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HEALTH IT FORUM: Minister Pinkwart calls for great framework conditions for the digitized healthcare industry Interview with Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart, Minister for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitization and Energy in North Rhine-Westphalia A curse or a blessing? What should we make of the increasing digitization of healthcare? In his keynote speech at the HEALTH IT FORUM, Professor Andreas Pinkwart addressed new trends and their potential. In this interview with MEDICA-tradefair.com, he also focuses on this subject and talks about the perils new healthcare technologies could entail. Prof. Dr. Pinkwart at the HEALTH IT FORUM at MEDICA 2017.
Professor Pinkwart, what are your personal highlights among healthcare trends, especially as it pertains to digitization? Professor Andreas Pinkwart: I anticipate considerable progress thanks to the use of artificial intelligence. The previous experiences in diagnostics look promising. We must take advantage of artificial intelligence wherever it surpasses our own to benefit patients. One prerequisite for this is to ensure that the existing medical data can be used and processed accordingly. To do this, big data needs to turn into smart data. For example, healthcare apps can encourage increased physical activity or healthier eating habits. These positive behavioral changes also improve prophylaxis and reduce diseases in the long term.There is also significant potential in the field of telemedicine, especially for rural areas and as it relates to the monitoring of patients with chronic diseases.Thanks to the use of computer systems, patients with motor and cognitive impairments can receive treatment and rehabilitation services. What barriers will technological advances break down in the coming years? Pinkwart: We will continue to push the boundaries of what is feasible in medicine. Types of cancers that used to be an automatic death sentence can be cured today. Paralyzed patients can learn to walk again with the help of assistance systems. Premature infants can survive despite a low birth weight, oftentimes without permanent damages. Significant progress is also made in the field of regenerative medicine, the artificial 46
Infomedix International | 1 2018
replacement of the heart, lungs, and skin, which exhibits increased activity. Where else do you see room for improvement on the path from developing an idea that truly benefits patients to its implementation? Pinkwart: There is still a long way before any new products and treatment processes actually reach the patient. It is time for universities, medical facilities and the industry to work even closer together, while researchers and developers have to aim at making new products and processes available to patients as quickly as possible. Having said that, the new European Medical Device Regulation is expected to make it more difficult for companies with innovative ideas to bring products to the market. This might necessitate support services for small and mediumsized enterprises. Moreover, health insurance companies must also ensure that new devices and treatments are reimbursed. What are the prospects and dangers of an increasing digitization of the healthcare sector? Pinkwart: As the healthcare sector is being digitized, it must be guaranteed that every patient has autonomous access to his/her data without the presence of doctors and that he/she is able to manage his/her treatment. The impending Federal Data Protection Act pertaining to the patient’s rights to access personal data does not fully ensure the right of informational self-determination. This is why the safety of IT systems is a major challenge. Not only does this refer to the
safety of medical records but also applies to the unauthorized access to medical devices by third parties.The possibilities of diagnostics and therapy also increasingly present ethical concerns. That is why we have to consider the boundaries we might want to set in this area.The growing use of artificial intelligence and robotics must not result in a decreasing responsibility of medical personnel and nursing staff to care for patients. In the healthcare sector, global players, universities, research institutes and startup companies explicitly collaborate to find solutions to medical problems. What can other industry sectors learn from this type of global networking? Pinkwart: German pharmaceutical and medical technology companies are internationally highly regarded due to the high quality and safety of products. Having said that, distinctions like licensing and reimbursement procedures delay the technological progress. When it comes to digitization, the healthcare sector learns from other industries.The decision-makers are very interested in improving the quality of diagnostics, therapy, and rehabilitation. For companies to stay competitive in the global setting, we have to create great framework conditions for the digitized healthcare industry. This interview was conducted by Anne Hofmann and translated from German by Elena O’Meara.. MEDICA-tradefair.com Source: https://www.medica-tradefair.com/cgi-bin/ md_medica/lib/pub/tt.cgi/HEALTH_IT_FORUM_Minister_Pinkwart_calls_for_great_framework_conditions_for_the_digitized_healthcare_industry.html?oid=8 5947&lang=2&ticket=g_u_e_s_t