André Rogaczewski, CEO, Netcompany 

We know that we can make massive changes in our healthcare system almost in the blink of an eye. COVID taught us that. We also know that we have to make radical changes. COVID emphasised that.

Across country borders, we are facing the same challenges: There is a shortage of healthcare staff, the population is aging, we have more chronic diseases requiring more care, and therefore healthcare costs are rising.

E.g. in Denmark this year alone, there was an alarming 19 percent drop in admissions to our nursing programme, and a large group of healthcare providers is also on the verge of leaving the sector because of alarmingly high work pressure.

A significant boost in the use of a range of digital solutions is the key to improving our healthcare services and acquiring the change we need so badly.

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Three advantages of technology to solve the problem

Digitisation allows us to act immediately and create change straight away as many of the solutions are ready to be implemented now. Re-organizing and taking advantage of technology is crucial in this work. 

At least three variations of solutions spring to mind:

• Firstly, by utilising data, we can predict diseases much better and put ourselves into a situation where much more intelligent choices can be made when aiming for preventing diseases and finding the right cure faster. 

• Furthermore, by having computers do much more of the registration and monitoring by themselves,more time and thus more quality can be freed and put into the daily care and effort from healthcare workers to citizens. 

• Finally, telemedicine and internet of things monitoring devices will enable us to provide care at home just as well or perhaps even better than in the hospital. Hence more and more patients will be able to experience parts or most of their hospitalisation at home in the company of their loved ones and with a lower probability of catching any consequential illnesses than in a crowded hospital.

Due to the growing demand for care, rising healthcare costs, and a shortage of personnel there is a huge demand for all three types of solutions. Digitising and simplifying processes with minor technical tweaks can often make a huge difference. It is evident that the hospitals’ administration and documentation processes are unwieldy and bureaucratic. Here, slight digital changes will benefit both patients and staff immensely. It is about seeing the opportunities rather than the obstacles.  

A win-win solution for patient and healthcare system

With Nordsjællands Hospital and Thea KølsenFischer, Director of Clinical Research, Netcompany has developed an app, My e-Hospital, that allows hospitalisation at home.  

During a home admission, the app monitors the patient’s condition, enables the patient to follow the hospital plan, and provides a direct communication channel between patients and medical staff through a daily virtual check-up. The app has been tested during COVID with great feedback from both doctors, nurses,and patients. The method has been well-received – and the best part is, that the app is built to scale.

If we are to solve the many challenges of our healthcare systems, we need to stand together in Europe. Work together. Innovate together. We need to break down national silos and share important knowledge and experiences as well as sharing our tangible, digital solutions that can benefit us across borders. No government should start from scratch.

Join us at The GovTech Summit to continue these vital conversations around digitally transforming public services, and advancing digital health.