Organization and leader in the field of international community focused clinical trial delivery.

Medicalib medicalib.fr

Nicolas Baudelot Co-Founder

Medicalib is a health platform dedicated to home care with a goal to enable any patient requiring home care to quickly find a healthcare professional available in their neighborhood.

PopsiCube popsicube-fovea.com

Fabrice Beauchêne CEO and Sylvie Kahn, COO

PopsiCube is a Clinical Research Organisation based in Toulouse and Paris France providing in-home and inHospital clinical trial support

RENAFAN renafan.de

Simon Welte CEO

ParentCare is driven by a deep passion to deliver care via a reliable 24*7 platform and safeguard customers' valuable family time.

West Park Care westparkcare.co.uk

Tom Page Managing Director

West Park Care offers bespoke and person centred care directly into the homes of patients.

C O V E R S T O R Y

A Benchmark of Healthcare Excellence

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nnovation in healthcare has always been vital considering the role it plays in advancing humankind’s chances of survival. The need for innovating comprehensive treatments and solutions for a diverse array of pressing concerns within the industry is what is driving healthcare companies across the world.

When it comes to delivering optimal healthcare solutions, one company that has carved its stronghold in the industry is MRN. Founded in 2006, MRN is the international market leading DCT Support Organization.

Since inception, the company has delivered innovative and novel solutions, using its specialized expertise supporting drug developers to accelerate the clinical research process, by allowing as much as possible to take place in patients’ own homes.

In the following interview with Insights Care, Dr Graham Wylie, the Chief Executive Officer at MRN, shares valuable details into how the company has managed to garner its commendable reputation and success, and his

Dr Graham Wylie CEO

Please brief our audience about MRN, its values, and the key aspects of its international stronghold in the Decentralized Clinical Trials market.

Our focus is to actively support patients’ participation in trials while allowing them to remain in their homes, wherever they live. We work to reduce the inconvenience and disruption of visits to investigator sites, by reducing their number. When visits are required, we work to make the process as efficient and convenient as possible. We enhance patient enrolment, recruitment, and retention.

As the largest provider of specialist DCT support, and one of the founders of this movement, our services set the benchmark for high-quality and innovative delivery. MRN is at the core of this sector and everything we do is focused on the patient.

To put it into perspective, we have successfully delivered well over 50,000 home-based clinical trial visits. Currently, we are seeing over 300 patients, in their homes, every week; and the numbers are growing dramatically as more developers see the benefits.

This allows patients who have been unable to participate in clinical trials, for socio-economic or logistical reasons, to be able to do so; democratizing clinical development and access to medicines is what patient centricity means – it is changing clinical research. This is a core part of MRN’s DNA. Tell us more about your Home Trial Support and Site Professional Support solutions, that make your company stand out from the competition?

Home Trial Support takes the clinical trial to the patient, conducting research visits in the community (home, office, school etc.), globally supported by clinical research experts and healthcare professional teams. This lessens the burden on the trial sites and the patients. We can undertake everything from complex IMP administration to simple blood draws in the comfort and security of the patient’s own home.

We manage the whole process around the patients ‘home visit’, IMP to patient, drug administration, sample collection, PI liaison, telemedicine links, couriers, sample delivery to laboratories and all points in between. We do

this around the world. Our project teams think globally, manage centrally, and deliver locally with an emphasis on efficiency.

Site Professional Support consists of experienced study site coordinators and trained research professionals deployed to work with investigators on site, easing their burdens and helping to keep sites to timescales and budgets. We can place research professionals at a single site, or specialty project teams can be created.

The length and depth of relationships with our partners and our centralized control methods drive quality and consistency.

What is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the global healthcare sector, and how has MRN fared during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns?

COVID19 has had a huge impact on the clinical trials environment. It’s highlighted some of the weaknesses of the traditional site centric clinical trial designs.

Trials slowed down in the first peak – circa 85% of trial sites shut their doors. The second peak has been managed more effectively, and trials are less at risk; however, there will be delays to trials, as they continue to struggle until the vaccine impact can be felt. The need to catch up will be strong in 2021.

At the height of COVID19 last year, over half of all clinical trials had ground to a halt and the logistics of operating in hospitals were too challenging. MRN did a huge amount of rescuing crucial medical research and our operational teams worked incredibly hard, stepping in and delivering seamless continuation of trials – transitioning them to a more decentralized mode.

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We work with technology, not against it, and expect to see development of multiple service lines into trials to maximise the ability to keep patients in the community.

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opinions on the current and future state of the industry.

Below are the highlights of the interview:

Europe's 10 Most Trusted Home Care Providers 2021

Decentralizing clinical trials since 2006

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MRN is focused on innovation, operational excellence, and customer centricity.

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ABOUT THE LEADER

Dr Graham Wylie, CEO of MRN, is a pharmaceutical industry veteran of over 30 years and has been an agent of change throughout. He formed MRN in 2006, now the leader of the DCT sector and one of the fastest growing healthcare companies in the UK. “I joined Pfizer as a PM running trials – this was fantastic management training ground in R&D. I became interested in the development of PM software and Continuous Improvement methods and moved to NY to globalize CI and IT programs in core systems such as patient data management, SAE and CTMs. This is where I became interested in the application of QMS to clinical research,” says Dr Wylie.

“To become more commercially educated, after 10 years in big pharma, I moved to a global CRO, going back to my roots as Medical Director for Northern Europe, and then latterly as VP of Account Management, Europe. By then, I had decided I wanted to do something more radical to address the chronic problems in trial processes, and so joined Healthcare at Home (HaH) to create a clinical trial division called Medical Research Network. After less than a year, I lead an MBO of the division to create a separate company, and became CEO of MRN Ltd, a role I have enjoyed ever since,” he adds.

“My personal growth since then has been about building an ethical, patient focused but commercial business, learning how to manage high levels of growth and building a growing group of passionate people who want to see change in the way clinical research is delivered.

It’s been a blast,” he concludes.

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The Pandemic has shown how much we rely on the site model and how poorly focused the whole system is on patients’ wants and needs.

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The pandemic has validated the use of DCT for many indications. MRN, were able to ‘step-up to the plate’, because of the dedication of our teams. The pressures were extreme, and they delivered beyond all reasonable expectations. In 2020, we recruited and trained more staff than we employed 3 years previously. At the same time, we had to keep delivering under very difficult circumstances. I will forever be proud and grateful to our personnel.

They really rose to the occasion.

In your opinion, what could be the future of the healthcare services sector post the pandemic? And how are you strategizing your company’s operations for that future?

We will see further growth, technology will have been pushed along the adoption curve, but it still has a long way to go. Home Trial Support is way ahead in adoption, better tested and more reliable, and will become a routine part of all trials in the next few years.

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MRN are structuring for further growth and ramping up investment to drive quality and efficiency. We work with technology, not against it, and expect to see development of multiple service lines into trials to maximise the ability to keep patients in the community.

Critically, our sector is small. Capacity constraint will be a major feature of the next few years as the whole sector scales up. Quality is going to be paramount.

As an established leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the healthcare services sector?

It is complex and conservative of course – but it is hard to find a more rewarding environment. There are many areas of opportunity to improve

the way we deliver health and study new medicines, and after a period of such change the conservatism will soften and the willingness to adopt new ideas will be at an all-time high. Go for it – the world needs you!

How do you envision on scaling your company’s operations in 2021?

MRN is focused on innovation, operational excellence, and customer centricity. We are working on all three areas in our business. We will scale thoughtfully and methodically. But we are used to growth – we built an organization that was able to quadruple its output over the last year specifically because we are built on good management practices and built to last.

Growth will slow compared to 2020 of course, but we fully expect it to remain high.

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DCT is being promoted heavily, with organizations such as DTRA, actively promoting its integration as a norm rather than an exception. It is gratifying to see Large Pharma companies joining the likes of MRN as Founder Members.

The dynamics of the relationships in R&D are warped by those in the commercial pharma world, where the physicians are a key part of the customer group.

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Europes 10 Most Trusted Home Care Providers 2021

CARE FORCE Accessible and Affable Home Care beyond Basic Needs

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OVID-19 pandemic has tested the prowess of the healthcare industry. While the hospital and primary caregivers have been in limelight for their tireless work, we shouldn’t forget the extensive efforts of home care providers who have been the major shoulder to lean on during the tough times. Care Force Ltd is one such organization that has been on the front to provide quality services to its service users and assisting hospitals in transitioning patients in this tough time.

Care Force has gone far and beyond to ensure quality and cordial care to its users. In the field where socializing is easily overlooked, Care Force has seen a positive impact of outings and leisure activities on the physical and mental health of service users. And this success and positive rapport with clients lies within its direct recruitment of caregivers from within the local community.

Michelle Coates, Registered Care Manager at Care Force, having worked with different groups of clients including young people, and female and males, who suffered domestic abuse, shares compassion all the while having a deep understanding of the varied needs of individuals beyond basic care.

“Today, home care is essential as it allows each service to be accessible and widely understood by a variety of service users,” says Michelle.

Under her leadership, Care Force is moving forward with a multiple-pronged approach to cater to varying healthcare needs of clients through traditional service methods as well as newer technological developments.

In the following article Michelle shares her journey with Care Force, the team’s extraordinary efforts during the pandemic, and how the company—with its unique

caregiving approach—has established itself as one of the county’s most renowned home care providers.

Care Force in its wake Care Force set its foot in the care services market in 1992 to promote people’s independence through active support from highly qualified staff. As a family-owned organization, Care Force strongly believes in a value-driven approach. The company’s diligent work has been reflected in the strong bond with the service users and the enhanced positive work culture.

Michelle shared the secret behind the company’s strong bond with clients as well as employees. “Quality, support, kindness, and trust have been the company’s fundamental ethos. This underpins the service that we provide where continuity of care and a person-centered approach are paramount,” Michelle expressed.

Care Force has been providing domiciliary care to the local community within Worcestershire for over 25 years with compassion and a person-centric approach, which has helped the company establish its name as one of the county’s superior home care providers.

How has Care Force managed to maintain and enhance the compassion and human touch in their home care services?

“By bringing caregivers and the majority of administration and management staff on-board from within the local community,” Michelle answered.

Catering to the need of socializing While marching forward with passion and professional approach, Care Force has managed to remain a close-knit community, which has helped the company from the competition. Care force directly recruits the staff from

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within the local community, who understands the needs of the service users and the wider community.

“There is a sense of belonging, trust, and oneness at Care Force which you do not find when staff is recruited through agencies,” Michelle explained.

Another pivotal element in the company’s success is the provision of both social and specialized care services. The Care Force team has gone above and beyond whenever needed to ensure a brilliant rapport is created between a service user and caregiver.

In addition to this, the company’s specialized care to support service users suffering from Dementia and Alzheimer’s has been a beneficial aspect to create trust among the service users. More than providing specialized care, Care Force has gone one step ahead to ensure the support these individuals need to thrive independently while living in their home with tailor-made packages to cater to flexible changes, needs, and preferences.

Coordinating care with compassion

Michelle left Care Force in 2007 and since then has worked across several fields including public health and the local council mainly within the Housing sector. Her experience while aiding specialized and vulnerable client groups including young people, women, and men escaping domestic abuse and homeless adults filled her with compassion all the while understanding the varied needs of people.

Michelle returned to Care Force in 2014 stepping into the newly created role of Care Coordinator in the same year. In January 2020, she became the registered manager leading the Care Force team with her experience, expertise, compassion, and vision to provide the best person-centered care services. “I am extremely proud of the team at Care

Michelle Coates, Registered Care Manager

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If you are looking to invest in something meaningful that allows you to give back to the community at large, then this is the way forward

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Born and raised in Bromsgrove, Michelle understands the local community and the needs that exist within it. This has been her strength when she started her career as career with Care Force in 1998 while studying at University.

Force, and we all are committed to providing the best service we can for our service users,” Michelle shared.

awareness of their services to ensure care is widely available to those who need it.

Going the extra mile

The Healthcare sector has wide avenues to pave especially post-pandemic. Care Force aims to undertake this opportunity to scale in the future by focusing on being the primary home care provider to its service users for all their healthcare needs.

COVID-19 pandemic has been a tumultuous challenge for the whole world. And during these tough times, the caregivers have proven to be our true strength at the root level. Michelle shared how Care Force sailed through this challenging time, “Our company took on more contracts than usual and supporting patients released from hospitals with their transition. This has helped hospitals to increase capacity and hasten turnaround times for patient discharges.”

Any organization can only soar to new heights with the extraordinary efforts of its team. Appreciating the efforts of the Care Force team Michelle said, “Our staff has been absolute superheroes by being in the front line of key service, putting our service users first, and going the extra mile to ensure they reach all those in need.”

The caregivers at Care Force have taken on extra shifts, covered for each other, and truly come together as a unit to ensure the company is always providing service users the best care.

Step in only for the meaningful deed Unlike other businesses, home care is more personal, more involved, and every aspect of it albeit management, directorship, marketing to on-the-ground caregiving, feels like an act of humanitarian service. In this sector, one can experience the tangible outcome which gives utmost satisfaction to professional caregivers. Michelle very well resonates with the feeling and she encourages budding entrepreneurs ready to enter the home care space.

“It is the most rewarding and fulfilling venture I have ever set foot in.” Michelle said, “Every area of development and progress you make immediately has a positive impact on the quality of life of those you serve. If you are looking to invest in something meaningful that allows you to give back to the community at large, then this is the way forward.”

This new-found strength has inculcated new confidence to extend the company’s services to reach more service users in need. As home care services have become essential and increased in demand Care Force continues raising

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Where Compassion Conjoins with Quality Care

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how Eidyn Care has become a prominent name in the related market.

Below are the highlights of the interview:

Rebecca McLennan, Eidyn Care’s Registered Manager, came home after a long shift working with palliative clients at St. Columba’s hospice in Edinburgh. Over dinner she talked about how there appeared to be no dedicated palliative care at home service and that most of her clients with Palliative needs wanted to live at home.

Tell us more about your home care solutions, that make your company stand out from the competition?

Eidyn Care provides bespoke care at home services to clients across Edinburgh. All the visits are at least a minimum time of one hour that allows for the necessary tasks to be completed but also allows time to support the client’s mental health by spending time building a relationship and ensuring that they are not lonely.

he thought of giving people quality care, focused on supporting people with lifelimiting illnesses in the comfort of their homes, brought Eidyn Care to life.

From this discussion, grew the seed of starting a quality care at home company that would be dedicated in supporting people with life limiting illnesses in their own home.

Working in a busy oncology ward has provided Rebecca with many years of practical experience in delivering care to people who are at their most vulnerable, giving her the skills and insight to realise that helping people to live with dignity and respect at the end of their life was something Rebecca was passionate about pursuing.

In the following interview, Rebecca shares her opinions how the home healthcare services has evolved and on

What is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the global healthcare sector, and how has your company fared during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns?

The pandemic has shed a light on Social Care and how important this unsung workforce is in supporting the NHS to ensure that holistic care can be provided and keep people safe at home.

It was extremely worrying at the start of the pandemic as there was very limited supplies of masks and these had to be sourced from Amazon, Ebay and other random suppliers as our main supplier did not have any masks.

The use of PPE has increased dramatically as the team take infection control seriously. As well as the amount of PPE being used, the cost of PPE has increased dramatically however we cannot put a price on a person’s life.

What is your opinion on the necessity for healthcare service providers to align their offerings with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to catering to changing patient preferences and needs?

The client is always right, and it is this factor that we need to consider. We cannot continue in the old-fashioned way of using paper care plans and updates must be seen in real time. We currently use an electronic care planning system (called PASS) which allows us to monitor our clients on a regular basis and ensure tasks or medicines are not missed. It was during the first lockdown that this really came into its own when we monitored a client that had got Covid19.

We were able to ensure that they were kept comfortable and adapt their care plan. We involved the “hospital at home” service and District Nurses that could read these notes and have confidence that we were providing care. After a few weeks of watching

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Europe's 10 Most Trusted Home Care Providers 2021

them fail and become weaker, it was with a great sense of relief that we saw them get better and even sat up in bed to eat toast!

In your opinion, what could be the future of the healthcare services sector post the pandemic? And how are you strategizing your company’s operations for that future?

The biggest challenge has always been on recruitment and we hope with the greater awareness will allow us to recruit so that we can better serve our community. The biggest opportunity in life is care as families are scared to put their loved ones into care homes. This will be a growth market as the cost for life in care vs a care home is comparable, and it allows people to live longer at home and have limited risk if a new mutation or another pandemic hits.

How do you envision on scaling your company’s operations in 2021?

We are planning for the company to grow by 10 – 15%. We have spent last year on consolidating our processes and building a strong team which will now allow us to grow.

The pandemic has shed a light on Social Care and how important this unsung workforce is in supporting the NHS. Rebecca McLennan Registered Manager

About the Leader Rebecca started her career in the Financial Services sector and following the birth of her first son realized that her vocation was helping people and retrained as a Nurse in 2009. Rebecca specialized in Oncology during the last year of her training at the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, and after qualifying with her degree in Nursing she remained there.

Working on a busy oncology ward has provided Rebecca with many years of practical experience in delivering care to people who are at their most vulnerable, giving her the skills and insight to realize that helping people to live with dignity and respect at the end of their life was something Rebecca was passionate about pursuing.

In 2011, following the birth of her second son Rebecca changed direction and moved to work at St Columba’s Hospice, Edinburgh enhancing her skills and experience.

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The Growing Need for

AI and Big Data

Personalised Healthcare Powered by

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he pharmaceutical industry uses information to help develop enhanced and efficient treatment techniques and medication while also depicting specific health concerns that arise among particular patient groups in order to be able to manage them effectively.

Even though the pharmaceutical companies have advanced to a great extent in the development of individualised treatment, there is still a long way to go in order for healthcare to reach a level which would suit our individual needs. Now, in order to reach that goal, a lot of research and data will need to be collected on various individuals.

When you combine this difficulty with the complexity of the human body, you get a very poor grasp of how the human body reacts to and copes with various disorders. This is where advanced technology, such as machine learning, comes in handy to record, assist, manage and analyse massive amounts of data.

The media buzz that surrounds Big Data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has

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#TechDriven

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never been higher, so much so that it can overshadow the real applications and actual outcomes various companies are working on. But larger than hyped up life promises may have an eclipsing affect over the actual, realistic benefits it provides to almost any organization, in a wide variety of industries that are generating large volumes of data.

Collaboration to deliver high-quality AI in healthcare: In the research done, one of the issues that was highlighted was the quality of AI performance, particularly emphasising on bad use case selection, AI design and simplicity, algorithm quality and performance, and the robustness and completeness of relevant but not visible data.

AI in healthcare today: For healthcare decision makers, governments, investors and innovators, and the European Union itself AI is now in high demand. An increasing number of governments have set out aspirations for AI in healthcare, in countries as diverse as Finland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Israel, China, and the United States, and many are investing heavily in AI-related research.

Major challenges to addressing quality issues early on and adopting solutions at scale were highlighted as a lack of multidisciplinary development and early involvement of healthcare workers, as well as limited iteration by joint AI and healthcare teams.

What impact will AI have on the healthcare workforce?

The MGI has looked into how automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are expected to alter the future of work. It believes that automation, if it hasn’t already, will infiltrate its way into most employment across all sectors.

However, different sectors will respond differently to the requirement of AI, and healthcare is one of the industries with the lowest overall potential for automation—only 35% of time spent is theoretically automatable, with the percentage varying by profession. The possibility of automation is not the same as the likelihood of adoption.

What has to change in order for AI to be introduced and scaled up in healthcare?

The progress that the health industry has made so far, with the help of Artificial Intelligence has been significant.

However, the road to building a future where AI contributes consistently and extensively towards achieving worldwide benefits in healthcare, will definitely be challenging.

No doubt, in the healthcare industry, AI isn’t necessarily an absolute problem solver and inculcating it does come with a few price tags. In a recent research, which also took into consideration the views of certain stakeholders and frontline workers, a set of issues pertaining to the same have been shed light upon:

Only 14% of start-up executives thought healthcare professionals' input was critical in the early design phase, according to the survey, while the role of the private sector in the aggregation and analysing of data, creating an efficient and secure data base, or even aiding upskill healthcare staff, was seen as unimportant by healthcare professionals.

Giving education and skill development a second thought.

We've already discussed the need of digital skills, which are currently lacking in most practitioners' toolkits.

Leaders in healthcare who are well-versed in both biology and data science will be required for AI in healthcare.

Recent efforts have been made to train students in the science of medicine, biology, and informatics through joint degrees, albeit this is less common in Europe.

To elaborate more, all practitioners need to prioritise important and basic skill sets of basic digital literacy, genomics foundations, AI and machine learning, as well as critical-thinking abilities and the honing of a continuouslearning mindset.

Along with improving clinical training, healthcare organisations must consider their current workforce and provide ongoing learning opportunities, while practitioners must have the time and motivation to do so.

- Arran Calvert

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Comprehensive and Quality Carefor the Aged

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oday, statistics demonstrate that the majority of the aged population in the United States plan to stay at home for as long as possible, despite changes in health, mobility, or cognition. Home care providers have stepped up to the challenge, providing more opportunities for care and assistance at home than ever before; this includes services ranging from cooking or light housekeeping to meal preparation, transportation, and personal care.

FolkstoneHome Care came into being, when Emma Hanwell realised that there was nothing she could do to improve her situation as a carer.She felt great dissatisfaction every time shefelt she could not take care of her clients in the way that she felt was right and specifically the conditions she was working under.

Emma set about discussing the prospect of having her own company with her parents, as they both had much to offer in shaping Folkestone Home Care.

Emma's mother is an incredibly caring individual who has concrete opinions as to what “caring” actually means in real terms. If her mother were not retired, Emma would have employed her as a carer and she would have been amazing.

Emma Hanwell Director/Registered manager

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Remain small so that delivery of service is always excellent and only recruit the very best calibre of person.

“

Emma's father, who is now retired, had a successful international company of his own for many years, KeyMed, one that was ahead of its

time in terms of staff conditions, respect, and values.

The company values are based around being accountable, respecting others and integrity. Its ethos has always been what Emma believes to be true; weshould treat everyone as a human being first and foremost and as such deserve equal respect and must be engaged with in a fair and just way regardless of gender, beliefs, lifestyle, or personal choices.

“The person-centred care is not just forclients, it is for my staff too,”says Emma.

Below are the highlights of the interview between Emma and Insights Care, where she expresses her opinions on the current landscape of the home care services niche and how her organization has gained a stronghold within the same.

Tell us about your home care

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Europe's 10 Most Trusted Home Care Providers 2021 solutions that make your company stand out from the competition?

The company stands out from the crowd in many areas. The list is not exhaustive but an example.

We follow the upside-down management principles of Mr Timpson. I am the least important person, and it is my job to allow others the freedom to use their minds and make their job work in a way that works for them. Without the carers I have nothing, and I never forget that.

I pay staff for their whole shift not just for their care calls and they all have contracts with hours guaranteed. We have a car care scheme that pays for their tyres (one set per year)and mot test. They also have private health care cover.

With content staff we have very very low sickness and very low staff leavers. This is good for consistency of care and for the client'swell-being.

We never take on clients unless we can give them the call times they requested. I have turned away many because I know I cannot accommodate what they would wish for.

is because of the high turnover due to carers being undervalued, over worked stressed and under paid.

Make no mistake the job of carer requires a person with exceptional life experience and multiple skills.

Emma, please brief us about your journey in the healthcare industry.

What is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the global healthcare sector, and how has your company fared during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns?

I found myself alone with a young child and no income! I thought as everyone did years ago that anyone could get a care job so long as you had a car. This is what I am fighting against now, the attitude that care is an easily obtainable job that requires no skill. I quickly realised why care jobs were so easy to come by and it

The pandemic has highlighted many of the major issues that were already in the limelight. Carers over worked, tired and undervalued and a lack of trust between employees and their employers. Since Covid began we have not had one member of staff nor client contract the disease other than 2 who contracted it from a stay in

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with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to catering to changing patient preferences and needs?

I have to admit that I am a bit of a techy dinosaur! My staff liaison Laurel, who works closely with me would she is slowly dragging me into the 21st century. I was very much an old school everything on paper however, Laurel has shown me how much more responsive we can be to client changes without the paperwork headache if we use further technology.

We are going to be using Birdie alongside Care planner. Biride will allow us to make instant changes to client medication or care plans and the carers will receive it instantly in real time. This saves time and ensures the care is instantly appropriate for the client. I believe it will make us even safer than we already are.

hospital. We nursed them at home and again the covid did not spread.

The reason for this is we always increase our PPE before winter, so we were already prepared, and the staff have PPE for their own use on days off which includes anti bacteria which clips to your clothes, so it is always available. I was quick to isolate staff members into hotels if there was any risk with staying at home and they were willing to do it one carer for 6 weeks in order to protect themselves and the clients and other team members.

In your opinion, what could be the future of the healthcare services sector post the pandemic? And how are you strategizing your company's operations for that future?

Now that is loyalty. We also never recruit of take on new clients over the winter months, we create a sort of safety bubble around the whole company, and it works.

What is your opinion on the necessity for healthcare service providers to align their offerings

very best calibre of person.

As an established leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the healthcare services?

Before you do anything decide what your PRINCIPLES ARE and have a solid vision in your mind what is you are wanting to create. Without knowing what your principles are you cannot shape your company and keep it on course to your vision. A principle is not really a proven principle until it costs you money and I can assure you mine have!

How do you envision on scaling your company's operations in 2021?

The idea of scaling my business fills me with horror and I believe the team would be sorely disappointed because we recently made the decision to remain the size we are.

My business vision was never about being big it was always about delivery of consistently high standard of care and to be an absolutely great place to work.

I believe that if lessons are not learned then the clients are still going to suffer in the hands of mediocre underfunded care. I believe with no covid occurrences we are working in the best way possible already. I believe the company is on the correct course with the right strategy.Remain small so that delivery of service is always excellent. Only recruit the

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A Leading Provider of Quality and Holistic Care

C

are, aid, and support are what a patient needs to regain good health. In a scenario where the patient is a senior, personalized care services at the comfort of their homes becomes essential.

services market and how his organization has gained a stronghold in the same.

The ‘healthcare services at home’ niche has evolved significantly in the past couple of years pertaining to the demands of a more convenient access to quality healthcare service. Organizations catering to this niche market have striven to leverage the most of their healthcare professionals and resources to deliver quality and comprehensive care to patients.

Tell us more about your home care solutions, that make your company stand out from the competition?

One prominent name among such organizations is Home Care Preferred, a provider of home care services, emphasizing on delivering the best possible care with warmth and affection. The company strives efficiently to create a friendly environment for clients and families and supports them professionally with special attention with their errands, meals, and medications.

In the following interview, Ken Waterhouse, Founder and Managing Director, shares his opinions about the current scenario of the home care

Below are the highlights of the interview:

Home care preferred provides a highly personalised service to clients. In addition to providing care in people’s homes we also sign post people to associate services. For example, health care professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, care fee planners.

What is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the global healthcare sector, and how has your company fared during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns?

There have been major challenges during the past year with care homes severely affected at the height of the pandemic. Some homes that were already struggling have closed however the more successful care homes will survive.

Home care preferred has managed to keep clients and team members, largely safe, during the pandemic. The early months when PPE was scarce were difficult, however the company is now managing well. From a financial perspective thing are virtually back to normal What is your opinion on the necessity for healthcare service providers to align their offerings with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to catering to changing patient preferences and needs?

It is important that operators utilise the excellent systems and developments that are being introduced to the sector.

Home care preferred has virtually become a paperless business and streamlined record keeping and reporting thanks to cloud based software.

In your opinion, what could be the future of the healthcare services sector post the pandemic? And how are you strategizing your company’s operations for that future?

The sector will be better prepared for any future pandemics and able to

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Europe's 10 Most Trusted Home Care Providers 2021

reduce spread of disease. Home Care Preferred’s strategy will be continuing to develop more branches as before the pandemic.

As an established leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the healthcare services?

Firstly, ensure it is a sector you are passionate about. Entering into healthcare needs to be more than profits. Do your research, look at the successful companies and analyse, what makes them good. Be realistic with funding requirements. Many ventures fail due to running out of funds. Make good contacts, work with competitors.

Have good values and ethos and do not let these slip as the company grows. Your team are your most important asset. Treat them with the same respect as you do your clients. If your team respect you and are on-side this gives the business much better chance of success. Be prepared to work very hard and deal with problems on a weekly basis.

About the Leader Ken Waterhouse started in the care profession in 1988 when he opened his first care home. He went on to own and operate award winning businesses in the care sector including home care preferred which was the first care agency in the UK to open on the high street.

In 2021, we are also planning on opening up to 3 more new branches.

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We are committed to our values of delivering best possible services to our clients at all times.

Ken Waterhouse Founder & MD

Nicolas Baudelot

Co-founder and CEO

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Europe's 10 Most Trusted Home Care Providers 2021

Medicalib

Leveraging Technology to Make Home Care Accessible to All

“

EXPERIENCES from our YOUTH SHAPE what we do LATER IN LIFE.

“

– Jan Koum, American Entrepreneur

T

hese words of wisdom perfectly resonate with Nicolas Baudelot, Co-founder and CEO of Medicalib, a prominent home care service provider

in Paris.

Nicolas completed his education and later decided to pursue his career as a trader. During this time, he had a strong desire to put health at the heart of economic science. Also, his experience as a volunteer firefighter since the age of 18—and still active—had a deep impact on his views of healthcare and at-home care, which further led him to found Medicalib.

Today, Medicalib has become one of the prominent home care service providers helping find patients right health care professionals through its online platform. It has helped more than 30000 patients in Paris every month to quickly and easily organize health care professionals to provide care amid the cosy environment of their homes.

In the following interview, Nicolas talks passionately about his desire to leverage technology to make healthcare easily and widely accessible; how he, through Medicalib, and how has been making home care easily accessible to the patients.

Below are the highlights of the interview:

Please brief our audience about your company, its values, and the key aspects of its international stronghold in the medical device manufacturing market.

Medicalib is one of the best platforms for nursing care coordination in France, an innovative company based in Paris. Our algorithm helps users find a state-registered health care professional practicing near the patient home in less than 1 hour (20 min in general). Since 2017, we have helped 500 000 people to find the right healthcare professional to meet their needs.

Tell us more about your home care solutions that make your company stand out from the competition?

Medicalib has an operational scope of more than 20,000 active liberal nurses throughout France. Our service is acclaimed as the best solution for e-health appointments for this reason and we use an algorithm to find the available healthcare professional (nurse, physiotherapist, and midwife) closest to the patient’s home.

What is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the global healthcare sector, and how has your company fared during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns?

The pandemic has been favorable to the health domain from an economic point of view. For Medicalib, the pandemic was an opportunity because people stayed at home and they were apprehensive of visiting hospitals and clinics due to the risk of infection. For this reason, our activity was doubled during the lockdown. We are now available 24/7 to manage all the activities.

What is your opinion on the necessity for healthcare service providers to align their offerings with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to catering to changing patient preferences and needs?

We have consolidated our team of developers to respond in a more optimized way to our patients. Adapting to demand

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and technological evolutions make this aspect the core of our priorities. We wanted to simplify the search for health professionals and relying on technology.

As an established leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the healthcare services?

Healthcare is a complex and sensitive sector, with regulations and ethics aspects that makes it different from traditional business development.

How do you envision scaling your company’s operations in 2021?

As the demand for healthcare is growing, we are strengthening our teams to work on two fronts. First is the demand for home care, which is at the core of our business. Every day we are increasing our network of private nurses, optimizing the demand for care and the patient journey. We also tend to prioritize our areas of development following current imperatives such as COVID-19 screening or vaccinations.

“

We call ourselves a PHYGITAL SERVICE. The SPEED and SIMPLICITY of our digital tools enable us to provide more OPTIMIZED PHYSICAL CARE for our PATIENTS.

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“

In your opinion, what could be the future of the healthcare services sector post the pandemic? And how are you strategizing your company’s operations for that future?

In my opinion, e-health and telemedicine are the two areas that are emerging, without excluding the human aspect, which is dear to our company. We call ourselves a phygital service. The speed and simplicity of our digital tools enable us to provide more optimized physical care for our patients. Patients will need more and more home care, physical care, and that is where Medicalib aims to play an increasingly important role in the care process.

5

REASONS WHY EFFECTIVE

TELEHEALTH SOLUTIONS

ARE THE NEED OF THE HOUR.

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Update Required The Health Resource Services Administration defines Telehealth as “the use of electronic information and telecommunications technology to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional healthrelated education and public health administration.”

The data mentioned above shows us the importance of Telehealth and how India needs it in these challenging times.

Here are five reasons why telehealth solutions are the need of the hour:

Videoconferencing, the internet, storeand-forward imaging, streaming media, and terrestrial and wireless communications are all examples of the technologies used in Telehealth.

There is usually confusion between the terms Telehealth and Telemedicine, though they are very similar to each other. Mentioned below is the difference between the two.

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth encompasses a wide range of electronic and telecommunications technology and systems that are used to provide care and services over long distances.

What is Telemedicine?

Telemedicine is the practise of medicine that uses technology to provide treatment to patients who are located far away. A telecommunications system allows a physician in one place to provide treatment to a patient in another location.

According to the data World Bank accumulated from 2012, in India the doctor to patient ratio is about 1 to 1,700. With the help of technological advancements and telemedicine, mobile and Internet technologies are being viewed as a path towards solving India's deficit of doctors.

According to venture capital database CBinsights, worldwide digital health start-ups received funding of $5.8 billion (roughly Rs. 39,241 crores), in 2015 and in the same year, three companies after being valued at over a billion dollars, were given a unicorn status. The three companies were Guahao, a Chinese medical site; Zocdoc, a US-based company; and 23andMe.

It provides a superior service that keeps and attracts patients.

Since it offers convenient after-hours treatment choices and decreases wait times, travel time, and costs associated with receiving care at conventional care settings, 97 percent of patients consistently show high satisfaction with telehealth experiences. With a high level of satisfaction, giving patients a better experience of the entire process while developing a better relationship with the healthcare system.

This will in turn create a sense of goodwill and patient loyalty to stick with a doctor who they can see more often through video calls. This may also lead to bringing in new patients from beyond the hospital or system's immediate vicinity.

It lowers the number of people who need to be admitted A major cause of concern today is the increasing rate of admissions as well as readmissions. The cost of readmission is quite high as well. By allowing healthcare professionals to see patients via video and diagnose them or for follow-up care and care management, telehealth contributes towards reducing the admission rates by reducing the need to be admitted in entirety.

The scope, width, and delivery of medical professionals can all be improved with the right system.

Most major health systems, have a number of campuses and clinics, as well as physicians and other allied health professionals spread around their locations or areas. Telehealth allows hospitals to disperse personnel and resources across the various systems and have access to more specialists. This leads to patients being able to have access to immediate treatment and diagnostics from the

respective physicians they need without having to schedule an appointment, wait or go through and long-drawn coordination process.

More preventative outreach will help systems save money Hospital facilities must find new ways to engage and treat chronically ill patients as patients who have arrangements of being covered under alternative or value-based payment methods are increasing by the say.

Therefore, hospitals need to work on ways to manage these admissions by segregating the prioritised cases from the avoidable cases which arise due to complications including diabetes, dehydration, and heart disease. By doing this, hospitals have been able to cut down on costs.

A point to note would be that telehealth facilities help hospitals monitor and keep an update on patients on a regular basis, ensuring the health of their patients.

The opportunity to assist in the improvement of health results.

Patients who take an active role in their treatment will naturally have much greater results. Telehealth is a valuable tool for the patient adherence to medication and post-discharge orders, as well as connecting them with clinicians and caregivers more easily.

Therefore, the opportunity to assist in the improvement of health results online is helping a lot of people in India and around the world.

To conclude, telehealth has definitely enhanced the day to day working of the health industry all over the world. With the current situation being so chaotic, the need of the hour is more health care professionals and resources, and definitely more treatment and access to medication. Telehealth has played a vital role in performing all of these functions amongst other things.

- Arran Calvert

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Europe's 10 Most Trusted Home Care Providers 2021

Mission TEC (POPSICUBE Group) Prompting a Patient-centric Approach in Home Clinical Trials Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.”

Joseph Pilates, German Pilates trainer

T

he recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of physical health more than ever. While people have started adopting a healthy diet and exercise routines, there’s still an apprehension towards visiting hospitals to ensure good health. Just as coronavirus enforced the new normal of social distancing, home clinical services will also be a must for clinical trials.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, patients weren’t keen on spending time visiting a hospital for a follow-up.

Mission TEC observed the strong need for home clinical services and entered the home care provider space with a mission of providing patient-centric services in a cordial environment.

Further, Mission TEC integrated with POPSICUBE Group in 2014 to reduce the burden of the clinical trials for patients and allow investigators to recruit more as the workload is shared with the clinical flying nurses.

company has managed operations during the pandemic, and the company’s plans to take the home care services to a new level.

Please brief our audience about your company, its values, and the key aspects of its international stronghold in-home care provider space.

Mission TEC was created in 2002 to provide monitors to hospital investigators’, mainly in the Toulouse area (South of France) to manage transplantation studies. Mission TEC integrated the POPSI CUBE group in 2014 to start providing clinical services at home. Today, with a network of 150 nurses in France and around 20 local partners we can cover 53 countries to manage global studies.

Home clinical services have been fastgrowing activity for 5 years. Carrying out clinical trial visits in the comfort of home, workplace or other location is now possible and highly appreciated by the patient. We make it easy for our clients to manage.

of the routine visits in a trial protocol do not require specialist equipment or medical assessment. There are many protocols for which patients’ recruitment and retention would be much easier and with enhanced reliability using the flexibility of offsite visits.

Although performed outside of the hospital environment, the visit procedures happen the same way as at the study site. Serious adverse events are immediately reported to the investigator and appropriate action is taken when necessary. A courier collects samples, and the nurse disposes of sharp and clinical waste appropriately. Data can be entered directly onto EDC, or paper CRFs can be scanned and sent through smartphone and original copies returned by courier. Connected electronic medical (IoTs) devices can send in real-time all required measurements under the supervision of the clinical research nurse.

Fabrice Beauchene, CEO, and Sylvie Kahn, COO of Mission TEC have adapted a patient-centric approach since the start which has helped the company to establish its name among the renowned home care market.

Tell us more about your home care solutions that make your company stand out from the competition?

What is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the global healthcare sector, and how has your company fared during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns?

In the following interview, the leadership team tells us more about how Mission TEC came to be, how the

GCP-trained clinical research nurses are not medical doctors and are not there to replace them. However, many

April to September 2020 was a frozen period for us as most of the studies' inclusion was stopped. Fortunately, we

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ABOUT THE LEADERS

Fabrice Beauchene CEO

Sylvie Kahn COO

Fabrice is a chemist with a master’s degree in biostatistics and MPhil in energetic physiology. Fabrice has a year working in the French base in Antarctica as a Physiologist studying emperor penguins and over 20 years of experience in clinical drug development for the US Contract Research Organization (CRO) as well as for French and global pharmaceutical companies. Fabrice also acts as International Informatics Project Manager for a pharmaceutical firm in charge of the implementation of clinical e-tools. Fabrice’s last employee job was as the Medical Project Manager at Pharmacia.

Sylvie is a nurse by profession with more than 25 years of experience and expertise in the pharmaceutical industry. She started her career as a firefighter and in the intensive care unit. Further, she worked in pharma laboratories and Contract Research Organizations (CRO) in clinical research with effective management of teams and individuals, both in a matrix and structured environments. Sylvie has gained extensive international experience throughout her career as CRA, Clinical Project Manager, GCP officer, Purchasing Manager, Methods and Training Manager, and later as Head of Corporate Operations at Pharmacia.

In 2004, when PFIZER acquired PHARMACIA, Fabrice and Sylvie, after working together for 2 years within Pharmacia decided to launch POPSI CUBE, to carry out a variety of clinical development projects with large and small international pharmaceutical or MedTech customers with the idea to merge clinical and digital research services.

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“

What is your opinion on the necessity for healthcare service providers to align their offerings with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to catering to changing patient preferences and needs?

At Mission TEC we have the chance to be part of the POPSI CUBE group which is a full-service CRO (on the sponsor side) with expertise in Clinical Research as well as in Digital. POPSI CUBE is known for developing innovative tools for a long time with its internal team of IT developers. The vision and motivation of POPSICUBE behind buying Mission TEC in 2014 was to get a field force to be able to deploy IoT and biosensors to patients in good conditions by proposing a network of clinical research nurses able to install, maintain, and explain these new technologies to the patient to guarantee the success of these virtual studies.

In your opinion, what could be the future of the healthcare services sector post the pandemic? And how are you strategizing your company’s operations for that future?

“

started getting more work since midSeptember. With the COVID crisis, it becomes mandatory to think about adding Home Care Services in your protocol to avoid any disturbance during your clinical trial. MISSION TEC team is proud to work on some of the most important COVID projects.

We have a chance to do a job that we love, which is meaningful and matters to everyone.

MISSION TEC team is proud to work on some of the most important COVID projects.

We have a chance to do a job that we love, which is meaningful and matters to everyone.

for many patients, preventing enrolment and impacting on retention.

Also, new risks (virus) can disturb seriously the course of your clinical studies. Why not try a different approach and bring the trial to the patient? MISSION TEC can set up it now and everywhere!

As an established leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into healthcare services?

Put yourself in the patient's shoes. We saw clinical protocol with 7 biosensors; just think about charging them all. Keep in mind that Clinical Research nurses are fully part of the investigator’s team. Clinical home services are performed under the supervision and responsibility of the site investigator. Be reasonable and patient centric.

How do you envision scaling your company’s operations in 2021?

Home clinical services will become a must-to-have for your clinical trial as patients don’t want to waste their time at the hospital for a follow-up visit.

Home visits reduce the burden of the clinical trials for patients, help for retention and allow investigators to recruit more as the workload is shared with the clinical flying nurses. And it’s not increasing the budget for the sponsor.

The main challenge for us today is to recruit and train nurses to be able to provide an international grid of constant and high-quality services. We saw that nurses are willing to participate in clinical trials. We are working to develop a Clinical Research Nurses Educational Program with LSLEAD (Life Sciences Leadership School in Paris) to help nurses provide specialized and professionalized services.

Participation in clinical trials can be difficult, emotionally and physically

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Tom Page Managing Director

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Europe's 10 Most Trusted Home Care Providers 2021

WEST PARK CARE

High Quality and Consistent Care at Home

C

are Homes have been around for decades in the UK. However, many people do not like the idea of a care home for themselves or their loved ones.

People more and more want to be taken care of in their own home surrounded by their family members with the help of high-quality home care providers.

West Park Care focuses on a customer-centric approach by committing to support clients through every step of the care cycle and provide bespoke care. The company’s non-rushed approach with client calls and meetings enables its care experts to analyse and understand the clients’ needs. This further has helped the company establish itself as a highquality, professional and consistent home care provider in the community.

“

AS AN ENTREPRENEUR, YOU NEED TO PROVIDE A SERVICE THAT MEETS CLIENTS' NEEDS AND MAKES THEIR LIVES EASIER AND THE REST WILL FOLLOW.

Read the following interview to get a glimpse of how West Park Care was founded and how the organisation has been disrupting the home care space with its improved and client-friendly services.

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“

When Tom Page, Managing Director of West Park Care, had to find a home care service provider for his loved one, he realised the lack of quality care in this space and how challenging it was to organise. However, rather than fighting the already existing system, Tom decided to make the change by founding West Park Care, which has become a renowned home care provider in the UK.

Tom, brief us about your journey in the healthcare industry.

I have a strong background in customer service and sales working both in the banking sector and corporate sales. It was whilst I was working as a Head of Sales that I had to organise care for a loved one and could not understand why the process was so confusing and, in my opinion, the quality of care was often so poor. I decided that by focusing on some key aspects such as having full-time permanent staff, consistency of service, and bespoke care packages the entire experience could be much more positive. I started the business with a business partner who has a successful business delivering specialist care to children and we have grown to strengthen our high standards and client satisfaction.

Tell us more about your home care solutions that make your company stand out from the competition?

All of our home care packages are designed bespoke to each client as we do not believe in a one size fits all approach to home care. We match our highly trained Care Experts with each client and ensure that our clients only see a small team of carers to provide consistent services. We offer a minimum of one-hour care calls to ensure that our clients and staff never feel rushed and also have enough time to interact during the call. Using our full-time staff and bespoke packages we ensure that care delivery is individual to each client and of the highest quality.

What is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the global healthcare sector, and how has your company fared during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns?

I think the pandemic created a lot of fear and uncertainty for both staff and clients in the healthcare sector and we noticed this especially with our elderly clients. As a business, we responded quickly to the key issues of PPE and client and staff exposure by ordering a large amount of PPE and limiting even further how many staff members visited clients to try and minimise the risk of infection. It is with great pleasure to say that over a year on we have not had any staff or clients contract the virus, but we remain cautious daily. I do think that the pandemic has made more people look for care in their own homes instead of going into a care home, where the risk of infections has been high.

What is your opinion on the necessity for healthcare service providers to align their offerings with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to

catering to changing patient preferences and needs?

I think this is essential and something we have implemented by using a dedicated care software to manage our service delivery. Our Care Experts log notes from each visit live and these notes can be viewed by the office team to react quickly to any changes but also allows family members to have access to these notes for peace of mind that their loved one is receiving the care they require. The software also allows us to ensure that our staff members who are often lone working are safe in the community. I think a big step forward would be a system where we could integrate with other professionals such as social workers, GP’s and district nurses.

In your opinion, what could be the future of the healthcare services sector post the pandemic? And how are you strategizing your company’s operations for that future?

I think there will be a shift towards more care at home as people realise that good quality home care is available and that a care home is not the only option. I think our experienced care staff have been a huge help to people for both necessities and also for companionship. I hope that people appreciate the care sector and the vital jobs that are being done. As a company, we are now more than ever focusing on the quality of our service delivery and looking to launch our service into more areas of the country.

As an established leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into healthcare services?

My main advice would be to focus on quality not price. It is essential that the service you deliver is of the highest quality and that it is focused on the client and also the staff involved in your company. Without our amazing care team, I would not have a business so you must look after your team so that they look after your clients. As an entrepreneur, you need to provide a service that meets clients’ needs and makes their lives easier and the rest will follow.

How do you envision scaling your company’s operations in 2021?

I am hopeful that as we come out of the back of the pandemic, we can launch into two new areas relatively quickly and build on our success. I think we can offer employment to a lot of people and deliver some growth to local economies whilst helping more and more clients in their own homes.

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