Unlocking the future of healthcare

Cohort 5's "Tech Stream" working group organise site visits in London

The global healthcare landscape is undergoing a seismic transformation, with technology emerging as a potent catalyst for change. 

In the face of inexorably rising demand linked to ageing societies and chronic diseases, we see that current models of healthcare provision are increasingly unsustainable within available human and financial resources. 

Without fundamental changes, developed health systems will not be able to provide enough healthcare supply of a sufficiently high quality and at affordable levels to nations and individuals. 

Emergent and established technologies, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum computing, and remote, connected Internet of Things devices, have the potential to transform healthcare, as they are already transforming other sectors of the economy. 

To date, health systems in most developed countries have remained stubbornly resistant to the kind of technological changes that have the potential to deliver a steep change in productivity to close the gap between demand and supply. 

If we are to continue to improve health systems within available resources to advance human health and aspiration, we need them to be more embracing and adaptable to technological innovation. This skill will be one of the fundamental requirements of current and future health system leaders in the coming years and decades. But too few are able and equipped and prepared for this future. 

Pursuing technological innovation

Sciana Cohort 5's "Tech Stream" working group is a multi-national, multi-disciplinary group of healthcare leaders based in Germany, Switzerland, and the UK. In this group, I'm joined by Lawrence Tallon, Rachel Carey, Harpreet Sood, Ulrike Streit, and Oliver G. Reich. 

We have a shared interest in how to develop current and future leaders to be equipped with the knowledge, mindsets, and networks to lead technological innovation in health systems. 

Our thesis is that we need substantially to educate and upskill current and future health system leaders to confidently lead in the era of digital transformation up to and beyond the middle of the 21st Century.

We convened in London in October 2023 to explore the critical question of how to nurture future leaders who can leverage technology to enhance healthcare systems. This two-day gathering was filled with enlightening discussions and visits that shed light on the evolving role of technology in healthcare.

Our first activity was a Healthcare Happy Hour hosted by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. The discussion featured my fellow working group member Lawrence alongside Chris Bischoff, managing director of General Catalyst. Together, they delved into the dynamics of promoting innovation in healthcare. This stimulating conversation laid the foundation for the exploration of the healthcare ecosystem's technological frontier.

The evening saw our working group enjoying dinner at St Thomas' Hospital, accompanied by experts in healthcare innovation from companies like Microsoft, Liva Healthcare, and DrDoctor and Sciana Fellows from the UK across all cohorts. The lively debate touched on the importance of interpersonal relationships in digital transformation, the often under-valued role of implementation science, and the balance between disruptive and incremental innovation in healthcare systems.

Exploring the healthcare ecosystem

Friday was dedicated to working sessions and visits to healthcare facilities in London. The team visited the Hurley Group GP Centre, where discussions revolved around the challenges of integrating hospital and GP office patient records and the role of GP offices from a cross-country perspective.

During a working lunch with Doccla, the prospects of remote patient monitoring and virtual wards took centre stage, showcasing the potential of technology in reshaping patient care.

A visit to the Surgical & Interventional Engineering Centre and Mary Seacole MRI Centre at St Thomas' Hospital illuminated how technology is advancing healthcare. St Thomas's is actively promoting early-stage research and nurturing the development of businesses based on innovative healthcare solutions. 

The Mary Seacole MRI Centre was designed with a holistic approach, fostering collaboration between the hospital and King's College London. This physical connection is integral to top-level research and attracting leading researchers to the healthcare ecosystem.

Our exploration of technology in healthcare during this London meeting offers hope for a future where visionary leaders leverage innovation and technology to drive healthcare systems to new heights. 

A heartfelt thank you goes out to Harpreet, Rachel, and especially Lawrence and St Thomas' Hospital for their hospitality and efforts in organising this remarkable event. 

We will continue to work on this over the next six months or so, so please do get in touch if you would like to hear more or contribute. Please email the group at sciana@salzburgglobal.org. 

This output was created by Sciana Fellow Alexander Schellinger as part of their Cohort 5 Sciana Challenge. The views and opinions expressed in this piece of work do not necessarily represent the views of their organisations, Sciana: The Health Leaders Network, nor those of the Sciana Network's three funding foundations.