The private hospital progresses in digitization while the public lags behind

Digitization of healthcare. It is one of the concepts that are sounding the most on the third day of the ‘II Health Observatory Symposium: The Lessons of Covid-19’, organized by EL ESPAÑOL and Invertia.

Covid-19 has accelerated this process in which the sector was already immersed for a few years. However, there are differences between public and private, mainly in hospitals.

This has been pointed out by the speakers at the table Hospital innovation: situation, public-private collaboration, hospital technology and research. The hospital of the future.

The reason that there are differences between public and private hospitals in terms of digitization is due to the fact that “competitiveness in the private system is complete and perhaps that is why we are making further progress,” he said. Adolfo Fernández-Valmayor, Corporate General Director of Transformation and Systems of the Quironsalud group.

For its part, Cesar Tellez, Director of Business Development at Sham, has indicated that “the private sector has been more active in digitization. Many groups already had good systems and what they have done has been to improve them more.” In other words, “the private sector is one step ahead.”

And this can generate inequities. “There are hospitals that can provide a service immediately than others that maintain older and more traditional systems,” added Fernández-Valmayor.

An answer in which it also agrees Manuel Bosch, Corporate Director of Innovation and Technological Development of the Ribera Salud group. “The pandemic has put on the table something that everyone knew and that is there are inequities.” But, in his opinion, “European funds will serve to reduce this inequality or to extend it if we misuse them.”

In this same line he has spoken Cesar Morcillo, director of the Sanitas Digital Hospital: “There is a digital divide that generates inequity, but it is true that digital solutions are not for everyone. You have to be omnichannel.”

Is it possible to transfer this advance to public hospitals? “We are prepared for it,” said Morcillo, although it remains to “structure” it, according to Bosch.

The hospital of the future

Digitization is a part of the transformation that hospitals are undergoing. A path that began a few years ago and that the emergence of the pandemic has accelerated. Butwhat the centers of the future should be like?

“Governed and data-centric“, said Ignacio León, director of the Microsoft Consulting division in Spain.” The data becomes the main currency. The hospital creates critical, sensitive data that needs to be processed. They need a lot of intelligence and this concept of data use in the hospital is something that has been accelerated “.

“Smaller and cyber-secure“said Bosch.” Virtual, without walls, offering a predictive and more sustainable medicine, “added Morcillo.

For their part, Téllez and Fernández-Valmayor have spoken from the patient’s perspective. “I would ask for a hospital interconnected, safe and humane“, said the first.

“Based on the transparency of the use of data, personalization of care and immediacy in care. This is what citizens demand,” added the spokesperson for Quirónsalud.

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