Introduction

 

Digital health technologies are here to stay…

As a result of the Covid pandemic, the use of virtual care and telemedicine has been established as a major component of delivering care. But now that we are beyond the crisis, are we seeing a fundamental shift in healthcare delivery?

This won’t happen without the key enabler of digital healthcare being in place: Electronic Health Records (EHRs). Vital for the delivery of integrated care and creating a truly joined up healthcare service, EHRs are still not used on a widespread basis throughout the Irish healthcare system. The potential benefits of EHRs are substantial; from ensuring the safe and effective treatment of a patient receiving emergency care to supporting information sharing, patient empowerment and the development of digital services. As far back as 2009, HIQA identified their absence as the single most important deficiency in the health information infrastructure in Ireland. So, what are the obstacles in implementing this vital digital infrastructure?

Digital activities bring a lot of benefits, but also a lot of risks. The recent ransomware attack on the HSE will only heighten patients’ concerns about privacy and data security. As digital health services expand, patients will be increasingly concerned that the very sensitive information held by the health service is really secure. The rapid growth in the use of digital technology during the pandemic has pushed the issue even higher up the agenda for policymakers, practitioners and regulators.

These are some of the major themes we’ll be exploring at The Business Post’s 2nd annual virtual Smart Health Summit.