A much-discussed topic, digital health is still in its infancy. “But it's time to accelerate and, above all, for Europe to be on board!” insisted the European Commission’s representative in Luxembourg, , on Tuesday 25 March. Calteux was one of 20-some speakers who took part in the European Digital Healthtech Conference, organised by Luxinnovation at the Chamber of Commerce.
Over two days, the aim of the third edition of this conference was to explore the impact of the implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) on the development, innovation, use and adoption of digital health solutions. More than 400 participants from 35 countries were present, said Luxinnovation.
The example of Hospital San Joan de Déu
“The EHDS will transform the use of health data in the EU, facilitating the exchange of data for healthcare provision, promoting a genuine single market for electronic health record systems and providing a platform for the re-use of health data for research, innovation and public health decision-making,” said Calteux.
And there are already concrete examples across the European Union of optimised use of digital technology and artificial intelligence in patient care. On stage at the Chamber of Commerce, Hernán Lew, digital strategy & data deputy director at Barcelona’s Hospital San Joan de Déu (HSJD)--which claims to be one of the top five paediatric hospitals in Europe--explained what was being put in place at the Spanish hospital.
“With 150 years of history, HSJD is currently a modern maternal and paediatric hospital, equipped with the latest technology and a reference centre for healthcare, combining basic general paediatrics with specialised care for all tertiary level paediatric pathologies, covering a paediatric population of 350,000 children. HSJD combines the most advanced clinical, scientific and technological advances with humanised care for patients and families. Our goal is to offer better, digitalised and personalised precision medicine.”
The importance of having “clean” data
More concretely, “we have created our own clinical command centre, with predictive monitoring, based on human data, with a pain map,” added Lew. A video shown in the room illustrated the case of a little girl, whose parents could record her vital signs via a tablet at home. These metrics were immediately transmitted to the hospital’s command centre, which resembles a real control tower.
Amongst the other speakers, the CEO of the Luxembourg Institute of Health, , stressed the importance of having “clean” data. “AI models are only as good as the data they are trained on, which is why clean, structured data is essential when it comes to digital health. Data is the oil and will generate innovation. Luxembourg is a wealthy country that wanted to diversify its economy by investing in digital health. There is enormous potential in the digital health market in Europe, in precision medicine. We are faced with a changing approach to medicine,” he said.
Discussions on the second day of the European Digital Healthtech Conference focused on the accessibility of health data for research and strengthening confidence in digital health tools. The minister for digitalisation, research and higher education, (DP), emphasised that “the digital transformation of healthcare is not just about technology: it is a societal opportunity to rethink our healthcare systems, strengthen the quality of care and empower citizens to manage their own data. The ministry of research and higher education is fully committed to discussing and collaborating with healthcare professionals, scientists, startups and innovators to create trusted ecosystems around health data that put patients at the centre.”
This article was originally published in .