On May 27, 2021 the American Chamber of Commerce in Romania (AmCham Romania) in collaboration with the AmChams in the Czech Republic and Slovakia with the support of the European Connected Health Alliance has organized the regional videoconference dedicate to digital transformation in healthcare.

The debate focused on the opportunities generated by digital tools for the patients’ benefit and for improving the healthcare systems’ performance and quality has also offered a perspective on the EU and national reglementation framework and objectives on digital transformation in health, as well as the vision and best practices shared by private sector activating in healthcare area, academia and NGO representatives. The conference was moderated by Brian O'Connor, President of the  European Connected Health Alliance.

“We have an unprecedented opportunity to use the  European funds available in the coming years as an engine for the digital transformation in health that we all want. The key to success is rigorous planning, collaboration and efficient execution” Dr. Andrei Baciu, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Health said.  Building on the best practice of European cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, he called for the alignment of strategic priorities to prevent the accelerated pace of technological advancement from deepening regional disparities, and thus a negative impact on patients.

Ioana-Maria Gligor, Head of Unit, Digital Health and European Reference Networks, DG SANTE, European Commission presented the milestones in the European agenda for digital transformation in health, pointing out the challenges of ensuring a balance between the security of medical information and patients' rights, the need to increase the access of service providers to patient data they need to streamline healthcare through the use of digital tools and applications. “Access to digital health information is still limited, digital infrastructure and tools are in different development stages, but the pandemic crisis has accelerated access and pace of development, and created favorable conditions for overcoming such challenges. The European Commission's proposal for creating the European Health Data Space, focused on three main pillars - data governance, data exchange, quality and interoperability and digital infrastructure - aims to develop a coherent framework for access to data at European level and for their use for purposes such as providing health services, research and innovation or to substantiate e-health policies and regulations at national and European level.”

Representatives of companies with proven experience and expertise in the field that presented solutions and best practices during the conference stressed the importance of collaboration between various industries and players in the society at large – authorities, academia, civil society – in order to maintain innovation patient needs at the center any digitization process, at all stages.

The first panel (Data-Driven Decision-Making Shaping Next-Gen Health Systems) brought together industry representatives (Microsoft, Philips and Medtronic) and the NGO environment (European Institute for Innovation through Health Data) engaged in shaping a new vision for health systems and patient-centered care that integrates new technologies, use of medical data and emerging solutions such as artificial intelligence.

The second panel (Strategy in Action: Best Practices & Low-Hanging Fruits in Health Digitalization) brought together national and regional speakers from a wide range of areas of expertise, representing the private sector (Johnson & Johnson, Vodafone, Honeywell and Roche) along with academia ("Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest - UMFCD), thus reflecting the importance of multisector collaboration and public-private partnership for capitalizing on the potential of innovation and digital transformation in health. The case studies presented focused on the use of digital and telecommunications solutions to increase access to health services, automation of medical units, telemedicine, the cancer patient pathways  and cardiac recovery.

Sevan Kaloustian, Managing Director Janssen, Johnson & Johnson Romania, member of the Board of Directors of AmCham Romania and Co-Chair of the AmCham Health Working Group, closed the video conference with a call for collaboration and partnership: “The pandemic has shown that digital tools and solutions can be mobilized effectively to ensure the continuity of medical care and ensure patients’ access to treatment. In the age of digital innovation, we need to relate to technology as a primary resource, not a backup solution, to improve the performance, resilience and sustainability of health systems, for the benefit of patients, health professionals, authorities and society at large.”

AmCham Romania will continue to advance recommendations for reform and public policies that stimulate the digital transformation in health, which will ultimately lead to the optimization and efficiency of the medical assistance, focused on patients’ needs. Future investments in health need to take into account the important role that digital infrastructure and solutions play in building a modern, resilient and efficient medical system.

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