The Future is Now

The first international Conference on Digital Medicine, titled “The Future Is Now”, held on 15 April in Hypo Centar in Zagreb gathered the representatives of leading regional and European companies in the field of digital medicine (which is the largest public-private partnership between the EU and the pharmaceutical industry), Ministry of Health and Croatian Health Insurance Fund, as well as a number of start-ups, wanting to enter the market in this field of business. The partner, as well as one of the most significant participants at the conference was Ericsson Nikola Tesla, that exceeded all expectations according to participants.

A total of eight lectures and two panels presented the latest achievements, possibilities and initiatives regarding collaboration between pharmaceutical and IT industries, as well as digitalization of various processes in healthcare, including the potential of implementing Big Data. European Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI2), worth EUR 5 billion was also presented.
 
The conference also addressed the sensitive issue of availability and use of personal data by the competent state authorities and healthcare companies. The main goal of the conference was to initiate networking and cooperation between IT and pharmaceutical industries, focusing on the projects that distinctly and clearly provide benefits for patients and, by increasing healthcare efficiency, the society at large.

In his opening speech, and during the panel discussion on the collaboration between IT and healthcare, Ivan Bekavac, Deputy Minister of Health, acknowledged that this initiative on healthcare informatization has full support of the Ministry of Health.Marjana Majerič of Technology Park Ljubljana, Mihael Furjan, President of Pliva Management Board, and Ivan Lupić, Director of Ericsson Nikola Tesla ICT for Industry and Society, participated in the panel as well. Apart from presenting the recent solutions that the Company has been working on, Ivan Lupic also noted the contribution Ericsson Nikola Tesla has made to Croatian e-Health so far, primarily by delivering the Central Healthcare Information System of the Republic of Croatia (CEZIH), and globally recognized ePrescription, highlighting that in terms of ePrescription implementation, Croatia is ranked first in Europe.

During the panel discussion on the benefits that digital transformation brings to healthcare, Jesus del Valle (Bayer) acknowledged that sometimes perhaps we are not fully aware of our achievements. “I wished that in Germany, we also had this kind of ePrescription system as you have.” Apart from Mr. Jesus del Valle, in this panel, primarily dedicated to trends and modern-day challenges in healthcare, Milorad Gošev of the Innovative Medicines Initiative, Tatjana Prenđa Trupec, Head of Croatian Health Insurance Fund, and Mario Ravić, Manager Engagement Practise m2m & mHealth at Ericsson Nikola Tesla also participated. Mario Ravić noted that the Company works intensively on new technology solutions and applications that will make doctors' and patients' lives easier, and his presentation on m-health also received great attention.

The conference confirmed that the key to success is quality knowledge-sharing, as well as  collaboration and bringing together experience and youth. Therefore, a special part of the conference was dedicated to start-ups and new companies, whose representatives were given the chance to show their work and received advice on further development.
 
Participants in the panel discussion and speakers at the conference tried, and succeeded, to explain to over 400 participants why it is important to address future challenges already today. This was pointed out already at the opening of the event by Dražen Klarić, Editor in Chief of Večernji list, on behalf of the organizer.

We live in an environment, where, owing to the upcoming Networked Society, everything is changing, including healthcare. The partnership among everyone participating in the development of this system is crucial in order to witness a better future of healthcare also at present moment. This is the only way in which the enthusiasm expressed at the conference could be transferred/transformed/channeled into real progress for all stakeholders in Croatian healthcare, including patients, medical professionals and state government bodies.
 
Ericsson Nikola Tesla Company Communications