Vitalis attracts Norwegian doctors: "We need external impulses"

Where journeys once led to the United States, the Norwegian Medical Association is now turning its attention to Vitalis in Gothenburg. The aim is to gain new perspectives, build professional networks and pave the way for closer Nordic collaboration.

This spring, a delegation from the Norwegian Medical Association will attend Vitalis. The organisation represents 96 percent of all doctors in Norway.

One of the participants is Ivar Halvorsen, a general practitioner, chair of the association’s IT committee and member of Norway’s National Council for eHealth.

– We need to come to meeting places where we can receive impulses from outside. Most of us working with eHealth know the Norwegian context very well. But we need other perspectives, and European and Nordic impulses are particularly interesting, he says.

The Norwegian Medical Association has previously organised international delegation trips, but this is the first time Vitalis has been selected as the destination.

– We have earlier sent doctors to conferences in the United States, but that has become less relevant. We now see that Vitalis can be at least as valuable, Halvorsen says.

Vitalis replaces the United States as a source of international inspiration

The purpose of the trip is to give clinically active doctors, from both primary care and hospitals, the opportunity to network and gain new knowledge in eHealth.

– It is about bringing together a smaller delegation of doctors working in this field and giving them the opportunity to take knowledge and inspiration back home.

Halvorsen highlights Vitalis as an important meeting place for new ideas and perspectives.

– We need to look beyond our own national context and meet across borders.

The Vitalis exhibition offers a broad overview of the latest developments in digitalisation, clinical informatics, AI in healthcare and systems that support doctors in their daily work.

– From similar conferences, we have learned how important it is to understand which opportunities are now emerging. I believe we can learn a great deal about what is about to happen by visiting the exhibition, he says.

– Vitalis provides a strong overview, both technically and organisationally, of how healthcare is developing right now.

Digitalisation, AI and the need for better integrated systems

The use of digital tools is increasing rapidly in Norway, but according to Halvorsen, development has not been evenly distributed. Over a five year period, municipalities fell behind. Today, the situation looks different, partly due to the work on national digital prescriptions.

– We also see that a very large number of doctors are using AI to support the transcription of patient consultations.

At the same time, he points to the need for better integrated systems within healthcare.

– There are many digital solutions, but the problem is often that they do not connect with each other. This leads to a great deal of duplicated work.

Ahead of Vitalis, Halvorsen is looking forward to exploring new digital solutions, learning how other countries approach eHealth and meeting colleagues from neighbouring countries.

– Nordic cooperation has the potential to mean far more than it does today. There is great value in getting to know each other across national borders. Vitalis is a place where everyone comes together and works towards the same goal.

Vitalis is the Nordic region’s leading meeting place for the future of health, care and social services, with a focus on e-health, welfare technology and innovation. It brings together key stakeholders from the public sector, academia, politics and industry to drive the development of sustainable healthcare.

About Vitalis