From hospital walls to where the patient is

The project Ordered introduction of digital services and products, is included in Vision e-Health 2025. May the project contribute to the vision by proposing measures to clarify and structure the process?

We are in many ways redefining the future of healthcare. The direction is about moving healthcare from bricks and walls of hospitals to the spot where the patient is. It is also about finding new ways to promote health and support wellbeing. Technology, new ways of service delivery and teams are the essential enablers for this transformation. And in order to further catalyze change and speed up innovation, we need to work together in clarifying the rules and requirements for implementing digital services in healthcare. It is about having public, private, technology and policy aligned. That perspective is at the very core of the Swedish Vision e-Health 2025.

Who will take over and drive the proposals from the project within the Vision 2025?

It is a joint venture where several national agencies and organizations have a role to play. It is about connecting the dots between different organizations and responsibilities in order to increase clarity and support both the healthcare providers and the entrepreneurs

When does it start and what results are you expecting?

It is starting at this very moment, with representatives from the different national organizations getting together to take the work further ahead. Initially, it is about to identify and learn from the findings in the project.

What measurement is a priority?

It is about everything: from data privacy and cybersecurity to quality of care, best practice and health economics. Another important thing is around standardization and IT-architecture.

Some of the activities include developing a digital platform. What phase is the development at?

The project is now designing the prototype and working with the overall content. The next step is having targeted groups to test the prototype. Hopefully, we can launch the prototype at the Vitalis conference in Gothenburg at the end of May.

How could this digital platform help in the implementation of the digital services and for the Vision e-Health 2025?

In our bold and brave vision, we point out that the direction is to be best by using the opportunities in digitalization to make it easier for people to achieve good and equal health and to strengthen peoples own resources for independence. That means we have to discharge patients not only with a bag of pills but also with technology. With sensors, digital solutions, training programs and other stuff that makes continuous monitoring possible. And combine that with decision support for patients and digital nudges that helps the patient to prevent from being worse. By distance healthcare providers can monitor that and intervene when necessary, for example by chats, calls, video and more. I am convinced that one of the most important issues for national bodies is to make it as easy as possible for everyone that wants to contribute and add value to this transformation. One such thing could be a platform holding customized information and support for providers and entrepreneurs developing and implementing digital services.

Do you think that the main purpose and goal to help facilitate the introduction of digital services in health care for both county councils/regions and SMEs is easy to be achieved?

The main focus has to be on the value proposition for citizens. We need to speed up large scale implementation. It is both about supporting healthcare providers and SMEs. The future of healthcare is going to build on the strongest of partnerships, where public and private come together in new ways. This project address some of those things we need to get in place to facilitate that.

Internationally, the investment rate in e-health is at 8 to 10 percent. How is the situation in Sweden in general? Do you have any suggestions for improvement?

It is well known that healthcare in Sweden for a long time have underinvested in improvement and innovation by technology and information. At the same time, we are now seeing a change in the investment approach. The vast majority of the regions are investing hugely in new EMRs. That will in many ways be key to speed up innovation as it will contain new possibilities for the regions to integrate modular solutions and applications in their IT-environment. We have to follow this journey and take further steps and continue to increase the investments in technology and information. It is going to be crucial.