Digital Transformation

Thematic relevance

Digital transformation is a key requirement for an efficient, patient-centered, and sustainable health care system. It offers the opportunity to make health care processes more efficient, improve the quality of treatment, and design health care in a participatory manner together with patients.

At the same time, the health care system in Germany continues to face significant challenges in the area of digitalization. Digital infrastructures, interoperable systems, digital care processes, and telemedicine services are still underdeveloped in many places. The use of health data and the implementation of electronic health records are also still in the early stages.

And yet, secure, high-quality, and usable health data forms an essential foundation for personalized medicine, data-driven care, and digital innovations. To fully realize the potential of digitalization, not only are appropriate regulatory and financial frameworks needed, but also consistent development of digital skills among all stakeholders. 

The digital transformation can only succeed if it is approached holistically, and technological, organizational, and cultural changes are considered together. In addition to digital applications, we need new forms of collaboration, an organizational culture that fosters innovation, as well as transformational leadership and strong partnerships between stakeholders from the health care, science, business, and political sectors.

The RBIH's ambition

To consistently implement digital transformation in health care: Digital innovations and processes are reliably integrated into patient care. The stakeholders involved have the necessary skills to use these applications efficiently and securely.

The secure and user-centered integration of digital technologies and processes is a key prerequisite for a sustainable health care system. Digital innovations are intended to improve the quality of care, reduce the workload on health care professionals, and provide patients with easy, low-threshold access to health care services. The goal is to achieve a health care system in which digital applications are used as a matter of course and all stakeholders have the necessary skills to use them responsibly, efficiently, and effectively.

The impact approach: how change is shaped

The RBIH takes a holistic approach that integrates technological, organizational, and cultural changes. The focus is on key success factors: 

• A clear vision and strategy for the digital transformation of the health care system
• Transformational leadership and organizational development as prerequisites for a successful transformation
• Involvement and participation of the different user groups (including health care professionals and patients) in the development, introduction, and implementation of digital innovations
• Systematic development of digital skills for all user groups
• Innovation partnerships among all relevant stakeholders, such as health care providers, solution providers, digital infrastructure operators, and patients 
• Establishment of regional ecosystems for digitalized, cross-sector health care provision
• Trust and acceptance of digital applications
• Creating the framework conditions that drive digital transformation forward in a fast, secure, and user-friendly manner.

This topic is being addressed in particular as part of our new “Digital Transformation” regional innovation program, which is currently in the planning phase. The funding program aims to support the sustainable implementation of digital innovations into health care processes, in an interprofessional and cross-sector manner. The goal is to build a regional innovation ecosystem in Baden-Württemberg and scale the results to the national level. The first call for proposals is scheduled for late 2026.

Digital transformation is a cross-cutting issue that is consistently and strategically integrated into all RBIH areas of activity and taken into account in RBIH initiatives.