Healthcare IT – Shifting from ownership to use

The Netherlands has one of the best healthcare systems in Europe.

But is it also one of the most innovative? For several years in a row, the quality of the Dutch healthcare system has ranked as one of the best in Europe. Accessibility and availability of care are high, and everyone has a clinic or hospital close by. 

But when it comes to innovation in healthcare, many people are less impressed. “Innovation” conjures up images of big data, robots, IoT and new technologies, but innovation also means how (healthcare) organisations go about change. Healthcare is in constant flux, and while change is the only constant, the capacity for innovation is often limited by the corporate culture, internal and external processes and the working environment. 

Dissatisfied patients

The overall picture of Dutch healthcare might be positive, but if we ask patients, this isn’t always the case thanks to long waiting times, a different healthcare provider every time, being treated like a number or limited access to medical documents. There is certainly some room for improvement.  

Hospitals are aware of the perpetual issues and are now taking measures to make sharing patient data more efficient. For this reason, the Patients and Professionals Information Exchange Acceleration Programme (VIPP) has been created, giving patients more insight into their care. While it’s a step in the right direction, we’re still lagging behind in many areas. And it doesn’t make up for the other issues. But what is the root cause?  

Healthcare IT infrastructures

We can no longer afford to go without modern information and communication technology. IT is the beating heart of every organisation and healthcare is no different. So what happens when this life-force can no longer deliver the required performance?  

Most healthcare providers can often improvise to some extent thanks to many years of experience, mitigating the damage, but this is only ever a temporary solution as the process of delivering care can quickly break down. So, what’s the solution? A clear vision for the procurement, use and maintenance of IT solutions. This way, personnel are no longer held back by the sub-par performance of outdated equipment, analogue data processing or limited availability of devices.  

Limited budgets

Even more so than other (commercial) companies, many healthcare facilities are facing the challenge of trying to use their limited budget as effectively as possible. Procurement departments tend to see the budget as a limitation rather than an enabler, 

which is a shame, as the key to success often lies at the financial level. Big investments into IT projects only happen in emergencies and not generally because of an eagerness to innovate. This is understandable, because these things are generally a huge undertaking. But they don’t have to be! A growing number companies are considering paying based on what they actually use rather than for ownership.