Digital tools, such as smartphones or wearables, can now continually measure and collect health information - or 'digital biomakers' - from patients

Every dot on this graph represents a day in the life of a patient

People living with a condition may only see a physician once or twice a year and may not entirely remember how they have felt on a specific day. Digital biomarkers help to provide a more comprehensive picture of how you feel on a day-to-day basis.

Many of us find it hard to remember what we had for breakfast yesterday, what we were doing last Monday at 9am or whether we slept well two weeks ago. But what if our health depended on it?

People living with a chronic condition may often not see a doctor for months or years at a time. This means they face the almost impossible task of trying to remember the sometimes subtle daily changes in their symptoms between doctor visits.

The challenge doctors face is trying to see exactly what is happening, hidden away inside the brain and central nervous system of patients. Being able to track and accurately measure any changes – could lead to ways to slow, and even prevent, irreversible disease progression for patients.

Digital biomarkers can build on existing tests that patients and clinicians use, with other day-to-day passive monitoring. By combining this information with what they or their family are noticing, they can get a more complete picture.

Advances in wearable devices, such as phones, watches, textiles or delivery devices, which track a patient’s clinically relevant signals and monitor for symptoms, have the potential to vastly accelerate clinical development.

Because the data collected is objective and uses minimal patient involvement, clinical trials can potentially become more precise, faster and smaller.

With new positions available in the Digital Biomarkers field at Roche, we’re seeking future-thinking innovators - digital technology and science specialists who can apply their expertise to transform some of the most challenging health conditions today.

Ignacio Fernandez Garcia, a Human Resources Talent Scout at Roche and former digital biomarker scientist, says: “With technology being seen as a core component in the future delivery of healthcare, Roche is looking to recruit people who see beyond the traditional realms of research - who are able to think about how new technologies could improve both research and the lives of patients.”

This evolution will inspire creative minds to rethink healthcare and bring completely new business models into reach. Technology is no longer a limiting factor; it's a rich toolbox. Imagination will unlock its potential.