Competition - Competition - CollaborationCollaboration

Andris OzolinsAndris Ozolins

Business Development DirectorBusiness Development Director

MebiusIT, LatviaMebiusIT, Latvia

Is there a problem?Is there a problem?• Who really needs eHealth?Who really needs eHealth?

– Doctors?Doctors?– IT people?IT people?– Patients?Patients?– Civil servants?Civil servants?– Who likes it most? Who needs it most?Who likes it most? Who needs it most?– IT – as a problem? As a solution?IT – as a problem? As a solution?

• How do IT and healthcare people talk to one another?How do IT and healthcare people talk to one another?– Do they understand one another?Do they understand one another?– How do manager of large hospital or health agency feel when How do manager of large hospital or health agency feel when

visited by IT company?visited by IT company?– How do LITTA and association of hospitals relate to one another? How do LITTA and association of hospitals relate to one another?

Is there room for improvement? Why yes, why no?Is there room for improvement? Why yes, why no?– Do healthcare people feel understood by IT vendors?Do healthcare people feel understood by IT vendors?– How do IT people feel (as patients) when have spoken to How do IT people feel (as patients) when have spoken to

healthcare people (their doctors)?healthcare people (their doctors)?

• Why spend anything on IT? Instead of :-Why spend anything on IT? Instead of :-– buying better treatment equipment and materials,buying better treatment equipment and materials,– doing rennovation of buildings and rooms,doing rennovation of buildings and rooms,– providing extra treatment service to patients,providing extra treatment service to patients,– just improving compensation to medical personel?just improving compensation to medical personel?

What can be the root What can be the root of the problem – diagnosis..of the problem – diagnosis..• Different interests and prioritiesDifferent interests and priorities

– IT company wants to IT company wants to sellsell their technology and solutions their technology and solutions– Healtchare provider wants to Healtchare provider wants to sellsell treatment to the treatment to the

patientpatient both are both are revenue motivatedrevenue motivated

• Different languagesDifferent languages– IT likes technologies and their IT likes technologies and their terminologyterminology (“english”) (“english”)– Healthcare – likes treatment and their Healthcare – likes treatment and their terminologyterminology

(“latin”)(“latin”)• Both provide service -> also Both provide service -> also to one anotherto one another....• When the goal is only revenue based – When the goal is only revenue based –

cooperation is mostly short-term / transaction cooperation is mostly short-term / transaction based..based..

• Yet - if one needs / wants long-term agendaYet - if one needs / wants long-term agendaWhat could be done, what can be What could be done, what can be the waythe way- out of short-term, fire-fighters agenda- out of short-term, fire-fighters agenda- towards...?- towards...?

... WAY OUT ...... WAY OUT ...• IT – learn to IT – learn to focus on focus on patients and treatmentpatients and treatment more more

– as healthcare people do– as healthcare people do• IT – learn to talk the language healthcare people talk IT – learn to talk the language healthcare people talk

– learn to know (and like) their culture– learn to know (and like) their culture• IT – find IT – find where healthcare is open for innovationwhere healthcare is open for innovation and and

treat those pockets of interest with special caretreat those pockets of interest with special care• IT – learn to IT – learn to collaboratecollaborate

when providing various techologies and solutions when providing various techologies and solutions – no collaboration -> no big projects – no collaboration -> no big projects then - no much advancement in the sectorthen - no much advancement in the sector

• Healthcare – to be patient and strict with IT, Healthcare – to be patient and strict with IT, look for quality, experience, unity and long term allianceslook for quality, experience, unity and long term alliances– Those that seem to Those that seem to trust one anothertrust one another,,– Those who like one another – not only because of short term income,Those who like one another – not only because of short term income,– Those – will want to know how to build lasting relationships with you in Those – will want to know how to build lasting relationships with you in

healtcare as well.healtcare as well.• One of such examples for such synergy is the group of IT One of such examples for such synergy is the group of IT

companies – companies – “MebiusIT” “MebiusIT” “Hewlett Packard” “Hewlett Packard” “Oracle” “Oracle” – being – being expertsexperts in their own field and desiring to in their own field and desiring to serve as one serve as one teamteam..