Clinicians are empowered by new diagnostic and treatment paradigms
Predicting the future of healthcare and life sciences in 2025
10 minute read
Welcome to the third in our series of Life Sciences and Healthcare predictions 2025.
Prediction for 2025. Medicine has undergone a paradigm shift as clinicians base their diagnoses and treatment decisions on predictive, preventative, personalised and participatory medicine – a shift driven by tech/scientific advancements. Technological breakthroughs in AI, nanotechnology, quantum computing and 5G have enabled faster, customised diagnostic pathways. Clinicians are also supported by AI-enabled clinical decision tools to help deliver hyper-personalised evidence-based prevention and treatment interventions. Clinicians also use point-of-care diagnostics and knowledge about a disease to determine treatment most likely to benefit patients.
The world in 2025
- Data from multiple sources. Clinicians use data to help understand changes in patients’ health, including vital signs, physiological biometrics and environmental metrics (e.g. weather conditions, pollutant levels)
- Access to new tech. Clinicians use fast, reliable AI-diagnostic technologies (e.g. radiology and pathology), as well as new point-of-care diagnostics (e.g. liquid biopsies) to help detect and analyse molecular biomarkers.
- Clinician support. Clinical decision aids and medication management technology help clinicians co-create proactive prevention strategies with patient input.
Conquered constraints in 2025
- Skills and talent. Clinician education includes an understanding medical research and data science, as well as how to communicate diagnoses derived from genomic, digital and AI applications to patients.
- Funding. Providers have invested in data/analytics capabilities and use real-world evidence to inform disease stratification, and tailor drug dosing and regimens. Value-based care models are used to reallocate resources to where they can be most effective.
- Regulation. Organisations have adopted rigorous, nationally agreed standards of ethics and safety for the use of AI and genomics medicine.
- Data and interoperability. Providers have built an open multi-omics data ecosystem (underpinned by blockchain open source technology) and use distributed databases for secure transcription to address privacy and security concerns.
A snapshot of the world in 2025: Nanotechnology used as a drug-delivery model for cancer
Oni is clinical director of a research centre transforming the way cancer therapies are delivered. Their highly targeted, hyper-personalised therapy minimises a patient’s risk of adverse reaction.
Her team uses AI and nanotechnologies for drug development and precision therapy, and has discovered new targets for cancer therapies and a new drug-delivery model consisting of nanoparticles.
Loaded with cancer drugs, these nanoparticles target specific areas of cancer cells with a high-dose treatment that doesn’t damage other body cells (typical cancer treatments can). The nanoparticles are also infused with a non-toxic dye, so they can be visualised and scanned to make sure the drugs are delivered to the correct cells.
Evidence in 2020
- Bioelectric technology – an implant to mitigate chronic pain. Traditionally, pain management involves multiple medications that may be ineffective. This novel device involves an imbedded spinal cord stimulating unit connected to a battery-powered magnetic transmitter (on a wearable belt) to provide effective, temporary pain control (reducing the need for some pain medication).
- Kheiron Medical Technologies is a UK-based company that has developed a mammography intelligent assessment (MIA) using AI, to detect breast cancer. The AI algorithm was tested with over three million real-world screening mammography images.
How COVID-19 has accelerated this prediction
Deloitte’s view
Researchers across the world are working to understand the genetic factors influencing COVID-19 susceptibility and determine the clinical efficacy of potential treatments. Researchers have openly shared their genetic sequencing of the virus and many are exploring repurposing existing drugs as an efficient and cost-effective approach to developing prevention and treatment strategies.
New possibilities are emerging as researchers bring together diagnoses and predictive analytics to evaluate how certain groups of people might respond paving the way for precision medicine and personalised treatment strategies for COVID-19.
Rapid, lab-free COVID-19 testing
The CovidNudge test is a fast, accurate and portable RT-PCR test that delivers results at the point-of-need in just over an hour. An average sensitivity is around 95% and specificity around 100%. The test has been authorised by the MHRA for clinical use and has subsequently obtained its CE mark.
Explore more
Our series of ten predictions for the life sciences and healthcare industry looks ahead to the year 2025 to help you see what’s coming and to keep your organisation moving forward.
Browse the predictions series, subscribe and listen to our podcast, and watch our webinar on demand to find out more.
If you would like to discuss any of the points raised in our predictions, please do contact one of our specialists listed below.
Key contacts
Director, UK Centre for Health Solutions
Lead Partner, Public Sector Health
Partner, Life Sciences and Healthcare
Global Future of Health Leader