“Digital Medicine Must Reach Everyday Care”
- lealedwon
- December 13, 2025
- DATA2VALUE INITIATIVE
- 0 Comments
Healthcare systems across Europe are under increasing pressure to translate digital innovation into everyday clinical practice. At the Data2Value Executive Dialogue in Berlin, Prof. Dr. Angelika Eggert, Medical Director and Chair of the Executive Board of University Medicine Essen, spoke with Claudia Dirks about how academic medicine can move from isolated digital excellence to system-wide impact.
Facing workforce shortages, rising costs and growing expectations for personalised, high-quality care, Eggert has been driving the digital and strategic transformation of one of Germany’s leading university hospitals since taking office in June 2025. She emphasised that data-driven medicine must move beyond pilot projects and fragmented innovation. “We have reached a point where university medicine is no longer viable without digital and data-driven processes,” Eggert said. “The real question is no longer whether we act – but how fast.”
Digital health journalist Claudia Dirks spoke with Angelika Eggert at the Data2Value Executive Dialogue in Berlin.
From Digital Maturity to System Responsibility
University Medicine Essen is considered one of Germany’s more digitally advanced academic medical centres. The integration of clinical, imaging, and molecular data provides a strong foundation for advanced analytics and AI-enabled care. Yet for Eggert, digital maturity alone is not enough.
“Lighthouse projects are important, but they don’t change the system,” she notes. “Transformation only happens when digital solutions reach everyday care – outpatient clinics, wards, operating rooms, and administration.”
This understanding shaped her first months in office. Rather than launching isolated initiatives, Eggert focused on listening across the organisation to identify where digital tools already create value – and where structural barriers prevent scale.
Sometimes we protect patients from opportunities that could actually benefit them.
AI Between Expectation and Accountability
Artificial intelligence plays a central role in Eggert’s vision, particularly in oncology, radiology, pathology, and surgical planning. AI systems are increasingly capable of recognising patterns that exceed human perception, enabling earlier diagnoses and more precise interventions.
At the same time, Eggert emphasises restraint. “AI is not a magic solution”, she says. “It depends on high-quality data, clear processes, and interdisciplinary collaboration.”
The challenge, in her view, is not algorithmic performance but organisational readiness: integrating AI into workflows in ways that genuinely support clinicians rather than adding complexity.
Systemic Constraints: Investment, Regulation, Skills
Eggert openly addresses the structural barriers facing digital healthcare in Germany. Years of delayed investment have resulted in fragmented IT landscapes and limited scalability. Compared to countries that invested early in digital infrastructure, German hospitals are still catching up.
Data protection presents another tension. “Sometimes we protect patients from opportunities that could actually benefit them,” Eggert argues. Trust, she believes, is built through transparency – by clearly explaining how data are used and why they matter.
Workforce constraints further complicate transformation. Digital medicine requires not only clinicians, but also data scientists, IT specialists, and interdisciplinary teams capable of translating innovation into routine care.
Collaboration as a Condition for Scale
For Eggert, cooperation is not a strategic option but a prerequisite. University Medicine Essen is strengthening partnerships with regional universities, non-university research institutions, and clinical partners in Bochum, Dortmund, and beyond.
“No one can move forward alone anymore – not in cancer medicine, not in AI, not in translation,” she says. Oncology remains her strategic anchor and a field where data-driven approaches can rapidly translate into patient benefit.
Leadership as the Missing Link
Eggert’s conclusion reflects a broader insight for healthcare systems across Europe: the potential of digital medicine is well understood – but its realisation depends on leadership.
Digitalisation must be treated as structural reform, AI as a tool, and collaboration as a mindset. As Eggert puts it: “If we want to shape the future of university medicine, we must have the courage to actually build it – not just talk about it.”
Prof. Dr. Angelika Eggert is Medical Director and Chair of the Executive Board of University Medicine Essen. Before, Eggert served as Director of the Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology at Charité – University Medicine Berlin.
