The discussion explores the current landscape of healthcare digitalization in Italy, emphasizing the fragmented regional approach, challenges with interoperability, and the recent strides toward a unified electronic health record (EHR). The guest, Marco Foracchia, CIO of Local Health Unit in Emilia Region, IRCCS sheds light on regional disparities, opportunities for improvement, and strategies for vendors seeking to enter the Italian healthcare market.

Challenges in Digitalization:

Regional Fragmentation: Northern regions like Lombardy are advanced, while southern areas lag behind.

Interoperability Issues: Patients face hurdles when seeking care across regions due to inconsistent systems and processes.

Resource and Capacity Gaps: Many organizations lack the expertise to implement complex projects despite funding.

Vendor Role: Vendors often sell solutions without assessing if organizations are ready for implementation, leading to underutilized technology.

Opportunities and Progress:

The EU’s Resilience and Reconstruction Program (PNRR) has driven funding and deadlines for nationwide EHR implementation.

Introduction of a second version of the national EHR aims to achieve interoperability across regions.

Measurement initiatives like HIMSS EMRAM models are guiding digital maturity.

Cultural Transformation:

Digital transformation requires a shift in mindset alongside technological upgrades.

Building clinician buy-in involves demonstrating clear value and benefits of digital solutions.

Advice for Vendors Entering the Italian Market:

Partner with established Italian companies due to centralized procurement processes favoring local players.

Focus on long-term partnerships and delivering measurable results, not just installations.

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David Buller is a Founding Partner at Ascension Life Fund and exited founder of Avantec Healthcare. With his extensive experience of both raising and investing money in digital health he shared insights into:

🎯 Strategic positioning for acquisitions in digital health

🎯 Lessons from selling a healthcare company

🎯 Role of venture capitalists (VCs) in supporting startups

🎯 Current and emerging trends in healthcare innovation

🎯 Advice for startups navigating the 2025 investment landscape

Acquisition Preparation:

Startups must understand potential acquirers’ strategic goals and align their operations (e.g., revenue, margins, customer retention) to fit those goals.

Relationships with key suppliers or partners can serve as a natural entry point for acquisitions.

Role of VCs:

VCs, particularly growth-stage investors, play a critical role in guiding startups toward successful exits.

Collaboration includes identifying acquirers and preparing for due diligence.

Acquisition Process:

Intense due diligence requires companies to have robust financials, contracts, and customer relations in place.

Negotiations are influenced by the perceived value and growth potential uncovered during due diligence.

Emerging Healthcare Trends:

AI-powered drug discovery and diagnostics are transforming healthcare by increasing efficiency and enabling predictive insights.

Technologies like remote patient monitoring, automated hospital systems, and data-enabled medtech hold significant promise.

Challenges in Scaling:

The U.S. offers easier scalability due to its unified healthcare market.

European startups face hurdles like diverse healthcare systems, languages, and regulations, but also opportunities in addressing these challenges.

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In this special holiday edition of Faces of Digital Health, healthcare futurist and strategist Zayna Khayat, futurist and founder of NextMed Health Daniel Kraft and digital health expert, CEO of Transform.health Lucien Engelen discuss key trends in digital health and AI. The panel also touches on the role of new players in the health space like supermarkets and tech giants, the importance of prevention in healthcare, and the promising technologies poised to revolutionize the industry. 

Topics include:

Key Trends in Digital Health in 2024

European Perspective on Digital Health

AI's Impact on Healthcare Costs

Future of Digital Health and AI

Challenges in Healthcare Implementation

Exciting Innovations in Digital Health

The Role of Technology in Preventive Health

Food, Health, and Corporate Responsibility

Policy and Legislation in Healthcare

See the video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/hwexC4heHGU?si=ut-V9rqx4yvh1V-X

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In this episode James Somauroo, Host of The Healthtech Podcast and CEO of SomX, a PR and content agency specializing in healthcare and biotech. They dive into the challenges healthcare companies face in public relations, the role of content marketing, and actionable advice for founders and organizations at different stages of growth. From crafting a messaging house to building trust with clinicians, James shares his expert insights on navigating the complex world of healthcare marketing.

Key Discussion Points:

Evolution of PR in Healthcare

Strategic Marketing Tips for Startups

When to Outsource Marketing

Personal Branding for Leadership:

Trends and Predictions for 2025:

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Several organizations are thinking about the right way to regulate AI and the idea of assurance labs which would test and validate AI solutions in the US healthcare is taking shape. This was the topic we discussed with Brian Anderson - CEO of the coalition for Health AI or CHAI: how will assurance labs look like, how much will assessments cost, who will pay for them, and how will AI “nutrition labels” look like. 

Summary:

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HIMSS, The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is an American not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health care in quality, safety, cost-effectiveness and access through the best use of information technology and management systems. One way of helping hospitals advance their digitalization efforts is with the help of maturity models. These are assessment questionnaires that position hospital on a level from 1 to 7 on a maturity scale. They can help hospitals benchmark their current digital position and plan better which steps to take to advance on their digital transformation journey. 

So far, HIMSS designed 6 maturity models:

EMRAM - for EMRs,

INFRAM - healthcare IT infrastructure,

AMAM - for analytics,

DIAM - for medical imaging,

CCMM - continuity of care model,

C-COMM - community care outcomes.

In this discussion John Rayner, Senior Director Analytics - EMEA at HIMSS, talks about different maturity models, how hospitals use them, what to be mindful of in digital transformation of healthcare, and more.

Key Takeaways:

Key benefits for hospitals:

Video: https://youtu.be/iHMC339XHIo

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Clinitouch, originating in the UK NHS, is expanding globally with a focus on chronic conditions and adapting to regional nuances in healthcare delivery.

In this discussion several speakers discuss telemedicine in the context of Nigeria and South Africa.

Speakers are:

Bruce Adams, Commercial Director at Clinitouch (UK)

Japie De Jongh, CEO, Synaxon (South Africa)

Dr John Adesioye, CEO, Utopian Consulting (Nigeria)

Liam van Rooyen, System Support Manager (Synaxon, South Africa)

Key points:

African Context and Healthcare from the Transcript

Role of Remote Patient Monitoring in Addressing Healthcare Gaps:

Dr. John Aade (Nigeria) emphasized that remote patient monitoring (RPM) emerged as a practical solution during the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing the need for care delivery without physical hospital visits. In Nigeria, RPM is particularly relevant for patients in remote or underserved areas, enabling data collection and transmission to healthcare providers without requiring face-to-face interactions.

Community health workers often play a crucial role, stepping in where doctors and nurses are unavailable. They collect patient data, assess needs, and escalate cases to medical professionals when necessary, highlighting RPM's potential in resource-limited settings.

The Dual Healthcare Systems in South Africa:

Jaapie de Jong (South Africa) explained the dichotomy of healthcare in South Africa: the private sector, serving insured patients with robust infrastructure, and the public sector, catering to the uninsured population through community healthcare clinics (CHCs) and basic clinics.

He noted that while the private sector is aligned with international standards, the public sector faces capacity challenges. RPM in South Africa focuses on insured patients with chronic conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes, to reduce hospital visits and improve care efficiency.

Challenges to Technology Adoption in Africa:

Both Dr. John and Jaapie highlighted several barriers to adopting RPM technology:

Device Compatibility and Connectivity: Limited access to smartphones and stable internet connectivity is a significant challenge. Many patients rely on basic phones and are hesitant to allocate resources for more advanced devices.

Trust Issues: Patients often worry about data privacy and fraud, especially in regions like South Africa, where cell phone fraud is common. Providers must build trust by ensuring data security and clarifying the purpose and safety of the technology.

Power and Infrastructure Limitations: In Nigeria, power outages and the high cost of diesel for generators disrupt patients' ability to use RPM devices consistently.

Economic Considerations and Funding Models:

Bruce Adams noted that RPM adoption heavily depends on who pays for the service. In many African countries, healthcare services involve a mix of out-of-pocket payments and insurer-funded models.

In South Africa, as explained by Jaapie, medical aid schemes (insurers) play a critical role in covering high-risk, chronic condition patients. However, integrating RPM into existing reimbursement structures and ensuring that providers are compensated for remote care remain challenging.

Localized Implementation of UK-Inspired Technology:

Bruce Adams stressed the importance of adapting Clinitouch's UK-developed RPM platform to local African contexts. Instead of directly transplanting the UK model, Clinitouch collaborates with local partners to understand specific healthcare needs and tailor the platform accordingly.

Jaapie praised the platform's flexibility and customization, noting its suitability for South African chronic disease management programs. The ability to localize the tool for hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic conditions was cited as a significant advantage in addressing Africa’s healthcare challenges.

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Laura Hilty has spent over 18 years working to improve the healthcare ecosystem, over 14 years of that in clinical research. She has held leadership roles spanning corporate strategy, M&A, product strategy, product management, and partnerships across stages from company start-up to scale, through Forte / Advarra and Epic.

In this short discussion recorded at the Digital Health and AI Innovation Summit in Boston 2024, she explained a few tips companies can use to improve their product development. 

Key points: 

Collaboration and Deep Understanding: Startups must dive deep into understanding problems by engaging in extensive collaboration and interviewing diverse stakeholders. Conducting numerous conversations helps reveal recurring themes and deeper insights.

Validation with Customers: Before advancing with a solution, startups should validate it with potential customers, ensuring they are willing to buy and clarifying how it fits into their workflows seamlessly.

Active Listening and Detachment: Companies need to listen not just to respond but to truly understand customer pain points. This involves detaching from pre-conceived solutions and being open to honest, even critical, feedback.

Balancing Customer Focus and Market Trends: While it’s crucial to address customer needs, startups must also maintain an external view to identify broader market trends and potential disruptions, avoiding tunnel vision on current customers.

Learning from Failure: Product failure often stems from underestimating customer differences or lack of scalability. Proactively engaging with diverse customer types before development can prevent such issues.

Challenges in Gathering Feedback: Many startups struggle to gather adequate feedback due to customer reluctance or limited outreach. Live conversations are more effective than surveys, and clarifying that feedback isn't tied to sales can improve engagement.

Market Opportunities in Healthcare: There are unmet needs in system integration and leveraging research-naive physicians for clinical trials. Addressing these gaps, especially through innovation and collaboration, could significantly advance the industry.

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This short discussion with Rachel Dunscombe, CEO of openEHR International Foundation, was recorded in Reading at the first openEHR Annual conference. Rachel Dunscombe discussed trends in data standards and the importance of structured data for the future development of AI.

Recap of the discussion:

1. Historical Context and Progress in Data Standards:

1. Collaboration Among Standards Bodies:

1. Need for Practical Implementation and Governance:

1. AI and Data Quality:

1. Future Goals and Global Standards:

1. Resources and Engagement:

• The podcast "Faces of Digital Health" and its associated newsletter discuss these topics, offering updates on trends and insights in healthcare digitalization and standards.

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In this discussion, strategist, and applied health futurist Zayna Khayat explores the evolution of healthcare, particularly the shift towards home-based care and patient empowerment. Key themes include:

Language in Healthcare: Khayat stresses the need for a language shift to change mindsets in healthcare, highlighting that words shape reality. She proposes retiring overused terms like “innovation,” “patient-centered,” and “telemedicine,” advocating instead for more precise language that reflects modern, patient-empowering approaches.

Technology in Care Delivery: Khayat is excited about how AI and virtual reality (VR) are transforming healthcare. She sees AI as instrumental in reducing clinician workload by handling repetitive cognitive tasks, while VR is proving beneficial in medical training and therapies like pain and anxiety management.

Shift to Home and Virtual Care: Drawing on her experience in home-based chemotherapy, Khayat discusses the challenges of moving healthcare out of hospitals, from reimbursement to infrastructure limitations. She emphasizes that many patients would prefer home care if given the choice, but practical barriers like resource availability and payment models persist.

Diverse Aging Models: Khayat challenges the idea of care homes as a one-size-fits-all solution, advocating for diverse models tailored to individual preferences and cultural values. She highlights that community-based models, like those in Denmark and Japan, provide alternatives to institutional care, supporting aging in place.

Value-Based Care and Accountability: Khayat encourages healthcare organizations to focus on results rather than processes. She advocates for outcome-based payment models, where organizations are compensated for results, pushing them to prioritize patient outcomes. This approach, she argues, would foster a value-driven healthcare system.

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