From Care Pressure to Impact: technology that truly supports healthcare

How do you use digitalisation and AI in a way that actually reduces the pressure on healthcare professionals? That question was at the heart of Van Zorgdruk naar Slagkracht (From Care Pressure to Impact), the healthcare innovation event hosted by E-mergo and Mendix in Rotterdam. Healthcare organisations, IT professionals and other stakeholders from the sector discussed digitalisation, data, AI and above all what it takes to turn technology into real impact.

It quickly became clear how much the participants recognised in each other. Whether in elderly care, acute care or the public sector: administrative burden, fragmented systems, capacity issues and the adoption of new technology came up again and again.

One key insight: digitalisation is not automatically the same as reducing workload. An extra application or digital channel can actually create more complexity. The challenge is therefore not simply to add more technology, but to design processes more smartly and make sure digital tools fit them well.

Ingrid ten Napel of Dagelijks Leven showed what this can look like in practice. Information for relatives was spread across different places and channels. The ambition became to create one recognisable and secure digital entry point where information and contact around the resident come together.

The focus is not on the technology itself, but on the user. What does a relative want to see first? Which information should be easily available? And how do you make sure staff spend less time on administration and have more time for the resident?

The roundtable also delivered a clear message: don't start with the IT solution, start with the problem you want to solve. Processes and data need to be in order before AI or automation can truly add value. At the same time, you need to listen carefully to the people who will work with a solution every day.

Adoption often turns out to be one of the biggest challenges in practice. By involving staff early and aligning solutions with their daily needs, they can ultimately become the most important ambassadors of change.

Abel Verweg of Mendix then took participants through the possibilities of low-code and AI. From capacity planning and voice-driven reporting to intelligent assistants that unlock information from different source systems: there are plenty of opportunities to remove frustration and give time back to staff.

But here too: innovating for the sake of innovating makes little sense. A digital tool should avoid simply becoming the next channel. Value only arises when technology makes processes simpler and genuinely helps staff in their work.

By the end of the afternoon, recognition was the dominant feeling. Organisations differ in size and way of working, but often run into similar problems. By sharing experiences and solutions with each other, new ideas emerged on how to tackle those challenges.

The key takeaway of the afternoon? Impact doesn't come from simply deploying more technology. It starts with understanding the real frustration, improving the process and involving the people you're doing it for. Digitalisation and AI can then help make that change scalable and create more room for care.