Artificial Intelligence

On 29 April 2026, BioMed Alliance, in collaboration with the BeWell Project, co-organised the online workshop ‘Digital transformation in healthcare: empowering professionals with the necessary skills for the future’. This workshop aimed to explore how healthcare professionals can strengthen their digital skills in response to the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, including the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital tools, and the upcoming implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS). Workshop overview

• The session on perspectives on digital skills for healthcare professionals and researchers included Presentations on the necessary competencies for the use of AI in healthcare and the implementation of EHDS, featuring Merel Huisman (ESR) and Susan Evans Axelsson (EAU).
• Afterwards, we continued with a session on Lessons from BeWell which focussed on insights on the project’s lessons learned and key outputs aimed at improving digital skills in healthcare, presented by Maral Aghababai (EHMA).
• We ended the workshop with an interactive discussion where participants discussed existing gaps in digital skills, strategies to close them, and ways to enhance digital literacy across healthcare and research sectors.

Discussion and key themes The workshop emphasised the importance of digital literacy for both healthcare professionals and researchers in today’s technology-driven environment. As AI becomes more integrated into clinical practice, professionals must develop key competencies in areas such as performance assessment, regulation and governance (e.g. EU AI Act, MDR), and clinical implementation. They must also be equipped to provide adequate oversight and address issues like bias, while navigating ethical and legal challenges to ensure AI is used responsibly in both patient care and research. Similarly, the EHDS, designed to facilitate secure access to health data across the European Union for healthcare and research, requires new skillsets and expertise in data governance. This includes understanding the primary and secondary uses of health data, ensuring compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and safeguarding patient privacy. Healthcare professionals and researchers must also be able to explain these concepts to patients and participants, empowering them to understand how their data is managed, shared, and protected. Despite the growing need for these skills, several gaps were identified. There is a lack of systematic digital skills training, and many healthcare professionals and researchers are not sufficiently involved in the design and implementation of digital health solutions. Additionally, many remain unaware of the specific requirements needed to engage with these tools effectively. Furthermore, organisations face challenges such as time constraints, insufficient incentives, and a lack of support for continuous training. In line with the findings of the BeWell Project, the workshop stressed the importance of embedding digital and sustainability skills into medical, nursing, and research curricula, while also supporting continuing professional development (CPD and CME). Discussions also highlighted the need for cross-sector collaboration, ensuring cooperation between healthcare providers, technology developers, and policymakers to prepare a workforce capable of managing the digital transformation in both healthcare and research. Main takeaways and recommendations:

• Promote training and continuing digital education for healthcare professionals and researchers, enabling them to adapt to new technologies.
• Embed digital and sustainability competencies within educational frameworks to better prepare future professionals.
• Involve clinicians in the design and implementation of digital health solutions to ensure these tools are practical, effective, and user-friendly.
• Foster cross-sector collaboration to ensure a healthcare workforce that is future-ready and capable of addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital transformation.
• Provide organisational support and incentives to ensure professionals have the necessary resources and time for continuous digital training and skills development.