Building Ireland's digital health ecosystem: How smarter use of digital can transform healthcare
There is no denying that Ireland’s health system faces significant pressures, including lengthy waiting lists, overworked staff, and rising demand resulting from demographic changes. Yet within this challenge lies a real opportunity.
Health and Life Sciences
Around the world, countries are showing that the smarter use of digital tools can transform healthcare, making it safer, more efficient, and more effective for patients and healthcare professionals alike.
Ireland has the talent, the technology, and the ambition to do the same. But we need to move beyond paper-based systems and put digital at the heart of how we deliver care. At its core, digital health is about connecting people and information. Done right, it can provide instant access to patient information, reducing duplication, errors, and delays. It also empowers and enables patients to track and share their own health information.
In a system that spends too much time chasing paper, waiting for letters, or repeating tests, at the very least, better use of digital can free up scarce staff time by automating routine processes, from referrals to test scheduling.
Safety first
One of the strongest arguments for digital health is patient safety. When medical information, safety alerts, and health records are digitised and integrated, errors are reduced and trust increases. It is great to see progress being made in this via the HSE app but there is more to do to ensure interoperable records are available across the healthcare system.
A 2023 HIQA engagement found that patients overwhelmingly support their clinicians having secure, real-time access to their medical information mean fewer missed allergies, fewer medication errors, and smoother handovers between care settings.
Learning from international leaders
Ireland does not have to start from scratch. Other countries are proving what is possible when digital health is prioritised.
Estonia has built one of the world’s most advanced national electronic health record systems. Every citizen’s health data is linked to their national ID and accessible across hospitals, GPs, pharmacies, and even social care.
Denmark operates a national patient portal that allows citizens to access their prescriptions, test results, and vaccination records. Clinicians share the same data in real time, making transitions of care seamless.
The UK and France are leading in the responsible adoption of AI. The NHS has piloted AI tools to support radiologists in detecting cancers and to identify strokes more quickly. France has taken further steps, piloting reimbursement models for digital and AI tools while creating regulatory “sandboxes” where innovators can test technologies under supervision.
The rise of AI
Perhaps the most exciting development is the arrival of artificial intelligence in healthcare. AI promises faster diagnoses, personalised treatment plans, and predictive models that can radically reduce adverse events. Sounds great, right?
AI relies on high-quality digital data, and a system still reliant on paper cannot provide the scale and consistency of information that AI requires to deliver safe and fair outcomes. Therefore, from an Irish perspective, the digital transition is a prerequisite for harnessing AI responsibly.
At the same time, AI comes with risks. Poorly trained algorithms can introduce bias, undermine trust, or even harm patients if deployed without proper oversight and control. That’s why strong, clear regulation is essential. AI could be a game changer for Irish healthcare, but only if it is implemented in a way that is safe, transparent, and accountable.
Ireland is a regulatory leader in Europe
The key to how the healthcare system can benefit from better use of AI and digital tools will be how national regulators, such as the HPRA, interpret and implement the European frameworks governing their use.
Given Ireland's leadership role in European tech regulation, we should lead the way in defining clear standards while building capacity within the HPRA and HSE to evaluate digital and AI-driven tools.
For industry, this is not just about compliance. Pharma, medtech, and digital health companies that can show their solutions meet the highest digital and AI standards will gain trust with healthcare professionals, regulators, policymakers, and most importantly, patients.
Ireland’s health system does not have to remain locked in the past. Other countries have shown that transformation is possible. If Ireland chooses to act with the same ambition, we can not only catch up but lead. Moving beyond paper is the first step. Regulating AI responsibly is the next.
By Lorna Fitzpatrick, Director