Linz, 18.11.2025. At the ACADEMIA SUPERIOR workshop “Zukunft der Gesundheit: Wege zu einem kohärenten und steuerungsfähigen Gesundheitssystem 2040” (The future of health: pathways to a coherent and governable healthcare system 2040), the central question was how to organise healthcare in a future-proof way in the face of rising demand, limited resources and digital transformation. In this context, Anton Dunzendorfer, Head of Competence Unit Digital Health Information Systems at the AIT Center for Health and Bioresources, contributed the perspective of digitally supported, integrated care pathways.
The discussion painted a clear picture: rising demand for care is confronting a highly fragmented system. Responsibilities are often unclear, sectors follow different logics, and digital structures are only partially compatible. In hospital outpatient departments, this leads to a high number of unplanned cases, many of which could be treated outside the hospital. At the same time, isolated IT solutions and a lack of interoperability hinder proactive management and result in duplicate documentation.
One-stop logic and interoperable data spaces
A “one-stop logic” was discussed as a systemic structural principle: regardless of the point of entry, referrals, feedback and further steps along the care pathway should be clearly defined and digitally supported. Triage and initial nursing contacts are gaining in importance, pharmacies are becoming points of orientation, and digital systems are taking over structuring tasks such as appointment management and monitoring. This requires multi-professional training profiles, binding standards and governance that goes beyond traditional sector boundaries. From AIT’s point of view, interoperable data spaces and digitally modelled care pathways are the levers for creating transparency and deploying resources in a targeted manner. “When we talk about digitalisation and AI in healthcare, it is less about additional tools and more about new care logics,” emphasises Anton Dunzendorfer. “What matters is that data spaces, processes and responsibilities interact in such a way that patients know at all times what the next step is.” Digitalisation and AI are therefore understood as enablers: they can reduce administrative burden and support decision-making, but they do not replace structural reforms.
Orientation and governability through to 2040
Three guiding principles for a modern healthcare system were identified: orientation, transparency and traceability. Patients need clear next steps and comprehensible information – regardless of whether they are treated in a hospital, in primary care, in long-term care or in a pharmacy. The perspectives developed in the workshop will feed into ACADEMIA SUPERIOR’s syntheses and form a basis for the “Zukunftsbild 2040” (vision for 2040). The AIT Center for Health and Bioresources is contributing its expertise in telehealth, interoperable system architectures and digital care pathways to help shape a more coherent and more governable healthcare system.
More information: https://www.academia-superior.at/workshop-zur-zukunft-der-gesundheit-wege-zu-einem-kohaerenten-und-steuerungsfaehigen-gesundheitssystem-2040/