I’ve spent nearly two decades working in health technology. In this time, around the globe, I’ve met with many public and private healthcare leaders, and those representing large tech companies.
One topic that’s raised consistently is the challenge of navigating change — how can we best support clinicians as they adopt new technologies, workflows, and ways of thinking?
But I believe that what we’re experiencing today is different. This is not just another wave of innovation — instead, we’re witnessing a genuine structural transformation in healthcare, driven by the emergence of technologies we could barely imagine just a few years ago — including artificial intelligence (AI) — but not only AI.
At HIMSS Europe in Paris, presenting on the Tech stage during their Innovation Day program, I explored what this shift might mean – not only for clinicians, but also for healthcare organisations and for the overall healthcare system. One of the most striking developments is the rise of real-world evidence (RWE). While the idea began in the first decade of this century (with the spread of electronic health records), it wasn’t until around 2015 that its scientific value was recognised in major publications.
Institutional uptake accelerated in the years that followed — especially during the pandemic, when big data, AI, and predictive models made it clear that RWE could play a crucial role in guiding decisions during times of uncertainty.
But what makes RWE so revolutionary?
RWE allows health systems to evolve from being service providers to become continuous generators of evidence, creating a foundation for ongoing improvement and systemic learning.
However, the potential of RWE can’t be realised unless it is successfully operationalised. What matters is the transition from real-world data (RWD) to real-world evidence (RWE), and ultimately to real-world answers (RWA).
