Digital infrastructure for healthcare is built by multiple actors in close collaboration!
Infrastructure is crucial to accelerate the digital transformation of healthcare. The ambition expressed by the government around a digital infrastructure for healthcare was therefore clearly welcomed by us last fall.
The innovation and possibilities of advanced tech solutions have long been limited in Sweden by the lack of clear frameworks and principles for basic health and medical record data sharing.
A digital infrastructure for healthcare has the potential to create major benefits, especially for patients and professionals, if it is done right. Care flows and care history will be easier to follow, advanced analyzes on large amounts of data will be able to improve diagnostics and facilitate triage, and patient safety will be strengthened. If done right, the potential for powerful tools such as AI and advanced medical technologies will transform not only surgical care but also clinical research and life science in general.
The conditions have never been better for such a comprehensive infrastructure project as proposals and decisions on a European Health Data Space are imminent.
"Conditions have never been better for such a large infrastructure project"
Unfortunately, digital development in the public sector in Sweden is both slower and more uneven than in most comparable countries, according to the Swedish Agency for Digital Government. On the other hand, Swedish companies are the best in Europe when it comes to the use of digital technology and innovation. Allowing the business community to contribute knowledge and concrete solutions that accelerate the digital development of health and social care is therefore both desirable and wise. This is particularly true for a project as important and comprehensive as a digital infrastructure for healthcare.
In a broad agreement between leading industry organizations in the domain, we write today together with Vårdföretagarna, Swedish Medtech and LIF - the researching pharmaceutical companies in Dagens Medicin where we express the importance of the business community being able to contribute from day one, equally in a national negotiation. The development of the digital infrastructure of healthcare is one of the largest infrastructure projects of our time. All forces are needed and it needs to be right to strengthen innovation, patient benefits, a competitive business community and above all; future-proof Swedish welfare.
Peter Kjäll, Industry Policy Expert, TechSverige