Healthcare - trying to keep up with digital citizens

The Economic and Financial Document (DEF - Documento di Economia e Finanza) published and approved by the cabinet (Council of Ministers) in April 2017, highlights how public Healthcare will maintain the same level or economic resources. No cuts therefore, but also no increased financing. In response to growing care demands, it will be crucial to allocate available resources at best, so as to respond to citizens’ requirements and stop the dangerous decline of efficiency and quality of services which years of cuts and no investments have caused our National Healthcare system to fall into. In this context, digital innovation represents and absolute priority, a vital strategic lever often mentioned in the DEF, that envisages the implementation of the digital Healthcare Pact by 2017. The goal of the Pact is to improve healthcare services, adapting them to the new challenges – including chronicity management – while reducing costs by leveraging digital technologies. In light of the clear priorities defined in the digital Healthcare Pact, overall expenditure to digitalize Italian Healthcare in 2016 amounted to 1.27 billion euros (1.1% of public healthcare expenditure, equal to 21 € per resident), with a 5% decrease compared to 2015, when overall expenditure had been estimated to be 1.34 billion euros. To avoid squandering the limited resources available it is necessary to act urgently, promoting the combined and consistent spread of digital services and solutions that are well aware of the actual requirements of doctors and patients, and fully leverage the opportunities offered by new available technologies.
The Report aims to provide a snapshot of the main initiatives established at national level to promote digital innovation in Healthcare. Additionally, it analyses evolution trends that characterize Digital Healthcare, examining 2016 expenditure by the various players (healthcare facilities, Regions, General Practitioners, Ministry of Health), the degree of maturity and investments in major areas of innovation, the barriers to overcome and actions to implement to promote the development of digital Healthcare, with special focus on topics such as digital competences and digital innovation procurement procedures. The report also contains analyses regarding the usage and interest of General Practitioners and Internal Medicine Doctors in adopting digital solutions, citizens’ point of view as regards monitoring one’s own health, and parameters connected to individual lifestyle, also through digital tools such as Apps and Wearables.