GEAB 145

The last quantum leap in public health dates back to the 19th century. It was the result of the application of the principle of free medical care for all citizens. This extension of the healthcare domain had the effect of providing a gigantic database to a medical scientific community grouped in large hospital institutions.[1] Since then, nothing has changed… except that what was big in the 19th century (big nations like France for example) has become small today (even America). Yet, the world is now only a click away.

For 30 years and with the advent of the internet, many researchers and entrepreneurs around the world have been thinking and designing the tools and principles of future health systems. Now, their vision is clear, all digital infrastructures are ready, and the COVID-19 crisis is forcing us to adopt their solutions. We are on the edge of a real revolution. Citizens and healthcare professionals must understand its nature to contribute to its deployment as quickly and harmoniously as possible. The main risk is that this revolution will be done against our will… because we will not be clever enough to see its inevitable nature, to grasp its benefits and to circumscribe its inherent risks. This article is a contribution to this goal of understanding the future of healthcare. It is based on the testimony gathered by our team following an interview with one of those visionary European entrepreneurs, Jaap Maljers.[2]

COVID-19 is actually a systemic crisis