Faces of Digital Health

The news of the year for UK healthcare in March 2025 was the announcement of the abolishment of NHS England. Many people welcome the move, expecting the healthcare system in the UK to become more efficient. If we look at the history, NHS is under constant restructuring - in the past, for digitalization efforts, two entities were established - NHS X and NHS Digital, and were later merger into NHS England. A few years ago 200+ commissioning groups were restructured into 42 integrated care systems. In this discussion Liam Cahill, Founder of Together Digital, Digital Advisor to Organisations and Healthtech Advisor talks about the impact of the latest restructuring and expected impact. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB3XXtxvfag&t=19s www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

6% of the hospital budget, EPIC and 100 healthcare IT systems. That's the description of the infrastructure in the Cleveland clinic London. CIO Raihaan Mughal likes to emphasize CEOs are concerned about three things: Increasing revenue Reducing cost Mitigating risk When investing, Cleveland clinic is mindful of Return on investment, return on employee. When it comes to AI, CIO Raihaan Mughal says: "Take your time, be skeptical about vendor promises." Cleveland Clinic in the US is running a pilot comparing 5 ambient solutions before they sign a long-term contract. Tune in to the full discussion with Raihaan, recorded at the Digital Health Excellence Forum by Smart Bridges GmbH in Berlin. Youtube: https://lnkd.in/dKzBrAxS www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

In early March HIMSS Global (https://www.himssconference.com/), the currently biggest global gathering about healthcare IT took place Las Vegas. A few tens of thousands of people visit HIMSS Global every year, it can take 20 minutes to get from one session to another in another building, therefor preparation and planning are key. This year, the key topic seemed to be how are companies embedding AI in their solutions. Hospital leaders talked about cybersecurity, and political uncertainty impacting the future of digital health development. I asked a few participants at HIMSS Global, who are also speaking at HIMSS Europe in Paris in June 2025, about their reflections on the content at HIMSS.  You will hear from: Guido Gunti, Chief Digital Officer at St. James Hospital, Ireland Mathew Little, Chief Nurse Information Officer (CNIO) & Associate Chief Nurse, Gloucestershire Hospital NHS Trust, UK  Rasu Shrestha, Executive Vice President, Chief Innovation & Commercialization Officer at Advocate Health, USA, Henrique Martins, Associate Professor in Health Management & Leadership, Portugal, Rachel Dunscombe, CEO of openEHR International www.facesofdigitalhealth.com https://fodh.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@facesofdigitalhealth

This short episode will address some of the trends shaping the future of healthcare: agentic AI,  Longevity efforts, Uncertain policy in light of the current US government.  You will hear from Daniel Kraft - founder of NextMed Health - a unique interdisciplinary community dedicated to catalyzing and accelerating the arrival of a new, human-centric, technology-enabled health age.  NextMed Health is a very special event, focused on updates in biotech, policy, convergence of technology and expectations of the future. Daniel shared his views on: the expectation that the current US government will not regulate AI and how will this impact healthtech,  what will be covered around longevity and health span at NextMed ,  Innovations in the brain-mind-body connection and more. Expect updates on the conference at: Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@facesofdigitalhealth Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjasazajc/ www.facesofdigitalhealth.com

When it comes to cancer, prevalence is increasing and there is still a lot we don't understand about the factors and causes of cancers. Many studies have clearly demonstrated the benefits of biomarker testing for cancer therapy. However, broadly speaking, roughly 30% of cancer patients are eligible for targeted therapies based on their tumor profile. And even when the biomarket is present, roughly 30% of the eligible patients respond to these treatments. - je to čisto preveč poenostavljeno? We have a lot more to uncover. In the discussion you are about to hear, I spoke with Luka Ausec - an expert in the field of biology and computational science. He works as the Chief discovery officer at Genialis, RNA biomarker company which develops and validates clinically actionable biomarkers informed by the world’s most ethnographically diverse cancer data sets to better predict patient responses and guide treatment decisions for targeted inhibitors, immunotherapies, and other emerging therapeutic classes. Luka oversees internal R&D and external partner projects, with the common goal of advancing therapeutic discovery through the rigorous application of data science. Luka’s expertise in biology and computational disciplines makes him uniquely adept at innovating solutions at this nexus. He believes a successful discovery process is built on clear lines of communication and unwavering scientific integrity. In addition, Luka directs the implementation of Genialis’ products. We discussed the current state of cancer research, role of computational science in drug discovery, clinical decision support development and response predictions development in the field of cancer. Read more on cancer research and digital health in our newsletter: https://substack.com/home/post/p-78204410 Website: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

This episode of Faces of Digital Health explores how digital health solutions can be evaluated for quality and reliability. Tjasa Zajc speaks with Vice President of Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) Doug Mirsky and Boston Children’s Hospital SVP and Chief Innovation Officer John Brownstein about the DIME Seal, a certification designed to help hospitals and clinicians identify trustworthy digital health software. John discusses the challenges hospitals face in selecting and implementing digital tools, emphasizing the resource-intensive nature of evaluation. The DIME Seal aims to reduce this burden by setting a baseline quality standard across evidence, usability, privacy, security, and equity. The conversation also touches on the challenges facing digital health startups, including funding shifts, AI competition, and sustainability concerns. Doug highlights the early success of the Seal and the role it plays in helping both adopters and developers navigate the digital health landscape. The discussion closes with reflections on how digital health innovation will evolve, the role of regulatory bodies, and advice for startups in 2025’s competitive market. Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLkyU4LulVk&t=3s Website: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com #DigitalHealth #HealthcareInnovation #HealthTech #DIMESeal #MedicalSoftware #AIinHealthcare #DigitalTherapeutics #Telemedicine #HealthIT #MedicalApps

OneLondon—an ambitious project working to provide a single patient care record for 10 million people across London. Since its inception in 2018, OneLondon has evolved, connecting more healthcare providers, expanding patient access, and tackling critical challenges like end-of-life care, sickle cell disease management, and mental health crisis response. In this episode, Luke Readman, Director of Digital Transformation for NHS England and CEO of One London talks about how the project is transforming care coordination, building public trust, and navigating the complexities of integrating 24 different EHR systems. Three Key Points: Evolution of OneLondon's Shared Care Record – The initiative has expanded significantly since its inception, with increased connectivity, new patient groups being included, and a strong focus on trust and public engagement. Targeted Digital Health Solutions – OneLondon is taking a phased approach to integrating patient groups, such as those with sickle cell disease and those receiving end-of-life care, ensuring clinical leadership and patient involvement in decision-making. Challenges and Future Directions – The project is tackling complex issues like mental health crisis response, social care integration, and hospital-at-home models while navigating a fragmented digital ecosystem with 24 different EHR systems across London. https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/ Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/p/healthcare-digital-transformation

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. fodh.substack.com facesofdigitalhealth.com