Amidst the complexities of Europe's healthcare system, innovation and technology are transforming the future of patient care in Italy and beyond.

In this episode of the Straight Out of Health IT podcast, Christopher Kunney welcomes Giorgia Pezzotta, a health and innovation engineer who is a Strategy and Marketing Associate at Doctolib, currently scaling Siilo, a medical communication app for healthcare professionals in Italy. Together, they explore challenges and opportunities within the European healthcare technology ecosystem, with a focus on Italy.

Giorgia shares her personal journey into healthcare, driven by her family's experiences with chronic illness, the impact of COVID-19 in her village, and her own health transformation. She highlights key challenges in the European healthcare system, including digital literacy, bureaucracy, and fragmented healthcare regulations. Giorgia discusses initiatives like the European Health Data Space and Italy’s Electronic Health Record, aimed at improving patient data sharing and digital health management.

Within their conversation, they also touch on cybersecurity, with Giorgia explaining the importance of tools like Doctolib Siilo for secure communication among healthcare professionals. They discuss the slow pace of innovation in public healthcare due to bureaucracy but acknowledge advancements in virtual care and telemedicine, especially post-pandemic. Giorgia concludes by advising professionals to find their purpose and form meaningful connections, emphasizing that each healthcare system has unique challenges and opportunities for innovation.

Tune in for insights on navigating Europe's evolving healthcare landscape and the power of technology to drive lasting change!