Michał Grzybowski: We understand the needs of health care

The new edition of the Future Health Index study reveals the openness to digital solutions, pointed out Michał Grzybowski, CEO of Philips Polska.

Publikacja: 11.09.2022 22:04

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Foto: Bartek Dąbrowski, fototaxi.pl

The new edition of the Future Health Index study reveals the openness to digital solutions, pointed out Michał Grzybowski, CEO of Philips Polska.

Indeed, telemedicine was a buzzword during the pandemic. Many solutions were successfully implemented, including some very interesting systems, such as the vaccination application. Is some cases, the process was faster and better than in some Western European countries. The pandemic was a catalyst for digital transformation in health care. It showed that digitalisation is possible and extremely important for building the resilience of the whole system so that the patients can be treated more efficiently.

After two years of immense pressure on the sector, we are emerging from the pandemic to face military and political crisis across our eastern border. Still other issues include an ageing population and, unfortunately, the growing problem of medical staff shortages. It may turn out that there is no one to care for the patient soon. Again, I think digital and telemedicine solutions are a good idea to help relieve medical staff from their work, including administrative tasks that can consume up to 80% of their working time. As our Future Health Index 2022 report shows, Polish healthcare leaders are aware of the benefits of digitalisation and the development of technological infrastructure is one of their top priorities.

However, there are some barriers: both legal and mental ones. A person feeling the symptoms of a disease is more likely to trust a doctor than a machine.

We have a long way to go before we are treated by algorithms or artificial intelligence. Solutions that are currently in use support clinical decision-making processes. The doctor is provided with a report suggesting a solution or a medical pathway, but the final decision regarding the diagnosis rests with the doctor. Artificial intelligence and algorithms have long been present in selected solutions, suggesting diagnostic solutions. Their role is to streamline the diagnostic process and make it more consistent, thus increasing the efficiency of services. Polish health care leaders are striving to implement more innovative solutions in their facilities. One of their key goals is to join the top stateof-the-art health care providers.

Which of the new technologies can be implemented quickly and effectively in the Polish system?

Many telemedicine solutions have already been implemented and have caught on with users. This includes teleconsultations held in various medical entities.

From the perspective of our product portfolio, these are examples of CEE region solutions that are being successfully implemented in Croatia and Estonia. These solutions are designed to triage and manage the patient in the long term so as to minimise the number of contacts the patient has with medical facilities. The patient can stay at home, lead a normal life, and at the same time provide information to the doctor using dedicated tools so that the doctor can monitor the patient’s health on an ongoing basis. The benefits resulting from this include reduced hospital costs and improved patient experience.

You speak about the Philips Future Health Index that was created on behalf of Philips. What is it?

The Future Helath Index 2022 is the 7th edition of the report relying on a survey of 3,000 respondents – health care leaders from 15 countries, including Poland, but also the Netherlands and the USA.

This year’s edition shows the current state of the health care system – re-evaluating priorities and improving the patient care. What comes to the fore is the openness to digital solutions. As I said, digital solutions are top priorities of health care leaders. They are primarily intended to improve the working conditions of medical staff. The upcoming investments will be dedicated to this. As many as 66% of health care leaders in Poland stated that investment in digital medical records is a priority. Another important thing is that Polish health care leaders recognise the benefits of predictive analytics. Unfortunately, its full potential remains untapped, largely due to data acquisition barriers due to insufficient infrastructure, interoperability of IT systems, and staff constraints.

What is most inspiring in the index with respect to the Polish health care system?

Polish health care leaders indicate, more often than in other countries, that the transformation of the Polish health is important in relation to sustainability. Last year, many respondents expected this topic to become more popular. However, only 2% considered environmental issues as one of their top priorities. Today, it is 30%. The highest percentage in Western Europe is 24%. This shows that the awareness of the need for sustainable development in health care is growing among Polish leaders.

– Recorded by: Grzegorz Balawender

Partner: Philips

The new edition of the Future Health Index study reveals the openness to digital solutions, pointed out Michał Grzybowski, CEO of Philips Polska.

Indeed, telemedicine was a buzzword during the pandemic. Many solutions were successfully implemented, including some very interesting systems, such as the vaccination application. Is some cases, the process was faster and better than in some Western European countries. The pandemic was a catalyst for digital transformation in health care. It showed that digitalisation is possible and extremely important for building the resilience of the whole system so that the patients can be treated more efficiently.

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