Spain’s Digital Health Revolution: Key Takeaways from ASD’s 10th Annual Conference
17/02/2025Spain’s Digital Health Revolution: Key Takeaways from ASD’s 10th Annual Conference
Spain’s digital health landscape is evolving rapidly, and at the forefront of this transformation is the Asociación de Salud Digital (ASD). Their 10th Annual Conference, Present and Future of Digital Health, brought together key players from the public and private sectors to tackle the biggest challenges in healthcare digitalization.
As a company dedicated to advancing interoperability and real-world health data, Promptly Health was proud to attend—and even prouder to see our CEO, Pedro Ramos, take the stage in a crucial discussion on health data interoperability. From AI in healthcare to the promise of personalized medicine, the conference offered a deep dive into the future of Spain’s National Health System (SNS).
Here are our key takeaways from this milestone event.
When it comes to Digital Health in Spain, one name consistently stands out—the Asociación de Salud Digital (ASD). For the past decade, ASD has played a pivotal role in shaping the country's healthcare digitalization efforts. Every year, their highly anticipated conference gathers top experts from both the public and private sectors to discuss the latest challenges and opportunities in ensuring Spain’s National Health System (SNS) remains a leader in Europe—equitable, sustainable, and innovative.
This year, ASD’s 10th Annual Conference, titled "Present and Future of Digital Health," opened with insights from Jaime del Barrio Saone, President of ASD, and Federico Llinares, President of EY and DigitalES (the Spanish Association for Digitalization).
Hosted by journalist Marta Jaumandreu, the event was structured into four dynamic panel discussions, each addressing a critical aspect of Spain’s digital health landscape.
A National Strategy for Digital Health
The conference kicked off with a big-picture view from Juan Fernando Muñoz, Secretary General for Digital Health at the Ministry of Health. He presented Spain’s National Digital Health Strategy, outlining where the country stands and the roadmap ahead. (Curious? You can check out the strategy here).
Interoperability: The Wild West of Health Data
The first panel, “Interoperability of Data in Digital Health,” brought together experts who didn’t hold back. Jordi Piera, Director of the Digital Health Strategy at Servei Català de la Salut, moderated the session, featuring Amelia Martín (Farmaindustria), Pedro Ramos (CEO of Promptly), and Juan Luis Cruz (Hospital 12 de Octubre).
They tackled a major issue: Spain has a wealth of health data, but is it being used effectively? Experts dubbed interoperability "the Wild West", highlighting the challenge of ensuring data quality across the entire healthcare system. But here’s the twist—it’s not a technology problem. It’s a human one.
The real challenge? Getting everyone on the same page about how to collect, use, and share health data responsibly. The panel emphasized the need for secure, standardized, and scalable health data catalogs, not just to improve care but to position Spain competitively in the global health data economy.
Personalized Medicine: Beyond Traditional Healthcare
Next up: “The Last Mile of Personalized Medicine,” moderated by Álvaro León Camacho (EY), with insights from Joaquín Dopazo (Fundación Progreso y Salud), Teresa Ramos (Roche), and Carlos Tellería (IACS).
Their message was clear: we can’t keep practicing medicine the same way.
With more data available than ever before and a highly connected patient population, digital health is opening new frontiers. The panel explored how data-driven approaches are revolutionizing:
Clinical research, making drug discovery more efficient
Diagnostics, increasing precision and accuracy
Remote monitoring, allowing for proactive, personalized care
The key takeaway? High-quality data is the foundation. Without proper integration and analysis, the potential of personalized medicine remains untapped. And here’s the kicker—Europe’s digital health ecosystem must align with international frameworks to stay competitive.
AI in Healthcare: The New Frontier
AI is already transforming healthcare, but how do we scale it safely and equitably? That was the focus of the third panel, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation in Healthcare,” moderated by Rocío Montalbán (Cantabria Regional Health Ministry). Panelists included Ignacio López Parrilla (Philips Ibérica), Elena Sánchez-Viñes (Amadix), and Emilio Rico (TRC).
AI is making waves in radiology (where structured data is abundant), but what about diagnostics? The discussion revealed a pressing challenge:
📌 How can companies access European health records to train AI models?
📌 How do we educate healthcare professionals to work alongside AI?
📌 What ethical and regulatory hurdles need to be addressed?
Spain’s Ministry of Health is taking action, launching a national repository of AI use cases to guide regional adoption. The consensus? AI is here to stay, but its integration must be thoughtful, ethical, and secure.
Final Thoughts & What’s Next
As the event wrapped up, Jaume Raventós, Managing Director of Hospital del Mar and ASD Vice President, reinforced the importance of collaboration, regulation, and investment to keep Spain at the forefront of digital health.
At Promptly Health, we’re committed to preparing the ecosystem for this data-driven future. That means building high-quality, OMOP data catalogs and equipping healthcare systems to compete in the new health data economy. Interoperability isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the key to unlocking a smarter, more efficient, and patient-centered healthcare system.
🚀 The future of digital health is here—are we ready?
Stay tuned for more updates, and let’s keep the conversation going!
🔗 to the sessions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-PXovQr8jE
