The transformation to digital healthcare is well underway, and the future hospital is not a dream, it is real. Two hundred and twenty health contributors from Finland and beyond discussed new trends and solutions for future healthcare at Health DemoDate in Oulu.
This year’s biggest event in the health business sector, Health DemoDate, returned to Oulu on 18 April, 2018 with a sneak peek into the future of healthcare. How physical and how virtual will the future hospital be? What kind of solutions need to be deployed to secure better, patient-centred and cost-efficient healthcare services? Health professionals and leading health-tech companies were looking for answers to these questions at the Oulu Areena.
2030 and beyond, what is the future hospital about?
With all the advances in health innovation these days, it’s easy to picture the hospital of the future. First of all, breaking the barriers of hospital walls seems to be one of the most important issues. Health DemoDate was an excellent opportunity to get to know the innovative solutions that will help to deliver ‘smart’ healthcare services, both inside and outside hospital walls.
During the morning session, the participants listened to the latest highlights from leading Finnish healthcare providers: Oulu University Hospital, South Karelia Social & Health Care District, Kuopio Health, Health Campus Turku, Central Finland Health Care District and Pihlajalinna. For example, Teemu Kemilä gave a presentation on the Future Hospital 2030 programme. The main idea behind this initiative is to modernize Oulu University Hospital (OYS) and prepare it for the use of the most advanced technologies, such as 5G, IoT, AI, VR, AR and big data analytics. Health DemoDate also attracted big-name companies that contribute greatly to the advancements in the health sector, both in Finland and abroad. Representatives of Microsoft Health and IBM presented their insights on future trends in healthcare. The agenda also included visiting the company stands and matchmaking. The afternoon session focused on presenting Nordic TestBeds and their activities, cooperation with the private sector and their role in the future hospital. At the end, companies such as Monidor shared their experiences from the product testing process.
‘I think what you do in Oulu is amazing. There are lots of lessons we will be taking back to Wales with us. I really like the way in which you invite companies or businesses to work on solutions to healthcare challenges. At DemoDate, it was interesting to see the wide range of products and services that can be used in healthcare,’ said Leanne Watkins, Associate Director for Service Redesign in Wales.
This event was the perfect opportunity not only to have a look inside the future hospital but also to expand networks of contacts and find potential business partners. With so many key representatives of the health industry, networking and exchanging experiences was easier than ever.
‘It’s great that here we could talk not only with health companies but also with hospital representatives, because we are all working on the same issues. There is a strong need for networking in the health sector, and OuluHealth has provided a suitable place for it. It’s my second time at DemoDate and I will definitely participate again,’ said Andreas Härtel from the Scandinavian Business Hub.
‘I had high expectations and I can now say that DemoDate has met them all, so, in my opinion this was a very successful event,’ commented Antti Backman, CEO at Delektre.
According to Outi Sepänniitty, Dales director at QuietOn, and Anssi Ylimaula, CEO at KIDE Systems, above all, companies hope to expand their network of contacts by participating in events like this, and DemoDate perfectly fits their needs.
Speakers’ presentations
AI Innovation in Healthcare – Hanna Nikkilä
Test bed as a platform for innovation – Hanna Nikkilä
Future Hospital 2030 – Teemu Kemilä
Health Campus Turku – Eriikka Siirala
Hospital Nova of Central Finland – Teuvo Antikainen
Katri Länsivuori – EKSOTE
Benefits of test bed activities – Anna Attefall
Experiences from the testing process – Monidor
From ideas to products, Test cases – Jørn Kristiansen
Future Hospital OYS 2030 – Timo Alalääkkölä
Guidelines for testing – Fred Kjellson
Nordic cooperation – Bent-Håkon Lauritzen
NoTeB, Nordic test Beds – Kalevi Virta
Photos of the event, click here
