Keynotes
Keynote #1: Prof. Dr. Alfred Angerer, Co-Director ZHAW Digital Health Lab, Head of health care management group
«Key Insights from the Digital Health Report 2023–2024: Dare more digitalization in healthcare!»
Abstract:
Every 2 years, Prof. Angerer and his team publish a report on the state of digitization in the Swiss healthcare system. In his presentation, Mr. Angerer will for the first time present the key statements of the new report to the public.
The presented report 23-24 aims to show the positive aspects of digitization in order to create an appetite for the transformation. After all, the digitization of healthcare is good news for everyone. If implemented correctly, it offers the opportunity for better quality at low cost. Unfortunately, this good news has not yet reached everyone, and too often it is reported too negatively. The presentation consists of three parts.
- In the first part of the talk, the numerous benefits for patients, employees, healthcare organizations and the overall system will be systematically presented.
- In the second part, the 5 technologies that enable the transformation path are assessed: Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Medical Things, Robotics, Virtual/Augmented Reality, and Distributed Ledger Technology. As the transformation of our healthcare system generates many fears, 5 concerns that people have about the digitalization of healthcare are then explored. To conclude the second part, a 9-point plan transformation path for the Swiss healthcare system is presented.
- In the last part of the talk, the vision of a better healthcare system is analyzed. For this purpose, the results of a survey of experts will be shown, who have quantified concrete future trends with regard to their probability of occurrence.
About the speaker:
Prof. Dr. oec. Alfred Angerer studied industrial engineering and business science at the University of Karlsruhe (Germany) and completed a doctorate in business administration at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland). He has gained practical experience as a supply chain manager at Nestlé AG and as a management consultant in the field of operations at McKinsey & Company. Since 2009 he has been a lecturer at the ZHAW School of Management and Law. There he heads the Center for Health Care Management of the Winterthur Institute of Health Economics and is co-director of the Digital Health Lab. Mr. Angerer is a member of the advisory board of several digital health startups, a member of the Canton Thurgau Health Commission and the Swiss EURAM representative. His research focuses on digital health and process optimization (lean healthcare). Mr. Angerer is the creator of numerous international publications, books, lectures and the podcast “Marktplatz Gesundheitswesen” (“Healthcare Market”) that deals with the management of healthcare organizations in the digital age (www.gesundheitswesen.org).
Further information:
https://www.zhaw.ch/de/ueber-uns/person/ange/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfredangerer/
Keynote #2: Guru Sivaraman, Director ICT/CIO, University Hospital Zurich
«Digital Strategies for Future Healthcare - A Reality Check»
Abstract:
Digital technologies are being used to transform business processes and operations in many industries. But how relevant are digital strategies for the future of healthcare and what makes them really effective? Hospitals have a wealth of medical expertise, are eager to adopt new technologies and have huge potential for optimization. So why is digital transformation so hard to achieve? The presentation looks at how things are in reality today and how to approach the challenges.
About the speaker:
https://www.usz.ch/team/guru-sivaraman/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/guru-sivaraman-3651961/
Keynote #3: Prof. Dr. Tobias Kowatsch, Head of the Digital Health Interventions group at the University of Zurich and Director at the School of Medicine, University of St. Gallen
«Reimbursement of Digital Health Technologies»
Abstract:
In the 20th century, healthcare systems specialized in acute care. In the 21st century, we now face the challenge of dealing with the specific characteristics of non‐communicable diseases (NCDs), including common mental disorders. NCDs are responsible for around 70% of all deaths worldwide and 85% of all deaths in Europe and are associated with an estimated economic loss of $7 trillion between 2011 and 2025. NCDs require an intervention paradigm focusing on prevention as health-promoting behavior (e.g., nutrient-rich diet, physical activity, abstinence from smoking and alcohol) can reduce the risk of developing NCDs. However, a healthy lifestyle is only implemented by a fraction of those affected, partly because of missing or inadequate interventions or health literacy and partly due to socio‐cultural influences. Individual personal coaching of these individuals is neither scalable nor financially sustainable.
To this end, the question arises of how digital health technologies allow caregivers to scale and tailor health-promoting interventions. Next to the effectiveness of these technologies, one vital aspect to consider is their reimbursement. Dr. Kowatsch will, therefore, present several examples of digital health technologies while focusing on reimbursement strategies.
About the speaker:
Dr. Tobias Kowatsch is Associate Professor for Digital Health Interventions at the Institute for Implementation Science in Health Care, University of Zurich, and Director at the School of Medicine, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. He is also the Scientific Director of the Center for Digital Health Interventions, a joint initiative of the University of Zurich, the University of St. Gallen, and ETH Zurich. In close collaboration with his interdisciplinary team and research partners, Tobias designs digital health interventions at the intersection of information systems research, computer science, and behavioral medicine. He also co-founded Pathmate Technologies, an ETH Zurich and University of St.Gallen spin-off company that designs and offers scalable and personalized health interventions, such as www.manoa.app. Tobias has a Ph.D. in Management from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, a Master of Science in Business Information Systems from Saarland University, Germany, and a Master of Computer Science in Media from Hochschule Furtwangen University, Germany. He published his research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Journal of Medical Internet Research, Addictive Behaviors, Information Systems Journal, and Computers in Human Behavior, and Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies.
Further information:
- Digital Health Interventions, Institute for Implementation Science in Health Care, University of Zurich
- Digital Health Interventions, School of Medicine, University of St.Gallen
- Centre for Digital Health Interventions, University of Zurich, University of St.Gallen & ETH Zurich
- Google Scholar
Keynote #4: Susanne Gedamke, CEO, SPO Patient Organisation
«Patient-centricity between aspiration and reality: What do the people affected expect from digital applications and how can their views be better integrated?»
Abstract:
Patient-centricity is on everyone's lips - hardly any player in the healthcare sector would claim not to put patients at the center of their actions. Yet the reality is: Patient-centricity in the sense of a systematic inclusion of the patient's point of view and the integration of those affected into (medical) treatment is not yet lived. Why is this so and what possibilities are there to better include the patient perspective?
The answer to this question sounds banal, but it is very complex: Instead of talking about patients, we should talk to them. In her keynote, Susanne Gedamke will present selected results from conversations with patients about digital applications. What do they expect from it and which applications really benefit them?
About the speaker:
Susanne Gedamke studied psychology and communication science. After her studies at the Universities of Zurich and Fribourg (CH), she worked in research and for various stakeholders in the healthcare sector. For the last 3 years she has been the managing director of the largest national patient organization (Swiss Patient Organization SPO). There she has built up a patient advisory board in the past years in order to work systematically with chronic and multimorbid patients in addition to the classic consulting business of the patient organization.
Further information:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanne-gedamke/