Prof Martin Curley
Chair, Irish Digital Health Leadership Steering Group
From a standing start, Ireland has made remarkable progress in establishing a vibrant digital health SME system.
Digital health is recognised as a new discipline providing great potential to transform the healthcare system. Despite outstanding performance in economic growth, digital deployment (Ireland is fifth in the EU DESI) and outstanding clinicians, the Irish healthcare system is ranked very low (number 80) in the ranking of global healthcare systems by CEO World.
Healthcare investment
Globally, digital health is seeing record levels of venture capital investment, and Ireland is seeing more entrepreneurial activity in the industry.
Ireland is building an Open Collaborative ecosystem to rapidly improve our healthcare system. Undirected innovation can lead to much waste, slow progress and inefficiencies. To orchestrate the efforts and innovation to fix the Irish healthcare system, we are using the Open Innovation 2.0 methodology. Additionally, we use the Stay Left, Shift Left 10X strategy and doctrine to help align, amplify and accelerate our collective efforts.
Historically, it has been very difficult for Irish Digital Health SMEs to penetrate the Irish Health Service. This has created at least two problems: lack of innovation in health services and Irish Digital Health SMEs being forced to go abroad.
Globally, digital health is seeing record levels of venture capital investment, and Ireland is seeing more entrepreneurial activity in the industry.
Recognising leaders
A culture of openness and the adoption of the Open Innovation 2.0 (OI2) living labs approach has allowed effective collaboration and co-creation with a network of Irish Digital Health SMEs.
HSE Digital Transformation has worked closely with Enterprise Ireland, IDA, SFI, IDHLSG and others to foster an environment where digital health solutions and research can be successfully iterated in clinical settings.
Together with Leo Clancy, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, we will announce the First 25 at the UNGA Science Summit in New York on September 26th and at the Smart Health Summit in Croke Park on September 28th — the top 25 indigenous Digital Health companies and CEOs in Ireland for 2022 working with the Irish Health System. Five Irish companies will be physically present in New York, sharing their solutions and 10X benefits, Silvercloud, PMD Solutions, Halocare, Redzinc and Phyxium.
This list is prepared based on how well each company is helping enable the Irish Digital Health Strategy ‘Stay Left, Shift Left -10X’ and have been assessed based on 12 criteria. This includes better care, lower cost, better experience and better quality of life.
Digital health contribution
With companies collaborating in a vibrant ecosystem, the future is surely bright with lengthened lives and economic growth delivered in parallel. The digitalisation and virtualisation of care mean sustainability benefits, avoiding travel and minimising the risk of infection for patients.