Industry Leaders from Hospital de Sant Pau and Huawei today outlined a vision of how digital technology can make hospitals more efficient and improve patients' lives.

Speaking at an event held at the Sant Pau Art Nouveau, Dr. Alfons Torrego, Medical Director at Sant Pau Hospital, outlined the current context of digital transformation in the healthcare sector. He highlighted projects currently being implemented by Sant Pau, and explained the ideal scenarios for digital transformation and innovation initiatives in healthcare.

Dr. Josep Munuera, Director of the Diagnostic Imaging Service at Sant Pau, discussed the potential of AI as a powerful tool to enhance and optimize processes such as imaging diagnostics and the development of predictive models. He emphasized that these advancements could enable a more efficient implementation of precision medicine, tailoring treatments to individual patient needs with greater accuracy and effectiveness.

During a round table, participants emphasized the importance of collaboration between public and private organizations to drive innovation and efficiency in healthcare. They highlighted the hospital's partnership with Huawei as a prime example, focusing on data storage and security solutions. Such partnerships are essential for enabling secure digital transformation in the healthcare system, ensuring that sensitive patient data is protected while fostering a modern, efficient infrastructure.

Sant Pau is expanding its technological capabilities to address the complex challenges of modern medicine. Under the leadership of Dr. Josep Munuera, the hospital has launched a new research group in Advanced Medical Imaging, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Image-Guided Therapy.

In a similar vein, Dr. Abdel Hakim Moustafa, director of the Dimension Lab at Sant Pau, led the hospital's advancements in 3D technology. His work in 3D modeling, digital twins, and 3D-printed customized medical devices has revolutionized the approach to complex surgeries, allowing for patient-specific planning that enhances surgical precision and safety. The Dimension Lab's use of virtual surgical planning and digital twins exemplifies Sant Pau's commitment to personalized medicine and illustrates the hospital's leadership in combining clinical expertise with cutting-edge technology.

Dr. Hakim Moustafa explained the importance of interdisciplinary coordination. He highlighted how biomedical engineers, doctors, and nurses at Sant Pau are working together to bring digital health solutions. This collaborative approach aims to enhance patient care by integrating advanced, tailored healthcare technologies into clinical practice.

Digital tech's contribution to innovative care at Sant Pau's can be seen in "Being Digi-Sapiens," a documentary series made by Warner Brothers Discovery with support from Huawei.

The series is hosted by YouTuber Simone Giertz, who points out that, in the past, patient records have consisted mostly of doctors' hand-written notes. Today, such records comprise thousands of data points spread out across numerous platforms, often taking the form of images such as X-rays, sonograms, and CAT scans. All of this data must be rapidly accessible and protected with the most resilient, fault-tolerant IT systems available.

Huawei is doing its part to help put this goal within reach. Since 2020, Huawei has been Sant Pau's leading strategic partner in state-of-the-art storage systems. Huawei supplied Sant Pau with an all-flash storage solution providing medical staff near-instant access to patient data when needed. The solution features the latest backup, recovery, and anti-ransomware technologies ensuring the highest levels of patient data protection.  

"By working together with institutions like Saint Pau, we hope to make life easier, safer, and more connected for communities across Europe. " said Mr. Kenneth Fredriksen, Senior Vice President of Huawei Europe Region. "Huawei remains deeply committed to partnering with organizations from all sectors to bring intelligent digital solutions to every corner of society."