IT is increasingly vital in healthcare due to digital transformation. Alongside system availability, data protection is essential. Gottfried Ludewig became Senior Vice President Health Industry at T-Systems in March 2022, overseeing initiatives for the healthcare industry and responsible for strategic business development. Previously, he headed the Digitization and Innovation department of the Federal Ministry of Health, contributing to the Digital Care Act and Patient Data Protection Act. These laws enabled electronic patient files, electronic prescriptions, and apps on prescription as well as providing interoperability specifications for research data centers. In an interview, Ludewig discusses his first year at T-Systems and digitization in healthcare.
T-Systems has grown applications and platforms alongside its infrastructure and cloud transformation services, with digital identity a prime example. T-Systems partnered with Verimi to provide 8.7 million Barmer policyholders with a secure digital identity, enabling access to electronic patient files and e-prescriptions. T-Systems collaborates with Recare on its hospital information system with discharge management capabilities, streamlining healthcare information flow. To minimize breaks in information flow, systems’ interoperability and data standardization need improvement. Closed systems are not sustainable; high security data spaces are critical.
The digitization of healthcare faces challenges, and digitization reforms are overdue. Hospital financing and structure changes need addressing. The patient file system with e-prescription obligations aims for 2024 implementation, counting on considerable progress made over the previous year.
Ludewig considers identifying opportunities alongside risks in digitization crucial; patients should make more-informed decisions about data sharing, and solutions should provide transparency, trust, or community management. In addition, AI-supported methods for diagnosis and treatment are under active development.
