Future of Health

Hoe is het om ambulanceverpleegkundige te zijn? In deze aflevering van de @ICT&health Podcast spreekt Lucien Engelen met ambulanceverpleegkundige John Joosten over de realiteit achter de sirenes. Van indrukwekkende patiëntcasussen en moeilijke beslissingen tot de kracht van sociale media, technologie en de toekomst van de ambulancezorg.John deelt openhartig waarom hij begon met het schrijven van blogs over zijn werk, hoe hij duizenden zorgprofessionals en studenten inspireert via LinkedIn en Instagram, en waarom transparantie, reflectie en ervaring essentieel zijn in de acute zorg.Wil je niks missen van ICT&health en toegang krijgen tot alle premium artikelen? Kies het lidmaatschap dat past bij je rol of organisatie en blijf op de hoogte van de ontwikkelingen die de toekomst van de gezondheidszorg bepalen. Lid worden: https://bit.ly/lidwordenicthealth 

Tijdens een studiereis met een groep Belgische ziekenhuis IT specialisten naar Dubai, had ik meerder conversaties met Jo vander Schueren, de CEO van Jarviss. Een van die gesprekken ging over de uitdagingen in dit tijdperken AI, worden de dreigingen groter, of -met hulp er van- beter ? We deden dit dunnetjes over eenmaal terug in eigen land. Jarviss is een bedrijf wat veel zorgorganisaties in België helpt, en nu ook in Nederland actief is, die ik op hun verzoek ondersteun de zorgmarkt nog beter te begrijpen.

Nurses : notes in your pocket, trailing messages & colleagues, a thousand tasks to fill and three phones in your scrubs. Sounds familiar èh.With the ever-increasing number of programs, screens and systems handling during shifts did not get easier, there are growing places to interact with and find info. In my travel and speaking activities I came across a program of Microsoft with a name that (growing up in acute healthcare) caught my attention, #MSFrontline which kind of promised a solution for just that. Never heard about it and they explained it to me as kind of one place where it all comes together, pulling data from the different systems and giving you a multi-communications platform. Yeah, I know heard that one before... But in my work helping solve healthcare’s challenges, like clinicians getting more satisfaction out of their work, I thought it made sense to have a brief conversation over here about it. Particularly when they started to explain to me what they've done to other 'frontlines' like airlines.Join me for a brief 20-minute explanatory conversation during which I'm curious to hear from you if this is what we were waiting for, with Tulsi Keshkamat of Microsoft, not for a sales pitch! (Disclosure: they do compensate for my time.)

Myriam Fernández Martín, Healthcare lead AWS :💙 I became a nurse to care for people. I moved to the cloud to make sure millions more could be cared for too.That's the lens I carry with me. Every single day.I sat down with Lucien Engelen and Jessica Workum on the ICT&health Global Podcast to explore a question that keeps me up at night:How do we build resilience into healthcare without losing its soul?Here's what I believe 👇1️⃣ 🏥 The cloud isn't cold infrastructure, it's the backbone of healthcare systems that can bend without breaking2️⃣ 🤖 AI doesn't replace the clinician's instinct, it sharpens it. Early detection. Pattern recognition. Precision that saves lives3️⃣ 🌍 Europe is writing the next chapter leading with values, sovereignty, and innovation that puts patients first4️⃣ 💙 Behind every data point is a heartbeat, a diagnosis, a family waiting, a life that matters. That's the compassThe question isn't if healthcare goes digital. It's whether we have the courage to make it human-first.Because sooner or later, we all become patients. And when that moment comes, the system we built should be ready, resilient, compassionate, and worthy of trust.

We roepen vaak dat de zorg moet veranderen, maar in de praktijk blijven we vaak hangen in oude patronen. In de nieuwste ICT&health Podcast spreekt @Marjolein Heemels klare taal over de noodzakelijke transitie in de zorg.Marjolein Heemels en Eugène Waterval vertellen over het magnetmodel: een accreditatieprogramma dat onderzoekt waarom verpleegkundigen in sommige ziekenhuizen blijven en in andere vertrekken. Het geheim zit in professionele autonomie, zeggenschap over praktijkhandelen en een cultuur waarin verpleegkundigen voorop staan bij zorginnovatie.

Breaking habits, not foundations. Jeroen Tas."Changing the healthcare sector is not a sprint, but a marathon against the current. In the latest podcast with Lucien Engelen for @ict & Health, Jeroen Tas shares how we can use AI for better patient outcomes and why we must dare to let go of control a little."

This is the first essay sharing my thoughts about the transformation needed around AI, and is at ground level, establishing the foundational principles and clarifying why healthcare must treat AI as infrastructure rather than as departmental software. The second essay I'm developing will dive more deeply into the how-to, how we transition from operational implementation to strategic transformation, addressing the ecosystem approach that extends beyond individual organizations. That second essay (probably in a series of 3-4) will also explore a critical shift in perspective: how we ourselves become an integral part of this infrastructure, rather than merely being passive users of it. But first, let's take a clear-eyed look at what is happening now, at the current state of AI implementation in healthcare, why well-intentioned efforts are struggling, and what the actual barriers and opportunities are. 

During the ⁠ICT&health World Conference⁠, ⁠Lucien Engelen⁠ sat down with Amber Vodegel. Why does the best tech talent end up at TikTok instead of healthcare? Amber sold her company to Philips and took a year off. But sitting still wasn’t an option. Inspired by Rutger Bregman’s ‘Moral Ambition’, she decided to put her talent where it truly matters. The result is 28X, a femtech app for cycle tracking that does everything differently. No subscription to log your own health, no data sales, no ads. Amber explains why venture capital is bad news for consumer health apps and how she’s building a model that puts the user first.Recorded at the @ict&health world conference 2026 Maastricht.

Predicting the next Pandemic with Dr. Larry Brilliant.The next pandemic will not be a virus. During the ICT&health World Conference, Lucien Engelen sat down with epidemiologist Larry Brilliant for a focused conversation on what he sees as the real global threat: a worldwide pandemic of chronic disease that is shortening healthy life expectancy and quietly destabilising healthcare systems and economies.Brilliant draws a sharp line between living longer and living healthier. The widening gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy is, in his view, the defining challenge of our time. Prevention is no longer a public health slogan. It is a strategic imperative.For ICT&health Global, this conversation goes to the heart of healthcare transformation. Technology, AI and data matter. But only if they help extend healthy years, strengthen prevention and support system level redesign. Brilliant also reflects on the eradication of smallpox and what true global leadership and coordination can achieve when urgency meets collaboration.For policymakers, health leaders and innovators shaping the future of care, this is essential listening.Listen to the episode and join the global conversation on prevention, leadership and sustainable healthcare systems. SummaryIn this engaging podcast episode, Dr. Larry Brilliant discusses his remarkable journey in public health, including his pivotal role in eradicating smallpox and his insights on pandemics, healthspan, and innovations in healthcare. He emphasizes the importance of communication in public health and the need to address the growing healthspan-lifespan gap. Dr. Brilliant also shares his thoughts on overcoming barriers in public health and the collaborative efforts that led to the success of the smallpox eradication program.Dr. Larry Brilliant played a crucial role in eradicating smallpox.The movie 'Contagion' was inspired by the H1N1 pandemic.Life expectancy has doubled, but healthspan has not kept pace.The U.S. ranks poorly in healthspan compared to other countries.Chronic diseases are a growing concern in public health.Preventable diseases account for a significant portion of health issues.Innovative strategies are needed to improve health outcomes.Communication is key in public health messaging.Collaboration was essential in the smallpox eradication effort.The success of smallpox eradication serves as a model for future public health initiatives. sound bites"Fiction is a better communicator than facts.""We need to find a way to solve that.""We did it and we sent the tire."Chapters00:00 The Journey of Dr. Larry Brilliant04:36 Pandemics: Past, Present, and Future09:25 The Healthspan-Lifespan Gap12:31 Innovations in Healthcare and Longevity16:22 Overcoming Barriers in Public Health22:42 The Eradication of Smallpox: A Triumph of Collaboration

How can we improve physician, nurse and care team collaboration?Interprofessional collaboration, patient engagement, healthcare innovation, nursing, AI in healthcare, patient education, healthcare culture, simulation training, self-care, and healthcare barriers. An episode moderated in December 2025 by Lucien Engelen with Alessio Morley-Fletcher, MD, MMSc, Marjolein Heemels (RN, MSc, MHA) Heemels and Dave deBronkart (e-Patient Dave) deBronkart.This conversation explores the critical theme of interprofessional collaboration in healthcare, emphasizing the roles of patients, nurses, and physicians. The discussion highlights the importance of patient engagement, the impact of AI, and the need for cultural shifts within healthcare systems. Key insights include the necessity of shared governance structures, the value of simulation training, and the call for proactive patient involvement in their care. The participants share their experiences and perspectives on overcoming barriers to collaboration and improving healthcare delivery.Takeaways:-Interprofessional collaboration is essential for effective healthcare delivery.-Patients should be seen as active partners in their care.-AI can augment decision-making but should not replace human collaboration.-Cultural shifts are necessary to improve healthcare systems.-simulation training enhances communication and teamwork among healthcare professionals.-Self-care initiatives empower patients to manage their health.-Governance structures can facilitate better collaboration in healthcare.-Reducing cognitive load can improve patient and provider experiences.-Healthcare professionals need to be trained together to foster collaboration.-Engaging patients in their care leads to better outcomes.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Interprofessional Collaboration06:16 The Role of Nurses in Healthcare09:28 Patient Involvement in Healthcare Decisions12:28 Physician Perspectives on Collaboration15:13 Cultural Barriers in Healthcare16:12 AI's Role in Patient Care20:15 Patient Academy: Empowering Self-Care23:54 Motivating Patients and Nurses27:29 The Importance of Communication in Healthcare31:02 Moving from Healthcare to Well-Care32:44 Interprofessional Collaboration in Healthcare Training35:46 The Role of Simulation in Medical Education38:22 Technology and Human-Centered Design in Healthcare41:17 Patient Participation and Shared Governance44:11 Tangible Actions for Improving Collaboration47:04 Building Governance Structures for Better Care49:04 Navigating Healthcare Access and Patient Empowerment