Collaborating for Digital Health and Care in Europe

With the support of BeWell.

 

• “What lies ahead for health workforces: Health and care workforce optimization through data and digital” by Cris Scotter, WHO
• “The European health and care workforce crisis: insights into solutions” by Matthias Wismar, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, Belgium
• “Building digital skills leadership in Scotland” by Emma Scatterty, NHS Education for Scotland, UK
• “Workforce development: The cornerstone of digital transformation in Swedish healthcare” by Åsa Olsson, The National Board of Health and Welfare, Sweden

🗣️ Speakers

► Session introduction: What lies ahead for health workforces: Health and care workforce optimization through data and digital

Cris Scotter, HRH Policy Advisor, World Health Organization (WHO)

Cris opened the session by exploring what lies ahead for the health and care workforce. His focus was on optimising current and future conditions for the workforce through the use of data and digital health. He began by offering an overview of work done by the WHO European Region’s 53 countries. Eighteen months ago, in October 2023, the WHO European Region adopted a framework for action consisting of five pillars. Its timeline for action leads up to 2030. "It is a massive agenda" Cris said. Essentially, "Let's change the way and shape we do things." "We have to utilise technology in the way we deliver care." Improving health at scale, and leveraging digital transformation for better health, are crucial; so too is governance, on which Cris placed great emphasis. Eight solutions exist to enhance health workforce performance. One is capacity-building through improving digital competencies through undergraduate education and continuous professional development. Cris's important parting message was all about the need for "building technology into your workforce planning, supply, enablement, and day-to-day training."

► The European health and care workforce crisis: insights into solutions

Matthias Wismar, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, Belgium

Europe is indeed experiencing a health and care workforce crisis. A big picture transformation needs to take place. Having and using more digital skills could really help: their lack hampers the smooth running of Europe’s health and care systems. In Matthias’s insightful words, “There’s no resolution of the health and care crises without resolving [the twin challenges of crises in] digital skills ... and digital health literacy.” There are at least six catastrophes underpinning the overall workforce crisis, which constitute their many faces and different roots. As Matthias argued, "This crisis is not going away soon ... [so]  it's not only about fire-fighting ... it's also about planning for the future." A good reference source is the 2022 WHO European Region report entitled, “Health and care workforce in Europe: time to act.” 

► Building digital skills leadership in Scotland

Emma Scatterty, NHS Education for Scotland, UK

Members of the health and care workforce in a myriad different occupations need up-to-date and forward-looking digital skills. A deep-dive was offered into how to approach and implement a country-wide skills programme for digital skills. The informative example of Scotland was explored in detail. Emma introduced the country’s approach to building digital skills and leadership. She drew on three Scottish strategies and plans for digital, data, and delivery, which aim to create a health and social care system that supports safe, effective, and efficient care in the digital age. The outcome is intended to be the top priority of a workforce with the capability and confidence to use data, information, and technology effectively. Eight elements are required to “get it right”. They respond to six existing challenges, including the need to overcome any lack of a digital mindset at senior level especially by ensuring “senior leadership buy-in". The country’s Building Digital Skills and Leadership Programme is a response to workforce needs. Based on an underpinning framework, the programme has identified six vital skills, knowledge, and behaviours essential for application at the individual, team, or organisational level. Workforce members are encouraged to move through a set of “learning pathways” and to “work with a digital mindset”. Indeed, there is a leadership offer for every level of the workforce, "from the most senior ... to all roles". Teams are also encouraged to learn together, since Scotland considers that it is multi-disciplinary, multi-professional "teams that drive change".

In Scotland, lots of free-to-access national resources exist. They include a learning network for 3,000+ members, a digital champions network, and a Microsoft M365 Skills Hub full of webinars and guides that has 18,000 users a month. Overall, the country’s approach is clearly structured and comprehensive. It provides an interesting direction that other countries might find useful to examine and eventually also implement. Scotland would be delighted to hear what you are doing and to share more information with you as well; hence, Emma ended with the key message, “Connect with us.”

► Workforce development: The cornerstone of digital transformation in Swedish healthcare

Åsa Olsson, The National Board of Health and Welfare, Sweden

Sweden’s healthcare system faces mounting challenges, including workforce shortages, increasing care demands, and growing patient complexity. Åsa started by outlining the Swedish national board’s aims and objectives, and specifically its perspectives on digital transformation. Sweden’s systemic difficulties need to be addressed. She drew on two examples: one successful, one less so. Solutions need to be handled differently in various parts of the country, due to the variance and diversity between regions. First, the Region Halland as a leading example of how workforce development and digital transformation can work to provide good patient-centred care, and showed how it is one of the country’s best regions for healthcare quality and accessibility. Åsa emphasised the region's use of e.g., artificial intelligence, real-time dashboards, data following the individual, primary care linkage to hospital care, and strong leadership. Overall, the region's approach can be an example to others: its success may provide a scalable, individual-centred model for other regions to consider in their own transformation efforts. As Åsa emphasised, "Region Halland is a good place to visit, and to get inspired [by] the benefits of the Region Halland approach."  In contrast, in November 2024, Västra Götaland – one of Sweden’s most populous regions – learned three vital facts about potential weaknesses when it introduced the Millenium electronic health record system in its own region. People had insufficient training and preparation; they were faced with increased administrative workloads; and they were subject to several technical and system failures, and safety concerns. Nine other Swedish regions are using the same system, which poses difficulties related to budgets, procurement, and legalities.

Clearly, it can be hard to transfer even good experiences. Knowledge transfer inside a country can be key: hence, Sweden is "trying to bring the regions on board". To help, Åsa examined five basic misconceptions about change. She finally outlined seven criteria to support the introduction of new (digital) methods: they range from relevance to adaptability. Training on their importance needs to grow. Ultimately, digital transformation needs to be aligned with workforce development.

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This session outlined an interesting variety of solutions to the challenges that lie ahead for Europe’s health systems, services, and workforces. It opens the door to what kinds of upskilling and reskilling need to take place, and what might be Europe’s strategies and plans. Implementation and scaling-up will be key, whether for regions, nations, or Europe as a whole.