The pandemic has highlighted the need to be able to find quick and precise answers to urgent and out of control problems. Big data may be the keystone but it is clear to everyone how much our system is still unprepared to grasp this transformation. What is missing? A program for sharing and integrating clinical and administrative data, for example. “Just think that each Region has its own autonomy and a completely independent data archiving system, not integrated in the territory and unable to communicate in a harmonious way. There is no single control room that integrates the information systems of the hospitals with those of the territorial and national structures that manage the health of citizens “, says Ennio Tasciotti, scientist expert in medical biotechnologies, in the role of host of the talk “Roche Now”, dedicated to the theme of Big Data and personalized medicine. The third of 5 episodes of the talk analyzes the issue from the point of view of the control bodies, in a dialogue with Beatrice Lorenzin, former Minister of Health.
Healthcare, use of digital data. Lorenzin: “We need to speak in one language only”
What would it mean for the national health system to access data in an easier way and use it to the fullest? “The uneven use of hospital management platforms has complicated the sharing of digital data and knowledge acquired so far”, continues Tasciotti. But the pandemic acted as an accelerator: “There has been an exponential increase in bookings made via the web, payments for online health services and consultation of one’s digital medical record. The transformation is underway and it is up to institutions and regulatory agencies to support it “. First of all, we need clear rules on how to access and use data. And a far-sighted vision is needed that identifies data as assets to be valued.