We invite you to read the first article in the series “12 o’clock on the 12th,” where we will discuss innovations in Polish hospital care. Starting from January 2025 and throughout the year, always on the 12th day of the month, articles about the latest technological solutions that are already having a huge impact on the way healthcare is provided will appear on the website www.mcsc.pl.
Contemporary healthcare in Poland is at a pivotal moment. Medical innovations, including digital technologies and artificial intelligence, are entering hospitals, clinics, and private practices, changing the way we treat and care for patients.
However, modern technologies are not just about changing equipment – they also represent a completely new approach to healthcare, which involves numerous challenges but also enormous opportunities.
Technologies that are changing medicine
According to the “Top Disruptors in Healthcare 2024” report[1], over 64% of Polish medical startups are implementing technologies based on artificial intelligence. AI systems are used, among others, in imaging diagnostics, where they show high precision in detecting pathologies such as cancerous changes. The use of artificial intelligence also enables the personalization of therapy through the analysis of medical data and the selection of optimal treatment methods[2].
Thanks to the development of telemedicine, patients can benefit from remote medical consultations, which particularly helps people living in smaller towns where access to doctors can be limited. In turn, the digital transformation of healthcare in Poland is becoming a priority, and the implementation of the European Health Data Space aims to bring medical systems closer across the European Union[3]. This will make data exchange simpler, and treatment more consistent and effective.
Collaboration with innovators. Mother and Child Startup Challenge – a medical sandbox
Innovations in medicine are not solely the work of technologists. Many projects implemented in Poland would not have succeeded without collaboration with public institutions. An example of such cooperation is the Mother and Child Startup Challenge competition, organized by the Institute of Mother and Child. Winning the competition allows startups to test new solutions in real clinical conditions. Thanks to such initiatives, the development of innovative technologies becomes more adapted to the specific needs of patients, especially in the area of health for pregnant women and children.
In the 3rd edition of MCSC, innovators presented, among other things, real-time health monitoring systems[4]. Projects of this kind can become a catalyst for the development of the medical innovation ecosystem. However, providing resources that enable data sharing and creating regulations conducive to rapid testing and implementation of new solutions in the healthcare sector remain key.
Unique challenges of the Polish health system
Despite enormous progress, Polish healthcare still faces many challenges. The shortage of medical personnel, especially in smaller facilities, means that although new technologies could improve diagnostics, there are often not enough specialists to operate them. Additionally, modern technologies like artificial intelligence or telemedicine require adherence to strict regulations concerning the protection of patients’ personal data. Therefore, creating appropriate legal provisions that safeguard patient privacy while enabling the use of modern technologies becomes crucial.
Financial issues cannot be forgotten either. Although technology offers huge possibilities, its implementation involves significant costs – both at the level of medical facilities and public administration. Lack of sufficient funds for developing digital infrastructure and purchasing modern medical equipment limits the potential of the health sector.
The human factor and the approach to new methods are also significant. We must remember that implementing innovation requires not only modern technologies but also education for medical personnel and building patient trust in new solutions. Incorporating education about new technologies already at the stage of medical studies and continuous postgraduate training for medical staff is essential to fully utilize the possibilities we already possess.
What awaits us in the future?
Despite these difficulties, Poland is focusing on medical innovations, which is also evident in actions at the European Union level. Within the framework of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2025, health has become one of the most important priorities[5]. This particularly involves promoting health prevention, protecting the mental health of children and adolescents, and developing the digital transformation of healthcare[6].
Experts predict[7] that in the coming years, we will witness the further development of technologies such as digital twins of patients, which will allow for more accurate modeling of treatment processes, or the Internet of Medical Things, which will connect devices monitoring patients’ health status in real time. All this aims not only to improve treatment efficiency but also to increase access to medical services, especially in regions where a significant shortage of healthcare sector workers is noticeable.
Summary
Medical innovations are the foundation of the future of Polish healthcare. Modern technologies, such as artificial intelligence, telemedicine, or IoMT systems, have a huge impact on improving the quality of health services and enable better diagnostics and personalization of treatment. However, to fully utilize their potential, we must overcome organizational, financial, and educational challenges.
Collaboration between medical facilities, public administration, and technology companies is crucial to create an efficiently functioning innovation ecosystem that meets the growing health demands of society.
Author:
Tomasz Maciejewski, MD, PhD
General Director
Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw
Bibliography:
- Lisowska K., Polska prezydencja w UE. Jakie są zdrowotne priorytety? [Polish Presidency of the EU. What are the health priorities?] pulsmedycyny.pl, https://pulsmedycyny.pl/system-ochrony-zdrowia/zdrowie-publiczne/polska-prezydencja-w-ue-jakie-sa-zdrowotne-priorytety/.
- Matuszak J., 10 najpopularniejszych trendów w służbie zdrowia [10 most popular trends in healthcare], https://knowhow.distrelec.com/pl/medycyna-sluzba-zdrowia/10-najpopularniejszych-trendow-w-sluzbie-zdrowia.
- Motyl M., Polska przejmuje prezydencję w Radzie UE – uroczysta gala w Warszawie [Poland takes over the presidency of the EU Council – ceremonial gala in Warsaw], termedia.pl, https://www.termedia.pl/mz/Polska-przejmuje-prezydencje-w-Radzie-UE-uroczysta-gala-w-Warszawie-,59677.html.
- Pawlik A. A., Trendy i wyzwania cyfrowej transformacji opieki zdrowotnej [Trends and challenges of the digital transformation of healthcare], “Gazeta Lekarska”, August 27, 2024.
- Report “Top Disruptors in Healthcare 2024”, aiwzdrowiu.pl, https://aiwzdrowiu.pl/raport-tdih/.
- Znamy TOP10 tegorocznej edycji Mother and Child Startup Challenge [We know the TOP 10 of this year’s Mother and Child Startup Challenge edition], mcsc.pl, https://mcsc.pl/znamy-top10-tegorocznej-edycji/.
- Europejska przestrzeń danych dotyczących zdrowia [European Health Data Space], commission.europa.eu, https://health.ec.europa.eu/ehealth-digital-health-and-care/european-health-data-space_pl.
- W resorcie zdrowia o priorytetach zdrowotnych polskiej prezydencji w Radzie UE [In the Ministry of Health about the health priorities of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU], prawo.pl, https://www.prawo.pl/zdrowie/polska-prezydencja-w-radzie-ue-priorytety-zdrowotne,530593.html.
[1] See: Top Disruptors in Healthcare 2024, https://aiwzdrowiu.pl/raport-tdih/ [access 7.01.2025].
[2] See: https://executivemagazine.pl/zdrowie/sztuczna-inteligencja-coraz-mocniej-wchodzi-w-medycyne-potrzebna-wielka-baza-danych-pacjentow/ [access 7.01.2025].
[3] See: European Health Data Space, https://health.ec.europa.eu/ehealth-digital-health-and-care/european-health-data-space_pl [access 8.01.2025]; W resorcie zdrowia o priorytetach zdrowotnych polskiej prezydencji w Radzie UE [In the Ministry of Health about the health priorities of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU], prawo.pl, December 17, 2024, https://www.prawo.pl/zdrowie/polska-prezydencja-w-radzie-ue-priorytety-zdrowotne,530593.html [access 8.01.2025].
[4] Among others: Aptamedica, EFM, NanoCarbon Group, Omnidermal, SynDiag, UES. See: https://mcsc.pl/znamy-top10-tegorocznej-edycji/
[5] Cf.: Milena Motyl, Polska przejmuje prezydencję w Radzie UE – uroczysta gala w Warszawie [Poland takes over the presidency of the EU Council – ceremonial gala in Warsaw], termedia.pl, 3.01.2025, https://www.termedia.pl/mz/Polska-przejmuje-prezydencje-w-Radzie-UE-uroczysta-gala-w-Warszawie-,59677.html [access 7.01.2025]; Katarzyna Lisowska, Polska prezydencja w UE. Jakie są zdrowotne priorytety? [Polish Presidency of the EU. What are the health priorities?] PulsMedycyny.pl, 5.01.2025 r., https://pulsmedycyny.pl/system-ochrony-zdrowia/zdrowie-publiczne/polska-prezydencja-w-ue-jakie-sa-zdrowotne-priorytety/ [access 7.01.2025].
[6] K. Lisowska, Polska prezydencja w UE… [Polish Presidency of the EU…]
[7] Cf.: Agnieszka A. Pawlik, Trendy i wyzwania cyfrowej transformacji opieki zdrowotnej [Trends and challenges of the digital transformation of healthcare], “Gazeta lekarska”, August 27, 2024, https://gazetalekarska.pl/trendy-i-wyzwania-cyfrowej-transformacji-opieki-zdrowotnej/ [access 8.01.2025]; Justyna Matuszak, 10 najpopularniejszych trendów w służbie zdrowia [10 most popular trends in healthcare], https://knowhow.distrelec.com/pl/medycyna-sluzba-zdrowia/10-najpopularniejszych-trendow-w-sluzbie-zdrowia [access 8.01.2025].