European network of health innovators, EIT Health has today launched an AI report from its Think Tank, outlining the need for a post-pandemic technological transformation to strengthen EU health systems over the next decade. The'Healthcare Workforce and Organisational Transformation with AI' report identifies key focus areas that need to be addressed at an EU and national level, during the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to maximise the potential of AI and technology in healthcare. EIT Health predicts that without major structural and transformational change, healthcare systems will become unsustainable, and the European vision of universal healthcare will be threatened. Furthermore, data from a joint EIT Health and McKinsey and Company report published last year indicated that AI automation could help alleviate workforce shortages, accelerate the research and developments of treatments, and help reduce the time spent on administrative tasks. Jan-Philipp Beck, CEO at EIT Health, said: "The outcomes of the AI Think Tank Report has given us clear and consistent messages on how to drive AI and technology forward within European healthcare systems. European network of health innovators, EIT Health has today launched an AI report from its Think Tank, outlining the need for a post-pandemic technological transformation to strengthen EU health systems over the next decade. The'Healthcare Workforce and Organisational Transformation with AI' report identifies key focus areas that need to be addressed at an EU and national level, during the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to maximise the potential of AI and technology in healthcare. EIT Health predicts that without major structural and transformational change, healthcare systems will become unsustainable, and the European vision of universal healthcare will be threatened. Furthermore, data from a joint EIT Health and McKinsey and Company report published last year indicated that AI automation could help alleviate workforce shortages, accelerate the research and developments of treatments, and help reduce the time spent on administrative tasks. Jan-Philipp Beck, CEO at EIT Health, said: "The outcomes of the AI Think Tank Report has given us clear and consistent messages on how to drive AI and technology forward within European healthcare systems.

European network of health innovators, EIT Health has today launched an AI report from its Think Tank, outlining the need for a post-pandemic technological transformation to strengthen EU health systems over the next decade. The'Healthcare Workforce and Organisational Transformation with AI' report identifies key focus areas that need to be addressed at an EU and national level, during the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to maximise the potential of AI and technology in healthcare. As life expectancy increases, healthcare systems face increasing demand, with patients having more complex needs, costs rising and the workforce struggling to meet demand. EIT Health predicts that without major structural and transformational change, healthcare systems will become unsustainable, and the European vision of universal healthcare will be threatened. Key recommendations from the report include improving collaboration and exchange of best practice across the EU, building on existing networks and infrastructures to support AI integration, improving education and skills, and developing value-based financial models that incorporates AI.

Central and Eastern Europe is well positioned to take a leading role in the development of AI in healthcare, but the creation of a marketplace for data is crucial. Just how important a role will artificial intelligence (AI) have in medicine over the coming years? That it will revolutionise healthcare is now beyond doubt, particularly in early diagnosis. Even so, its importance – and the need to speed up its implementation – cannot be overstated. Ligia Kornowska, the managing director of the Polish Hospital Federation, and a leader of the AI Coalition in Healthcare, is clear: "not to make use of AI," she says, "will soon be viewed as medical malpractice."

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already being used in advanced medical settings and it has multiple applications including, wearable technology, precision medicine and virtual clinics. In some cases, it can even interpret test results more accurately than physicians. While most of us are just beginning to realise the full potential of AI, some entrepreneurs are way ahead. But how can they build trust with investors, what are the barriers for European startups and how can smaller companies get ahead? Pascal Lardier, VP for International Events and Media Content at HIMSS moderated the session around'AI Beyond the Buzz' at the HIMSS & Health 2.0 European Digital Conference, with the panel consisting of Neha Tanna, Investment Partner, Joyance Partners, Jorge Juan Fernández García, Director of Innovation, EIT Health, and Piotr Orzechowski, Founder & CEO, Infermedica in Poland.

The tool is the outcome of a project named'Digital Control Centre for COVID-19' by health innovation body, EIT Health, which was initiated in April 2020. Since then, the tool has undergone development and validation, and has shown early success in the stratification and personalisation of treatment for patients with serious COVID-19, leading to improved treatment responses and a 50% reduction in mortality rates. The study has been published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The main cause of death for patients with COVID-19 is respiratory failure, however, many of these patients can be effectively treated if adequate care is provided at the right timepoint. Researchers at Hospital Clinic Barcelona-IDIBAPS created the Artificial Intelligence solution capable of analysing, in real time, more than a trillion anonymised data points of COVID-19 patients, identifying clinical patterns and suggesting personalised treatments.

EIT Health and McKinsey & Company collaborated on a joint report, "Transforming healthcare with AI: The impact on the healthcare workforce and organisations", which was released in March 2020 in Brussels. The report explores the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the future of healthcare and its workforce. It also defines the new organisational models and skillsets healthcare professionals will need to support AI adoption and scaling. The report offers a unique perspective of public and private-sector decision makers and thought leaders through 62 interviews, alongside healthcare professionals, health investors and AI start-up founders and other executives via an in-depth survey of 175 people.

We find ourselves at a critical point in the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. While we can take it for granted that the rate of technological innovation will continue to accelerate, what is less clear is how quickly we can adapt healthcare to make use of these advances. This is partly a very human problem. For example, many of the healthcare professionals (HCPs) I speak with welcome the potential benefits cloud computing can bring such as better data storage, processing power and increasingly sophisticated algorithms that can help diagnose diseases. However, they also hold genuine concerns that the regulatory environment particularly information governance will continue to lag behind AI development.