Tachmed is looking to transform access to healthcare through technology. The company’s CEO, Paul Christie, tells us how.
What is the driving force behind Tachmed? What motivated you to work towards transforming digital diagnostics technology?
It was during my private equity career that the idea of Tachmed was born. I was with a team running a fund in Africa and as part of our positive impact activities we were reviewing local community health provision. It soon became clear that the health data in the World Health Organization (WHO) reports was two or three years out of date.
These seemingly outdated community health epidemiology reports could have been severely distorting any policy decision making and actions on the ground. It appeared to me that advances in digital mobile technology were available to positively disrupt this outdated approach. This led me to question why we can’t have diagnostics that leverage advances in materials, digital technology, connected to telehealth, that provide real-time data for clinicians and other organizations.
I think it’s criminal that there’s people living in some civilized societies that can’t access health services. Health shouldn’t be reserved for the wealthiest people and then trickle down to the masses and no one should be worried they can’t get a doctor to see their children. The Tachmed technology will change this.
What do you believe are the most important lessons those in the industry, along with global leaders, can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Since the rapid spread of COVID-19 back in 2020, consumers have certainly become more aware of their own health and the concept of at-home testing. Similarly, global health security and surveillance is now taken much more seriously. While many lessons have been learned, I’d say that the main one has to be around the technology that is now available to prevent a repeat of COVID-19.
The development of advanced materials, graphene biosensors and nano-technology, as well as clinicians realizing the importance of electrochemistry in measuring the body really cannot be underestimated. This technology will continue to transform how consumers manage their own health, as well as providing real-time data to inform government decision-making.
It will fundamentally change the way that global healthcare systems operate and the relationship people have with their health.
Can you tell us how at-home digital diagnostics technology has the potential to transform healthcare on a global scale?
We’ve already seen the impact the likes of Apple watches and FitBits have had on making people more aware of their own health and at-home digital diagnostics technology will cater to the growing demand for tools that can be used by consumers within their own home.
These tools can be used frequently for a range of different diagnostics and I believe this really will transform people’s behavior and their relationship with their own health, as well as easing the pressure on clinicians and medics. Health care will become more weighted towards prevention, better quality health and not just curative measures.
What can Tachmed offer to the healthtech industry? How is the company’s approach different?
At Tachmed we’re bringing together breathtakingly ambitious scientists with world-class engineers, from across the spectrum and not just the life sciences, to deliver new products that are transformative and disruptive.
The Tachmed device will provide instant data about the state of a person’s health. The AI can then make decisions about the action required, calculating what behavioral changes or therapeutics are needed to improve that person’s health. This technology will drive a more efficient and cost-effective way of working – finally making healthcare more accessible.