The final day of the ICT&health World Conference had a dual focus: the digital health momentum of European and international healthcare stood side by side with the importance of nurses in the care ecosystem, said chairperson Sunnie Groeneveld. Both topics were translated into a series of well-attended keynotes and side sessions.
Martin Dorazil, Deputy Head of the Digital Health and European Reference Networks Unit at the European Commission, shared Europe's strategic direction for building a connected, secure and patient-centred digital healthcare system in today's kick-off.
Central to this is the European Health Data Space (EHDS), a flagship initiative of the EU when it comes to supporting standardised, secure digital data availability. He outlined a clear timeline for the EHDS, which has in fact been partially in effect since 2025. March 2029 is an important moment, because by then the rest of the regulation will have to be translated into legislation. ‘But the real work has only just begun, namely moving from theory to practical implementation.’
And that will be easier for some EU Member States than for others. Not every country is at the same stage, while some countries already had legislation that needs to be amended because of differences with the EHDS. That can be just as complex. It therefore remains important for each Member State to involve all relevant stakeholders as early as possible in every step of the process.
Humans are the most intelligent algorithm
According to Myriam Fernández Martín, Head of Health Innovation EMEA at Amazon Web Services, cloud and AI technology is not an end in itself, but a prerequisite for strengthening the human dimension in healthcare. She mentioned that humans are still by far the most intelligent algorithm, shaped by millions of years of evolution.
Decision-making in healthcare is not only determined by data, but also by context, culture and emotion. At the same time, compassion is under pressure due to high workloads, administrative burdens and fragmented patient information. Doctors and nurses spend hours every day on administration and work with countless unrelated applications.
This contrasts with the changing behaviour of patients, who are increasingly using AI and want access to their own data. Although the healthcare sector generates the most data worldwide, the majority remains unused due to a lack of structure. Fernández Martín therefore emphasises the importance of robust cloud infrastructure, clear governance and a layered AI approach. ‘AI can support healthcare professionals,’ she concludes, ‘but only if they understand how the technology works and what added value it offers for themselves and their patients.’
Focusing on better outcomes
Eugene Waterval, Director of Nursing, Research & Education at Nemours Children's Hospital Orlando, then argued that structural improvement in patient outcomes starts with nursing processes, supported by data and technology. He places this in the context of a problem that has been known for decades, namely preventable hospital incidents, which has led to a growing focus on data-driven quality improvement.
Data is necessary for this, but only effective when it is used in a targeted manner and linked to concrete processes. Nemours focuses explicitly on prevention and long-term health, supported by technology such as virtual nursing and remote monitoring from a central Clinical Logistics Centre. This approach contributes to fewer readmissions and better clinical outcomes.
At the same time, the workload for nurses remains a point of concern. According to Waterval, clear goals, collaborative learning and the close involvement of nurses are essential for technology to actually contribute to better care. A recurring point in Waterval's argument is the importance of clear objectives. Without clear goals, measurement is of little use. ‘Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets,’ says Waterval. If you want better outcomes, you must first clearly define what is being measured and why.
And the winner is...
At the end of the plenary morning session on the third day of the ICT&health World Conference, the ICT&health Awards were presented. A total of five winners were crowned in five categories from a field of 23 nominees.
The prizes were presented by Conny Helder, chair of the editorial board and professional jury of ICT&health, together with chairperson Sunnie Groeneveld. The winners received the bronze statue, designed by South Limburg artist Marion Backus.
- In the category of Healthcare Transformation with Impact, the award went to the KOMPAZ Foundation. The jury particularly appreciated the way in which informal carers are equipped with training and digital support, which contributes to their own control and relieves the burden on healthcare.
- The award for Smart Technology in Practice was given to Zuyderland Medical Centre for its large-scale and structural use of home monitoring for more than 11,000 patients.
- In the Data and Digital Infrastructure category, the winner was the Met spoed beschikbaar (Available urgently) programme, which structurally improves digital data exchange in the ambulance sector.
- The Patient and Citizen as Partner award went to Laurine Beele for her commitment to the participation and empowerment of young social media users.
- Finally, Health-Thing was named the winner in the Public-Private Partnership category for connecting education, healthcare and young healthcare professionals via a social learning platform.
Focus on women's health
The day ended with a personal and socially poignant keynote speech by Amber Voldegel, co-founder of Health and Parenting. She outlined her entrepreneurial journey from the early days of the App Store to building and scaling up a globally used pregnancy app that ultimately reached 150 million women. By looking closely at user needs, making smart technical choices and learning from mistakes, Pregnancy Plus was created, designed for global scale and clinically sound information.
Voldegel emphasised the responsibility that comes with disseminating health information to millions of users, especially in contexts with low health literacy. After the sale to Philips, her focus shifted from commercial success to social impact. Her new initiative focuses on accessible, privacy-friendly technology for women's health, with locally processed data and free availability. The keynote underscored how technological innovation, ethics and inclusivity can come together.
See you next year!
Although the ICT&health World Conference 2026 can now be considered concluded, the same cannot be said for the conference's goal: bringing people, ideas and innovations together to advance healthcare: from doctors to nurses, from healthcare professionals to patients, from ministers to citizens. And from local to global.
With a magazine, a website, podcasts and, in January 2027, another international conference, ICT&health will continue to pursue this goal: together with its Innovation Partners, the Editorial Board and everyone who contributes to the platform. You are also very welcome to join us: at the ICT&health World Conference 2027, but also through all our other forms of communication.
