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Berlin – German University Medicine, an association of university hospitals and medical faculties in Germany, would like to promote the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and interprofessional collaboration in medicine. She placed both topics at the center of the “University Medicine Day”, which took place in Berlin for the fourth time yesterday.

In particular, the representatives of university medicine were convinced that research and patients would benefit significantly in the future through better usability of data. The data that will soon be available through the electronic patient record (ePA) represents a great treasure to which university medicine has high expectations.

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD), who was present yesterday, also emphasized this: The data from the “ePA for all” could be merged with data sets from 400 registers as well as billing data from health insurance companies. The structure will lead to new forms of care and “better medicine”. Artificial intelligence and digitalization in general would be building blocks that could optimize the German healthcare system.

“Data saves lives”. This is how Aldo Faisal, Professor of Digital Health with a focus on data science in the life sciences at the University of Bayreuth and Imperial College London, summed it up at the “University Medicine Day”. The use of AI has enormous potential, especially in the medical sector, he explained. The possible uses ranged from more precise diagnoses and individual therapeutic approaches to more efficient processes in hospitals.

But in order to fully exploit this potential, technological innovations must be aligned with the needs of patients and medical professionals, says Faisal. “AI in medicine cannot be off-the-shelf AI,” he emphasized. In addition, it will in no way replace doctors. But it will help them meet the great need for health care. “AI can give doctors more time to work with their patients and patients,” he emphasized. In addition to technological hurdles, there are also sociological hurdles that need to be overcome.

To do this, investments must be made in a “change process” at the population level, said Gottfried Ludewig, former head of the department for digitalization of the healthcare system in the Federal Ministry of Health and now working at the Telekom subsidiary T-Systems International. There would still be great concern about the unknown, especially about AI. “We are taking the debate from the wrong side,” he said. The risk of the “transparent patient” is discussed far too intensively. But you should actually ask yourself whether it wouldn’t be irresponsible not to use the data and the opportunities offered by AI for medical research.

Markus Leyck Dieken, former managing director of Gematik, is also convinced of the enormous potential of AI in medicine. “For example, AI can quickly alert doctors to little-known syndromes. We will be able to shorten the diagnosis of rare diseases from around eight years to six months,” he explained. There would also be many details that could be used to improve care through AI.

“A lot of data is generated, especially in university medicine,” said Leyck Dieken. That’s why he sees great potential here. But politicians still have to recognize that they have to become faster, he hoped for the future. “We are currently the slowest country.” Digitalization should no longer just be an additional decoration.

University medicine is ready to face the challenges, emphasized Jürgen Graf from the University Hospital Frankfurt. “We are investing a lot to be able to use the potential of AI.” There are impressive pilot projects at many locations and a very open community in university medicine. “However, people first need to feel that their work is actually being made easier,” he said. However, he is personally convinced that the advantages of AI far outweigh its disadvantages. University medicine wants to make greater use of AI in its coordination tasks if politicians give it the chance.

Another focus of the “University Medicine Day” was the importance of smooth and efficient collaboration between the various professional groups in the healthcare system. Helmut Schiffer, nursing director and member of the board of the Freiburg University Hospital. In his lecture, he highlighted the current challenges of interprofessional collaboration: mutual understanding, coordinated work processes and shared responsibility for patients.

“Listening to one another is very important, and all hierarchies must understand it that way,” said Schiffer. He is convinced that the traditional hierarchies in hospitals will no longer be able to function like this in the future. Nursing must be at the table at eye level. “Openness and respect must be the basis of future joint work,” he demanded. This is also what Generation Z wants. Interprofessional teaching is already being practiced at the Freiburg University Hospital: students and trainees in nursing, medicine and midwives are trained together. “The reform of interprofessional collaboration is not an option, but a necessity,” emphasized Schiffer.

It is crucial that everyone in the team knows what the other profession can do, emphasized Susanne Johna, Vice President of the German Medical Association and Chairwoman of the Marburg Association. Communication within a team is particularly important. “Young people no longer think in hierarchies, but in processes,” explained Martina Saurin from the Hannover Medical School. It is important for employees in management positions to create working conditions that enable working on an equal footing and a cooperative work culture. Silke Heinemann from the Federal Ministry of Health also emphasized that this makes a difference.

The German University Medicine 2024 Prize, worth 25,000 euros, was also awarded yesterday for outstanding team achievements in university medical research. This time, a team of scientists from the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) and the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) received it for an approach that is unique in the world: the “heart patch”. This uses stem cells to repair the heart muscle and is intended to permanently strengthen the heart.

According to the jury, the study is a model example of translational research, from the laboratory to clinical application, and takes on a completely new approach to the treatment of one of the most common heart diseases. What was convincing, however, was the special teamwork of the university medicine and the innovative strength. Excellent scientists worked together across locations and across disciplines over a long period of time and found an approach that is unique in the world. In addition, the research project would not have been possible without animal research taking the 3R principle into account. “This is an example of the success of university medical innovation, communication and coordination,” says Matthias Frosch, President of the Medical Faculty Association. © ER/aerzteblatt.de