Learning from the experience of other European health systems can
ensure the NHS makes best use of digital health technology to
benefit both patients and staff post-pandemic, according to a
report published by the Nuffield Trust.
Embedding digital technology in England’s NHS has historically
been challenging, with inadequate funding, outdated
infrastructure and limited interoperability all contributing to
slow progress.
The Covid-19 pandemic has proved a game changer for the NHS and
international health systems with a huge increase in for example,
the use of remote consultations and technology to support
patients at home. But, it is not only the NHS that has faced
challenges in making sure digital technology is embedded in the
most beneficial way for patients and health care professionals.
The attached report, Fit for the future: What can the NHS
learn about digital health care from other European
countries?, looks at the approach to digital health care
taken by five European countries who have all made significant
progress. While solutions cannot be simply transposed from one
country’s health system to another, Denmark, Finland, Sweden,
Estonia and Portugal all have successful experience that may
offer useful learning for the NHS.
Key findings include:
- The countries that have performed well in embedding digital
technology in health care benefit from the use of digital across
multiple public services, including areas such as voting and
education.
- Where digital technology is widely used to access public
services, the use of digital technologies and data to support
health care has been less controversial, widely expected and
accepted as the norm.
- To foster success, cultivating public confidence and trust in
the use of health care data must be a priority.
- Digital solutions should be designed collaboratively with
staff and end users, ensuring services are accessible to citizens
and embedding digital technology into staff education.
- The existence of a digital health infrastructure ahead of the
pandemic has assisted those countries with their response e.g.,
platforms for accessing test results.
- Across these systems, measuring progress or impact of digital
innovations in a meaningful way remains challenging. Where
possible, measures should focus on outcomes, rather than just the
availability of digital health tools.
- Long-term and sustainable investment remains crucial, but
this remains a challenge for the NHS, and other international
systems, given that much of health care is financed through
short-term, annual budgets.
The response to the pandemic has helped to highlight the benefits
to patients and health care professionals. But, to maintain this
shift in the long-term the NHS must use the learning from other
successful systems as a basis of our approach to digital going
forward.
Commenting on the research, Nuffield Trust Researcher Rachel
Hutchings said:
“Like the NHS, digital technology has played a significant role
in countries’ responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. In some cases,
this has built on years of significant investment in digital
infrastructure across all public services including health care.
Although digital transformation is not an end in itself, it will
play a key role as health systems around the world recover from
the pandemic. Despite differences between them, there is a lot to
learn by looking at the approach other countries have taken. This
will help the NHS to embed these solutions for the long-term, to
the benefit of both patients and health care professionals.”
