Book excerpt: How the data revolution is transforming biotech and health care, especially in the wake of COVID-19—and why you can’t afford to let it pass you by We are living through a time when the digitization of health and medicine is becoming a reality, with new abilities to improve outcomes for patients as well as the efficiency and success of the organizations that serve them. In The Patient Equation, Glen de Vries presents the history and current state of life sciences and health care as well as crucial insights and strategies to help scientists, physicians, executives, and patients survive and thrive, with an eye toward how COVID-19 has accelerated the need for change. One of the biggest challenges facing biotech, pharma, and medical device companies today is how to integrate new knowledge, new data, and new technologies to get the right treatments to the right patients at precisely the right times—made even more profound in the midst of a pandemic and in the years to come. Drawing on the fascinating stories of businesses and individuals that are already making inroads—from a fertility-tracking bracelet changing the game for couples looking to get pregnant, to an entrepreneur reinventing the treatment of diabetes, to Medidata's own work bringing clinical trials into the 21st century—de Vries shares the breakthroughs, approaches, and practical business techniques that will allow companies to stay ahead of the curve and deliver solutions faster, cheaper, and more successfully—while still upholding the principles of traditional therapeutic medicine and reflecting the current environment. How new approaches to cancer and rare diseases are leading the way toward precision medicine What data and digital technologies enable in the building of robust, effective disease management platforms Why value-based reimbursement is changing the business of life sciences How the right alignment of incentives will improve outcomes at every stage of the patient journey Whether you're a scientist, physician, or executive, you can't afford to let the moment pass: understand the landscape with this must-read roadmap for success—and see how you can change health care for the better.