Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience.

As more people turn to the internet and social media for health advice, YouTube wants to formalise the process. By opening up a verification programme for healthcare professionals, it is attempting to make it easier for people to find reliable, accurate, and high-quality medical information.

With healthcare systems still recovering from the pandemic, many people are lacking personal support for their physical and mental wellbeing. Responding to this, YouTube’s ‘Personal Stories’ section highlights people's experiences of being diagnosed and coping with certain medical experiences.

Forth, a hormone mapping start-up based in Chepstow, is looking to turn its customers into ‘citizen scientists’, providing women with the information they need to fully understand their own bodies. In doing so, it has become one of the fastest-growing businesses in Wales.

Telemedicine has been a saving grace during the pandemic, allowing sick Americans to receive care without risking getting sicker. Yet for those with chronic illness, the practical implications of recent developments in digital care are sure to prevail long past COVID-19’s end.