Imagine a world where patients and healthcare providers can access medical records from any hospital at any time, where telemedicine becomes the norm, and AI-driven diagnostics lead to better patient outcomes.
Hopefully, this will be the future sooner rather than later. Because currently, all countries still heavily rely on outdated systems, legacy technology, and paper records to track patient data. But some countries like the UK, US, Netherlands, Denmark, and of course — Lithuania are moving their healthcare sectors in this direction.
While there are plenty more countries that are trying to revolutionize and advance their healthcare system into the digital world, everyone runs into its unique challenges. However, some problems are universal, that’s why there’s always much we can learn from their success and even more so — failures.
So, let’s explore how Lithuania can benefit from the experiences of other countries’ healthcare IT.
Embrace Electronic Health Records (EHR) & Interoperability
The transition to EHRs is a universal trend seen in most countries, albeit with different approaches.
Denmark and the Netherlands exemplify excellence in EHR implementation with centralized systems, such as Sundhedsplatformen and National Switch Point (LSP), respectively. These systems provide a unified and comprehensive view of a patient’s medical history, enabling doctors and other healthcare providers to see all the relevant information at a glance. This includes previous diagnoses, treatments, medications, lab results, and even notes from different healthcare professionals.
It can exchange data with other health IT systems used within the countries, making it easier for different healthcare services (e.g., hospitals, primary care, specialty care) to collaborate and coordinate patient care.
In the US, although there’s no centralized EHR system, providers increasingly use EHRs to improve care coordination and patient outcomes. However, this can lead to difficulties in sharing and accessing patient data across different organizations. This lack of interoperability creates inefficiencies and can hinder the quality of patient care.
Centralized systems overcome interoperability challenges seen in fragmented healthcare structures like the US — facilitating seamless data sharing among healthcare providers. And if privacy is a concern, the Netherlands tackles it with a “Selective Access” solution, LSP doesn’t provide healthcare specialists with access to all medical information at once, just what is relevant for them. For instance, a pharmacist doesn’t need access to all of a patient’s health information, just their medication history.
Takeaway #1 — Lithuania’s EHR system is interoperable at a national level. However, the next step should be to ensure it is interoperable with international systems. This would facilitate seamless data exchange across borders, providing crucial health information in cases where Lithuanians receive care abroad, or when foreign nationals need care within Lithuania. Introducing a common structure and terminology for health data is crucial for effective data exchange and reducing misunderstandings or errors in patient care.
Telehealth, Remote Monitoring & Digital Accessibility
As seen globally, telemedicine has become an essential component of healthcare ecosystems, notably emphasized during the COVID-19 pandemic. It offers a platform for healthcare providers to remotely connect with patients, saving time and resources while ensuring swift, critical care. In addition, real-time health indicators can be tracked using remote monitoring technologies, which enable a proactive and personalized healthcare approach.
Nonetheless, the success of telemedicine implementation is subject to two major challenges: network coverage and user proficiency.
Countries like the UK and the US, for instance, have grappled with providing consistent network coverage, especially in rural and underserved areas. Telemedicine depends heavily on a reliable and robust digital infrastructure to deliver its benefits effectively. Thus, their focus has been on ensuring that their healthcare systems have the technological backbone to support telehealth services across all regions.
On the other hand, the Netherlands and Denmark have advanced past the challenge of coverage, focusing their efforts on improving the usability and accessibility of these digital platforms. The complexity of healthcare platforms can often lead to confusion or miscommunication among users.
In the case of Lithuania, which boasts widespread internet coverage, even in rural areas, the challenge lies in the second category. The focus should be on user experience and digital literacy.
Takeaway #2 — Software solutions are just as important as hardware limitations. Even though we have some of the best Internet coverage available our software solutions still need to be adjusted — ensuring they’re easy to use and understand for healthcare providers and patients alike.
AI-driven Diagnostics and Personalized Care
AI-driven diagnostics are increasingly used in the UK and US healthcare sectors to identify patterns in data, leading to more accurate diagnoses and improved patient outcomes. Additionally, personalized care solutions help patients manage their health, particularly those with long-term conditions.
However, In 2018, UK’s Royal Free Hospital was found to have shared 1.6 million patient records with Google’s AI subsidiary, DeepMind, without proper consent. This raised concerns about data privacy and the ethical use of AI in healthcare.
Takeaway #3 — Establish clear guidelines for data privacy, consent, and the ethical use of AI-driven diagnostics and personalized care technologies to ensure patients’ rights are protected.
Data Security and Compliance
Both the UK and the US prioritize data security and compliance, with regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the US and the UK’s data sovereignty mandates. Healthcare providers must ensure that their IT systems are secure, compliant, and capable of withstanding cyber threats.
One such threat was made very public In 2017. The NHS experienced a ransomware attack called WannaCry, which affected thousands of computers and disrupted healthcare services.
Takeaway #4 — Prioritize data security measures and compliance with industry-specific regulations, and implement robust cybersecurity strategies to protect sensitive patient data and healthcare IT infrastructure.
Obviously implementing IT in the health sector is both complex, risky, and time-consuming. There are a lot of different parts that have to move together for the mechanism to work properly. Network structure, Cloud structure, Software UI/UX, Cyber security, AI & ethics, compliance issues, and much more. While the future is still uncertain, one thing we know for sure — the platforms of tomorrow will run on the Cloud.
