– “We still spend more than the EU average on care in hospitals. It is the costliest method of care. We spend less on long-term care and preventive treatment than the EU. Patient feedback indicates that doctors do not spend enough time with patients. The situation is improving somewhat, but much remains to be done”, she said. She stressed that the availability of preventive treatment should increase so that patients do not end up in hospital unless they are seriously ill. Early diagnosis and initiation of treatment play a key role.
– “If improving healthcare is a long-term process, maybe we start with relatively simple measures that can immediately bring visible improvements and benefits. Having succeeded with this, we will have more permission to make changes and take more complex and costly measures”, she said.
The use of data to improve the quality of treatment, prevention, and early diagnosis was also discussed by representatives of Swiss companies during the debate. – “We use data in our work as well because quality is important and we must measure it”, said Irma Veberič, CEO of Roche Polska. – “We have to care not only about individual elements of treatment but also the entire diagnostic and therapeutic pathway of the patient, starting with preventive testing, screening, and proper diagnosis before treatment”, she said. She pointed out that ensuring broad accessibility to molecular tests in oncology will allow the right treatment to be provided to patients in need. She emphasised that Roche wants to participate in the public debate in Poland, especially in terms of using data to develop solutions to support healthcare. – “With our experience, knowledge, and teams of experts, we would like to participate in the discussion about what the future of healthcare might look like in Poland.”
Few hospitals use AI
The improved treatment efficiency thanks to the fuller use of medical data was also discussed by Monique Clua Braun, Country President and General Manager at Novartis Poland. – “At Novartis, which is an innovative company, we put a lot of work not only into the development of modern medicines but also speeding up the diagnostic and therapeutic pathway for patients. The earlier we start treating patients correctly, the better the effects of the treatment”, she said. She admitted that she was pleased with the progress in patients’ access to innovative therapeutic solutions and the search for new definitions of what the effect of treatment should be. – “We need partnerships to be effective. None of us can act alone. We need joint discussion and deliberation, including on the use of technology. Only 6% of hospitals are using artificial intelligence, which shows that we still have a long way to go. We already have the data. The question is how to use it for the benefit of patients and the whole system”, she said.
When asked about how to use these processes in terms of investment, Laurent Renaudie, Country President Sandoz Poland, replied that his company takes care of social responsibility. – “We can ensure that Polish patients have access to medicines, such as antibiotics and painkillers. That is why we plan to further develop our factories in Poland.”
Gertruda Uścińska, President of ZUS (Social Insurance Institution), emphasised that extensive data held by ZUS provide an accurate depiction of employees’ health status and enable the prediction of illnesses that particular occupations and industries are likely to experience. Thanks to the monitoring of sick leave, it is also possible to observe the state of health of the population in real time, which proved its worth during the pandemic. Electronic sick leave, introduced five years ago, has been a huge success, with 130 million certificates issued to date.