By Paco Cordero.
Originally published in ConSalud.
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The second round table of the 2nd Digital Health Communication Forum debated the relevance of clinical data, the application of collaborative medicine and pragmatism for patients to access healthcare technology.
The Digital Health Communication Observatory (OCSD), an initiative of Novartis and the Mediforum Group, held the 2nd Digital Health Communication Forum this Tuesday, which in this edition is dedicated to ‘Digital transformation and patient communication’. communication with the patient’. During the second round table debate, moderated by Luis Truchado, CEO of Eurogalenus, the speakers analysed how future healthcare services will develop through connected medicine.
The first speaker was Óscar Villoslada, media director of Asisa, who detailed the integration and digitalisation projects of this insurer, all of them under the condition of ‘listening to our users’ and the need to ‘incorporate new functionalities in a pragmatic way’. In this sense, he mentioned that apart from the visible ‘there is much that is invisible, which is fundamental’.
To this end, Villoslada has exemplified actions such as improving access to the online medical appointments table, the introduction of intelligent search in these tables or natural language processing, with the aim of speeding up waiting lists. In addition, he has advanced that they are going to incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning in the processes. However, he insisted that the key is for users to see these changes ‘as something natural’ so that ‘we have to swallow the complexity ourselves and keep it in-house’.
AUTOMATION AND THE RELEVANCE OF CLINICAL DATA
Next, Víctor González, director of R&D at Atrys, explained how they use AI in such a way that it is able to ‘automate diagnosis’, which helps ‘to diagnosis’, which helps to “drastically reduce diagnostic errors, with a high rate of 6%”. diagnosis, with a high rate of 6%’. In addition, they have managed to to ‘optimise’ their own resources, with the challenge for professionals to focus on complex professionals to focus on complex processes and not on other more basic tasks. more basic tasks.
During his speech, González mentioned how they have promoted the development of data integration platforms, while stressing the importance of talking about ‘precision medicine and not personalised medicine, as this is something precise that has to do with the evolution of the patient’. He also indicated that ‘the protagonist’ is ‘clinical data’, despite the fact that ‘it is now sacralised’, although he stressed that ‘it is essential that data is shared and transferred’ in such a way that ‘precision medicine cannot be done without community medicine’.
THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATIVE MEDICINE
The debate was continued by Clara Cano, head of Digital Transformation at Novartis, who reflected on the importance of applying technology by ‘understanding the reality and experience of professionals and patients’. For this reason, she insisted that ‘the most important thing is not how we connect technology, but how we connect people’, thus urging the application of so-called ‘collaborative medicine’.
On the basis of this reflection, Cano highlighted the three keys used by Novartis to three keys used by Novartis to develop its work: ‘scientific innovation, professional expertise and scientific innovation, professional expertise and personalisation’. With these pillars in mind, Cano shared her current challenge, which is none other than ‘innovate her current challenge, which is none other than ‘innovating in treatment, getting closer to people’. In this way, she stressed the need to establish ‘fluid communication’. to establish ‘fluid communication’ and to create ‘appropriate channels’ to allow for the to analyse the data collected and see ‘how they have an impact on the user experience’. impact on the user experience’.
THE CHALLENGE OF SEEING A ‘CONTINUOUS PICTURE’ OF THE PATIENT
Finally, Augusto Cañas, Director of Infrastructures and Communication at Quirónsalud, focused on the challenge of breaking down the physical barriers of the hospital so that ‘the patient is much more closely related to the professional’ and so that new technologies can ‘monitor performance’. Through personalised and precise medicine, one of the main aims is to ensure that ‘a continuous picture of the patient’s history throughout their health’ can be seen.
Likewise, Cañas has advanced the importance that technologies such as 5G networks will have because ‘they will make it possible to monitor our patients’ behaviour patterns’. And in relation to professionals, he urged that progress be made towards ‘closer collaboration’ so that most of them work in a network and ‘that advice is shared’.
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