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Sam Shah
Digital Health Advisor | Clinician | Public Health | Lawyer | Data, Privacy & Technology | Professor of Digital Health, CoMD, Ulster | Teaching UCL | Chief Medical Officer
Professional Background
Sam Shah is a distinguished clinician who has made significant strides in the fields of digital health, public health, technology, and law. With an extensive professional background that encompasses strategy consulting, NHS leadership, and innovative roles in health start-ups and scale-ups, Sam has established himself as a notable figure in the healthcare landscape. His journey is characterized by a commitment to enhancing health outcomes through technology and strategic initiatives, which have contributed to the evolution of healthcare delivery.
Throughout his career, Sam has been involved in a multitude of national major projects and programs within the NHS, collaborating with various governments and public bodies across the globe. His most recent role was serving as the Chief Medical & Strategy Officer for Numan, an online healthcare provider, from 2020 to 2024. During his tenure at Numan, he played a pivotal role in supporting the growth and development of the start-up, leveraging his expertise to navigate the complexities of digital health offerings.
In addition to his work in digital health, Sam's professional repertoire includes extensive involvement in legal frameworks as a medical and regulatory lawyer. He has provided consulting services on technology law, showcasing his ability to bridge the gap between healthcare and legal needs. His diverse skill set allows him to address critical challenges faced by the healthcare sector, particularly in areas where technology intersects with patient care and regulation.
Education and Achievements
Sam’s impressive educational background has equipped him with the necessary tools to excel in his varied roles. He holds a Master of Science in Health Economics with Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from Queen Mary University of London. Additionally, his commitment to lifelong learning is evident through numerous other qualifications, including a Master of Laws (LLM) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Health Leadership from Imperial College London.
His academic journey includes specialized training in Major Programmes Leadership at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford and a Diploma in Public Health from the same institution. Furthermore, he has pursued a course in Digital Strategy & Marketing at City, University of London, and earned various certificates related to law and public health, solidifying his multifaceted expertise.
Sam has also made significant contributions to the academic community as a Visiting Lecturer at UCL Global Business School for Health and an Honorary Lecturer at the School of Medicine at the University of Central Lancashire. His involvement in education as well as professional consulting demonstrates his dedication to fostering the next generation of healthcare leaders.
Achievements
Sam’s career boasts an array of notable achievements across multiple sectors. He has served as the Director of the Office of Healthcare Data Management at NEOM, where he led initiatives to improve health data governance and management practices. Additionally, his contributions as a Non-Executive Director at the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) reflect his commitment to enhancing transparency and accountability in healthcare.
As an innovative leader, he has held multiple advisory roles, including Strategic Advisor at Community Partners and Legal and Compliance Advisor at Torana, where he provided valuable insights on navigating legal challenges in healthcare settings. His work as a Medico-Legal Advisor at Medical Defence Shield Ltd illustrates his capacity to synthesize legal knowledge and clinical practice, making contributions that improve patient safety and clinician confidence.
Passionate about social mobility and health economics, Sam has been an advocate for the Digital Poverty Alliance, where he worked towards reducing health disparities by improving digital access and education. He has also served as a Senior Advisor at freuds and held positions at various organizations including the International Journal of Digital Health and Quiddity Health.
Each of these roles has been pivotal in driving forward initiatives that seek to transform healthcare delivery and improve health outcomes for diverse communities. Sam Shah continues to champion the integration of technology, health policy, and law, contributing to a vibrant dialogue on the future of healthcare.
Through his extensive experience and continual advocacy for innovative health solutions, Sam encourages advancements that prioritize health economics, public health improvements, and behavioral changes for a healthier society.
Highlights
Over the last 20+ years I’ve worked in #public and #private #health services and had the privilege of working with regulators, providers and Governments on almost every continent. There are so many different #healthsystems, #reimbursement models and #regulatory approaches. There’s always a tension between scarcity of resource in #public health systems and the level of population health need.
In the U.K., #Government #NHS operated and commissioned services remain dominant but the last few years have shown the fragility in this model. Whilst on the one side there has been a lot of focus on #innovation on the other side there has been a lack of adoption and numerous barriers for those trying to make change happen. Only days ago we saw the changing policy in NHS North Central London ICB with regards to #primarycare access and an increasing loss of confidence from the #public and from local #clinicians.
At the same time we have vulnerable patients, massive #inequalities and swathes of the population who would not be able to afford private healthcare or would lose access if it was left to the markets to ration care. It’s unlikely that very high needs patients will be attractive to most providers who need to remain profitable unless the Government reimburses at the right level.
#digitalhealth has driven an increasing number of direct to consumer providers that offer private or insurance funded access to healthcare. It’s often more readily accessible but can sometimes seem disconnected from regular health systems like the #NHS
Join me for this debate: This House believes there’s no role for Government in healthcare.
HLTH Europe 2024 will unite Europe's brightest minds in health. The inaugural event, taking place from 17-20 June in Amsterdam, will connect leaders from over 50 countries from every part of the European health ecosystem. https://lnkd.in/e3bg2K5G
#hlth #hltheurope #digitalhealth #healthcare #healthtech
Only a few days ago it was #worldobesityday and just yesterday NICE - National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated its guidance on #digital technologies for delivering multidisciplinary #weight-management services. https://lnkd.in/dG7YjWG6
It’s widely known that #obesity rates have risen sharply over the last 20yrs in most parts of the world so our approach to addressing this is unlikely to be ‘eat less, move more’. There is recognition of the #metabolic and #hedonic components of obesity. In a #digital world it seems inevitable that one of the ways people may be supported with #behaviorchange is through the use of a digital tools.
This NICE guidance has been updated and now includes recommendations for digital weight-management technologies when they are NOT used to prescribe and monitor weight-management medicine. Essentially they have listed #digitalhealth providers who are recognised as companion products for weight management services eg interactive apps that maybe used alongside prescription products. They may help with adherence to treatment, provide access to coaches or even help with things like meal plans.
This Early value assessment (EVA) guidance rapidly offers recommendations on promising health technologies that may have the potential to address unmet need. Early evidence will have been assessed on these technologies to determine if earlier patient and system access in the #NHS could be appropriate while more evidence is generated. It’s likely that more evidence will continue to be produced over the next few years and this guidance will be updated.
When considering the evaluation of #digitalhealth products there are a range of methods available. Henry Potts and I run a course on exactly this at UCL Global Business School for Health and this year there seemed to be a much greater interest in weight management products. If you’re interested in some of the methods you can read more here: https://lnkd.in/d3EQGXJX
In this recent list published by NICE there are a range operators including Eucalyptus (Juniper), Second Nature, Oviva, Habitual, Liva Healthcare and many others. Hopefully more digital health providers will also take an evidence based approach to evaluating their digital products and generating #research that will help patients, clinicians and regulators make better choices. The type of #data that is collated and the quality of research is now even more important than ever.
In time, there could be a suite of digital products that support the earliest stage of #behaviorchange helping to prevent obesity and supporting non medication options for weight management. The clinical safety and transparency of #digitalhealth products should be of paramount importance.
