The new approach to the organisation of digitalisation and data in healthcare is a continuous process
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The article sheds light on the proposal for a new way of organising work on digitalisation and data across health sectors, as recommended by the Health Structure Commission. In this context, Troels Andersen, a PA health expert, was interviewed about the need for this restructuring and the challenges that come with it.
PA Consulting has contributed to the Health Structure Commission᾿s insights on the organisation and management of work with digital solutions and data in the Danish healthcare system.
Troels Andersen says:
“Data and digitalisation have become such an integral part of healthcare innovation, the development of new treatments, and new diagnostic methods, that continuing to operate in separate silos is no longer viable. They need to work in close proximity. That’s why this issue needs to be addressed.”
“The commission’s proposal for a cohesive organisation must be developed within a clear vision that centralisation does not mean opposition to local bases. The commission itself states that it’s a matter of managing trade-offs. A trade-off between establishing clear central structures to set a direction and then developing the necessary competencies to support local needs,” says Troels Andersen.
He continues:
“Units must be large enough to have the necessary competencies and resources to handle the tasks professionally. At the same time, they need to be close to those who have the substantive responsibility for the task resolution and be able to have a dialogue with them about their needs. You cannot let a thousand flowers bloom, but you also must not stifle decentralised innovation. This is something that is being worked on around the world, and it is very challenging.”
“The commission rightly notes that implementing a digitalisation strategy that interconnects better with the health sector is a significant organisational and implementation challenge.”
“It is also reflected in the report that if you start this process, you must also expect that it will consume effort that could be directed towards other initiatives. The commission also provides a quite nuanced point that this is not something you can just do, and then all your problems are solved. There is still an implementation journey before you can reach their recommended position. It’s not a trivial task that you just fix and then move on to other work in the healthcare system.”
“If you look at the work the regions have done since the last structural reform in 2007, this has involved consolidating their digitalisation activity and beginning to work more collaboratively to professionalise and manage their system portfolios. And they are continuing to work on this.”
There are always opportunities for improvement and new solutions continuously emerge.
“This is ongoing work, so it should be seen rather as setting a direction than a transformation that will be completed by 2030. But having a plan and some goals would be good,” Troels Andersen concludes.
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