Enforce interoperability standards to close digital expectations gap, says BMJ Group report
BMJ Future Health Commission survey shows healthcare professionals in Europe support digital transformation, but have yet to feel productivity and efficiency gains.
A new report from the BMJ Future Health Commission warns that digital transformation in healthcare is falling short of healthcare professionals’ (HCP) expectations.
The report, Building Trust for Digital Transformation in Healthcare, is a joint initiative between global healthcare knowledge provider BMJ Group and independent assurance and risk management provider DNV. It draws on a survey of more than 300 HCPs across Northern Europe, alongside in-depth interviews with clinicians and administrative staff in a range of healthcare settings.
The findings suggest that healthcare professionals do not believe digital tools are helping them deliver more care with fewer resources. Fewer than half (47 per cent) think digital technology has eased administrative tasks, only 38 per cent say it has reduced clinical workload, and 44 per cent believe it has contributed to lowering the cost of delivering care.
Despite this, healthcare professionals remain broadly positive about the potential of digital health. Four in five (80 per cent) say that digital tools have enabled better care delivery, and three-quarters (76 per cent) are optimistic about the digital future of healthcare.
The report comes as European countries increase investment in digital health in an effort to build more sustainable healthcare systems. In the UK, the government’s 10-Year Health Plan sets out an agenda for moving away from analogue systems.
Trust emerges as a central theme in the report. While 59 per cent of HCPs say they actively trust digital health solutions, 41 per cent remain hesitant or doubtful. Experts interviewed by the commission argue that stronger efforts to build trust are essential for accelerating adoption.
Stephen McAdam, Segment Director for Digital Health at DNV, said: “Trust is the critical currency of digital health and operates on two essential layers. Foundational trust is earned through rigorous, transparent standards and regulation, which set a non-negotiable safety floor for every platform. Just as vital is operational trust earned on the ward, where frontline clinicians help design, select, and train on certified tools, ensuring technologies fit real-world workflows.
“Together, these are effective accelerators of digital transformation in healthcare, building clinical confidence, and closing the gap between expectations and implementation. These insights show that too few healthcare professionals think these technologies help them deliver more care with fewer resources.”
The report highlights electronic health records (EHRs) as the most widely adopted technology, but also one that contributes to scepticism. Those who use EHRs frequently are 14 percentage points less likely than non-users to believe that digital solutions reduce administrative burden and ease clinical workload. According to the commission, such experiences may undermine trust in the potential of other technologies, including predictive analytics, remote monitoring, patient flow management, and ambient scribes.
Poor interoperability was identified by respondents as the second-biggest barrier to adoption, following funding constraints. The report also points to the importance of involving clinicians earlier and more directly in the process of adopting digital tools. More than half (54 per cent) of respondents said solutions gain stronger adoption when endorsed by clinical staff, while nearly two-thirds (61 per cent) saw greater involvement of healthcare professionals in investment decisions as an opportunity for improvement. Training was also highlighted as a priority, with both clinical (45 per cent) and non-clinical (43 per cent) staff reporting a need for greater support in building confidence and capability.
The report concludes by setting out five recommendations, developed with an advisory board of European experts, for organisations seeking to scale adoption of digital technology:
- Evaluate organisational confidence in EHR systems
- Implement standards for system interoperability
- Commit to long-term staff training
- Involve clinicians, citizens, and patients in technology design and implementation
- Boost investment in managing emergent risks
Dr Helen Surana, Associate Editor at BMJ Events, said: “Although healthcare professionals are optimistic about digital health’s potential, many remain sceptical about its impact on efficiency, workload, and costs. Building trust, improving interoperability, enhancing training, and involving clinicians more directly are critical to realising its benefits.”