The First InDeeP Meeting takes place, an open debate on using and innovating with Digital Imaging in Health

Attendees came from 24 organisations in the sector, representing those most involved in the field of digital imaging, which included students, biologists, radiologists, researchers and research assistants, nursing staff, IT experts, system managers, image diagnosis service managers, Catalan health care representatives and industry figures.

The meeting’s methodology aimed to answer the following questions:

·         What kind of innovation can we expect to see in digital imaging?

·          What is the role of professionals and knowledge?

·         What infrastructure is required?

A series of simultaneous debates took place throughout the day that participants could swap between, moderated by various members of the Foundation.

Debates

The three debates focused on cross-cutting topics in digital imagining, in three discussion groups: i) New Processes and Services; ii) People and Knowledge; and iii) Technological Infrastructure. For each group, the moderators proposed a series of questions to structure the debate and encourage full participation.

Firstly, in the “New Processes and Services” group, the topics raised included: generating innovation in organisations; the need to renew current care processes to integrate innovation; mechanisms to promote research; and the organisational impact of innovation, among others. Secondly, the “People and Knowledge” group raised questions about managing knowledge and intellectual property, generating post-process algorithms, aspects of sharing images and knowledge, models of cooperation and knowledge protection, and using training tools and promoting teaching and research. Lastly, the “Technological Infrastructure” group raised issues on using platforms as cloud-based services, managing shared services, managing change and the technological impact on processes, and funding new infrastructures.

The following conclusions were reached:

·         New Processes and Services

More resources are needed to implement innovation arising in the context of research and pilots. Concerning new process proposals based on Artificial Intelligence, legal support mechanisms are needed for decisions made and certification services for platforms to ensure these tools are both reliable and applied on a day-to-day basis. Better communication is also needed between technological, care, research and industry-based profiles and sectors, working in multidisciplinary environments and with a defining structure that plans how to implement innovation and deploy it across the entire health system based on specific needs. Lastly, standardising digital imaging in Catalonia would be beneficial, as well as implementing solutions to enhance diagnosis, predictive medicine, bio-markers and recommendation of tests.

·         People and Knowledge

The current training plans for healthcare professionals and their use of innovative imaging tools need to be updated. A focus on managing change and new professional roles related to the use of technology is also needed: rather than replacing professionals with technology, the idea is to replace professionals who do not use technology. Lastly, citizens and researchers should be considered where medical imaging treatment processes are concerned, as regards ethical and legal considerations, intellectual property and user experience. For instance, image showcases or bio-bank initiatives.

·         Technological Infrastructure

Images need to be processed by a range of professionals and transformed into new image formats, which generate specialist services. The process of publishing, sharing and consulting images needs to be efficient and clear to ensure adequate processing. Strong and clear leadership is required to implement innovation and services, which needs to be complemented with health care  management so that professionals who use these tools receive adequate training. Finally, communication to access and process images needs to be ensured, with the option of distributing and accessing new services locally. Paid use and defining protocols for taking, saving and sending of images are also options to be considered.