"Operation digitalization"

10 December 2018

The ESO-report (The Expert Group on Public Economics) Operation digitalisering (Operation digitalization), by Mårten Blix, IFN, and Charlotta Lavay, Lund University, was presented at a seminar. The authors write about digitalization in the health care sector and demand a more pragmatic view on the topic. While many individuals can already today seek health care (advice) via the internet and thereby become better informed patients, this does not necessarily imply that health care has become less expensive for society, explained Blix. Having said that, Blix also mentioned results from an American study that shows that well-informed patients are easier to treat and reduce the costs of health care by 20 percent.

2018-12-10 Mårten Blix ESO2.jpgMårten Blix, IFN, is one of two researchers behind the ESO-report "Operation digitalisering" about the use of new technology in the health care sector.

 

Blix explained that there is a need for a goal-oriented national agenda in order to achieve an effective digital health care.

"The greatest gains from digitalization in the health care sector are gains in network and economies of scale from the use of several platforms", said Blix. He added that today the information flow between regions, as well as between regions and private health care providers and eldercare is not fully functional.

Britt Östlund, professor at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), commented on the report. She mentioned among other things that a trend in contemporary health care is that it is becoming more and more available in the patients’ homes.

Read the report and watch the seminar (in Swedish).

Translation from Swedish: Marcos Demetry

Published December 10 2018