Zeitgespräch; Digital Health: Wege zu mehr Qualität und Effizienz im Gesundheitswesen

The public healthcare system faces a dual challenge: it must ensure quality and guarantee needs-based, affordable care. The digital transformation opens up the opportunity to noticeably improve medical quality and organise care more efficiently. Data-based approaches enable personalised medicine, a stronger focus of care on individual needs and performance-based remuneration models. Structural obstacles still stand in the way of progress in Germany: short-term incentive systems, isolated solutions and a fragmented data landscape make it difficult to scale digital innovations on a large scale and transfer them to standard care. At the same time, specific applications show the potential that already exists today. Remote patient monitoring, for example, enables continuous digital care for patients in their familiar home environment – with demonstrably positive effects on clinical outcomes, patient safety and resource utilisation. The digital transformation can now become a real lever – for greater quality, efficiency and sustainability in the healthcare sector. This requires the integration of new data sources, interoperable systems and a culture of targeted data utilisation in the service of healthcare.