Under the inspiring motto “den Aufbruch schaffen,” the Bitkom Digital Health Conference 2024 on November 28 showcased transformative insights into how digitalization is reshaping healthcare in Germany. With a focus on user-centricity, collaboration, and innovation, the conference emphasized themes that were central to the keynote delivered by Federal Minister of Health, Prof. Dr. Karl Lauterbach. He outlined both the challenges and the immense opportunities facing Germany’s healthcare system.
Lauterbach acknowledged that, despite being one of the most expensive healthcare systems in Europe, Germany’s life expectancy has fallen below the EU average. He stressed the critical role of digitalization in improving healthcare outcomes, highlighting the electronic patient record (ePA) as a cornerstone of this vision. The ePA is not only intended to provide healthcare professionals with comprehensive patient histories but also to serve as a vast “data treasure” for medical research.
Starting in 2025, the ePA, alongside the Forschungsdatenzentrum (FDZ), aims to create the most comprehensive and representative health data set globally. Lauterbach described the ePA and FDZ as two central “suns” around which all future innovations will orbit. This data repository will include a broad and very representative spectrum of information.
Lauterbach underscored further that AI will play a pivotal role in leveraging these datasets. He explained how AI can revolutionize early disease detection, leading to earlier, more precise diagnoses.
Speaking of AI: During the panel discussion, “The Future of Healthcare Through AI: Insights into the Doctor Visits of Tomorrow,” moderated by our Principal Karen Piontek, Constanze Stypula (CEO of jameda), Steffen Buchholz (Federal Ministry of Health), and Dr. Max Schmidt (Co-Founder and CRO of aisencia)discussed the transformative potential of AI in healthcare. Their key takeaways: AI holds massive potential to improve quality and quantity of care through the interplay with healthcare professionals. To leverage the AI potential however, we, as a society, need to address existing hurdles for the development, approval and adoption of AI technologies.
Such a call for courage and collaboration became a recurring theme during the conference. Speakers stressed the importance of taking decisive action rather than waiting for the perfect moment. As Lauterbach emphasized, Germany must embrace innovative solutions and reduce bureaucratic hurdles to become a global leader in healthcare digitalization.
The Bitkom Digital Health Conference 2024 made one thing clear: the future of healthcare is digital. With the right vision and collective effort, Germany has the opportunity to revolutionize healthcare and set a global benchmark. The path forward requires courage, innovation, and collaboration—and it’s up to all of us, “den Aufbruch zu schaffen”.
