Digitization in healthcare: First meeting of the Data Management Expert Group
In the healthcare sector, there is still a lack of technical and structural orchestration of meaningful data management. On Monday, the first meeting of the expert group on data management, which was commissioned by the Federal Department of Home Affairs, took place.
At the beginning of the year, the Federal Council commissioned the Federal Department of Home Affairs, together with the Conference of Health Directors, to design a specialist group for holistic data management in the healthcare sector. The Covid 19 pandemic in particular has demonstrated why more uniform standards are needed for exchanging data, so that it can be collected only once and used multiple times, for example. This will also allow for cost savings. According to the Federal Office of Public Health, more up-to-date information also guarantees efficient care for the population and more research opportunities.
The expert group is made up of representatives of the federal government, cantons, organizations and interest groups in the healthcare sector, as well as experts from the field of data science. Hospitals, pharmacists, health insurers and the research-based pharmaceutical industry are also represented. At a first meeting on November 19, the working group has now identified initial fields of action for improving data management in healthcare. These will be fleshed out and prioritized by the next meeting in November 2022.
According to the federal government's announcement, the Data Management Expert Group is to create a common overarching architectural understanding, agree on and ensure the development of standards, and adopt existing international standards. These standards are to be broadly supported and adopted as national recommendations after consultation.
Source: BAG/Editorial Office
