The digitalisation of healthcare is an essential enabler to transforming the delivery of care and improving patient experience. The critical role of digitalisation has become even more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when digital technologies have been deployed in unprecedented ways to support the provision of essential care services. But digital technologies are also being used as a management tool that impacts both on the organisation of work and staff well-being. 

The Plenary Session ‘Digital transformation in healthcare: digital technology as a management tool’ will focus on what innovative digital solutions health and care organisations can deploy to increasing the sustainability of healthcare. The plenary will also discuss how digital technology is used as a management tool and the impact of health data on decision-making. 

Esteemed speakers will join us to discuss the digital transformation of healthcare. We are pleased to have Dr Ceri Thompson, Deputy Head of Unit ‘eHealth, Well-being, and Ageing’ in the Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT) of the European Commission. The aim of the Unit ‘eHealth, Well-being, and Ageing’  is to support innovative digitally-enabled solutions and policies for people to enjoy healthy and independent living, relevant organisations and public sector to deliver high-quality and efficient health and care services including personalised medicine, and market players in Europe to reap business opportunities. 

The plenary will also see the participation of Mr Clayton Hamilton, who leads the digital health flagship programme within the WHO Regional Office for Europe’s Division for Country Health Policies and Systems, providing support and guidance on all aspects of digital health and innovation to support health systems strengthening and reform in the Region’s 53 Member States. Mr Hamilton provides strategic guidance to assist countries in their development of national digital health programmes within the framework of delivering on WHO’s triple billion targets and in working towards the achievement of the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

Additionally, we will have Prof Rosanna Tarricone, Associate Dean at SDA Bocconi School of Management. Prof Tarricone has over 100 publications in the areas of health policy, healthcare management, the economic analysis of health care services and health technology assessment (HTA). She serves as an expert for the European Commission and facilitates the continuous exchange of experiences and harmonisation of methods and procedures between the HTA Agencies of the EU Member States within EUnetHTA. She has also been an advisor for the Ministry of Health in Italy and has contributed to the design and development of the National Programme of HTA for Medical Devices. 

Join this plenary session on Friday, 17 September 2021 at 15.15 – 16.15 to discuss the digital transformation of healthcare and digital technology as a management tool. 

Join EHMA 2021, the preeminent European conference on health management, meet with experts from Europe and beyond, and be part of shaping the future of health management.