

Faces of Digital Health
Tjasa Zajc
Faces of Digital Health is a healthcare podcast about digital health technology, solutions, and innovations in practice, presented through real healthcare systems and the people behind them. The show looks into how different countries adopt digital health, what barriers they face, and why similar approaches succeed in some places but not others.Episodes feature clinicians, patients, entrepreneurs, and health system leaders sharing their practical experience. The focus is on digital health trends, practical digital health, and actionable insights for anyone curious about how digital health works in practice.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 11, 2020 • 37min
F75: Healthcare innovation financing in times of COVID-19 (Part 2/2)
On April 9th, Slovenian health tech community and Faces of digital health organised a webinar about healthcare innovation funding in times of COVID-19. We asked four experts from Slovenia, Italy, Germany and Israel to join us in the discussion about the effect of the pandemic on health tech business. What you will be able to hear is the webinar adapted for radio.
The event is divided into two podcast episodes - in the first one you can listen to the presentations of Levi Shapiro, founder of mHealth Israel talk about the current trends in digital health and future expectations. Nana Bit Avragim shared an overview of the innovative business models. In the second episode, you can listen to the recording panel discussion. The panellists agreed tough times are ahead and offered their advice as to where opportunities lie and how existing companies should adopt to survive the coming economic crisis.
Webinar agenda:
14:05 - 14:20 Overview of the global digital health scene up until now, COVID-19 related investments (Levi Shapiro, mHealth Israel (Israel))
14:20-14:35 Collabetition: New Possibilities to Create, Co-Create and Rethink Healthcare Businesses (Nana Bit-Avragim, Digital Health Business Architect (Germany))
14:35-15:10 Round table: Effects of COVID-19 on business (Nana Bit-Avragim, Levi Shapiro, Giovanni Loser, investor (Italy), Blaž Triglav, healthcare executive (Slovenia))
15:10-15:20 Q&A with the audience
Webinar summary: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/special-episodes-7475-healthcare-innovation-financing-in-times-of-covid-19nbsp

Apr 11, 2020 • 34min
F074 Healthcare innovation financing in times of COVID19 (Part 1/2)
On April 9th, Slovenian health tech community and Faces of digital health organised a webinar about healthcare innovation funding in times of COVID-19. We asked four experts from Slovenia, Italy, Germany and Israel to join us in the discussion about the effect of the pandemic on health tech business. What you will be able to hear is the webinar adapted for radio.
The event is divided into two podcast episodes - in the first one you can listen to the presentations of Levi Shapiro, founder of mHealth Israel talk about the current trends in digital health and future expectations. Nana Bit Avragim shared an overview of the innovative business models. In the second episode, you can see the panel discussion. The panellists agreed tough times are ahead and offered their advice as to where opportunities lie and how existing companies should adopt to survive the coming economic crisis.
Webinar agenda:
14:05 - 14:20 Overview of the global digital health scene up until now, COVID-19 related investments (Levi Shapiro, mHealth Israel (Israel))
14:20-14:35 Collabetition: New Possibilities to Create, Co-Create and Rethink Healthcare Businesses (Nana Bit-Avragim, Digital Health Business Architect (Germany))
14:35-15:10 Round table: Effects of COVID-19 on business (Nana Bit-Avragim, Levi Shapiro, Giovanni Loser, investor (Italy), Blaž Triglav, healthcare executive (Slovenia))
15:10-15:20 Q&A with the audience
Webinar summary: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/special-episodes-7475-healthcare-innovation-financing-in-times-of-covid-19nbsp

Apr 3, 2020 • 37min
F073 DTx series 2/5: What's Pharma got to do with digital therapeutics? (Paul Simms)
Paul is the CEO and Founder of Eyeforpharma - international hub connecting senior-level pharma executives, patient groups and other health stakeholders to exchange ideas and observe shifting trends and practices at events, in reports and conferences. In this second episode of a short series about digital therapeutics, Paul talks about the relationship between Pharma and DTx and Pharma development as an industry in general. As an Advisor to Hu-manity.co Paul also discussed the concept of people owning their data and managing it as property.
Webinar about innovation financing in times of COVID-19: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/healthcare-innovation-financing-in-times-of-covid-19-tickets-101653044994
Recap of the show: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/f073-dtx-series-24-whats-pharma-got-to-do-with-digital-therapeutics-paul-simms

Mar 28, 2020 • 32min
F072 DTx series 1/5: How do DTx differ from medications or digital health apps? (Jessica Shull)
Digital therapeutics (DTx) are clinically validated digital solutions with proven positive effects on disease management and outcomes. in this episode, Jessica Shull, European Lead for the Digital Therapeutics Alliance, shaping advocacy and organizational engagement for the DTx industry in European countries, explains what DTx are, why are they relevant clinical interventions, how do clinical trials for medications differ from clinical trials for digital therapeutics. Jessica also explains what digital therapeutics are and how they should be differentiated from digital diagnostics and more.
As written by the Digital Health Alliance, DTx have immense potential in the coronavirus pandemic, because patient access to and utilization of digital therapeutics could improve health outcomes, consequently reducing chronic disease-related hospitalizations, mitigating additional pressures on healthcare providers during the COVID-19 outbreak. Their use could reduce vulnerable populations’ potential coronavirus exposure.
Announcement: Jessica Shull will be at the Eyeforpharma virtual conference taking place between March 30th and April 3rd! Go to: https://www.eyeforpharma.com/barcelona/
Resources:
Recap of the show
Apple COVID-19 screening toolWHO Whatsapp service for COVID-19 informationDTx and COVID-19

Mar 20, 2020 • 52min
F071 Why is St. Louis a hidden digital health ecosystem gem in the US and the latest about digital health efforts for COVID-19
When Europe became the new epicentre of the COVID-19 spread, and with the steady rise of infected in the US, tech companies offered their knowledge to curb the pandemic: COVID-19 triage and self-assessment apps are available, the US is seeing a rise of telemedicine use, in the US, in Italy 3D printing company aided a crisis cause by the need for new respirator valves, etc.
The British based Organisation for the Review of Care & Health Application ORCHA, which has in place a high-standard review process, warned on March 13, that app stores are unregulated, and 85% of apps do not meet ORCHA's quality threshold. This episodes names a few relevant digital health solutions and trends, coming from the US, Europe and China. The short report is followed by a discussion about the healthcare ecosystem in St. Louis, Missouri. St. Louis is a regional health care powerhouse, home to the largest non-profit hospital system in the U.S - Ascension., Washington University/BJC Healthcare, the #1 pharmacy benefits manager in the U.S. Express Scripts.
Luke Blackburn - Business Developer at GlobalSTL - a section of BioSTL - which has laid the foundation for St. Louis' innovation economy with a comprehensive set of transformational programs that elevate St. Louis’ leadership in solving important world challenges in agriculture, medicine, health care, and other technology areas. explains who GlobalSTL is working with, what are they learning based on collaborations with 15 countries around the world and more.
Episode recap: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/f071-why-is-st-louis-a-hidden-digital-health-ecosystem-gem-in-the-us-and-the-latest-about-digital-health-efforts-fornbspcovid-19
Node.health webinars: https://nodehealth.org/
Orbita’s virtual assistant: https://go.orbita.ai/orbita-launches-screening-chatbot-covid19-patient-education-triage-virtual-navigation
ORCHA recommended Covid apps: https://www.orcha.co.uk/news/coronavirus-apps-to-help-self-management/
The Journal of Gastroenterology: https://gi.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ACG-AJG-Media-Statement-COVID19-Hubei-Pan-et-al-FINAL-03182020.pdf
DreaMed Diabetes: https://dreamed-diabetes.com/
Mediately: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mediately/

Mar 13, 2020 • 43min
F070 Why is getting sick in the US financially toxic for many people? (Christopher T. Robertson)
As of 2017 healthcare is the leading category of the 78,5 billion in consumer debt collected each year, which is more than 40 times the size of credit card debt. While the number of uninsured is reducing, it is being replaced with the issue of underinsurance. 3 in 10 people reported costs caused them not to take their medicines as prescribed in the past year, writes law professor Christopher T. Robertson in his last book Exposed: Why Our Health Insurance Is Incomplete and What Can Be Done About It. This is especially critical in situations as the current Covidvirus crisis. New York Times and Financial Times warn that the US is at high risk for a fast spread of Covid-19, because many people don’t have the option to work at home + the uninsured, and there are 27 million of them, are reluctant to seek healthcare.In the following discussion with dr. Robertson, you will hear more about what kind of costs patients are exposed to in the US, what the role of technology could be in curbing those costs or at least make prices transparent and clear before a patient get the bills, and how could the healthcare system be improved.
Recap: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/f070-why-is-getting-sick-in-the-us-financially-toxic-for-many-people-christopher-t-robertson

Mar 6, 2020 • 33min
F069 What else is there to learn about pitching digital health solutions? (Beth Susanne)
"Each investor sees about 1200 pitch decks per year, meets 500 founders, and invests in 10 companies. So when preparing for your pitch, you need to be aware that investors are looking for reasons to say NO to you," says Beth Susanne. The key thing to consider when preparing presentations, says Beth, is what investors could say YES to. In healthcare, that is: traction, clearly identified payor and partners that show the scalability of your product.
Beth Susanne is an international pitch coach from the US, based in Spain, who coached over 3000 teams so far, over 200 in digital health. No matter if you are a startup or a corporation, team communication is key to success - either for company growth or fundraising.
Summary of the show: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/f069-what-else-is-there-to-learn-about-pitching-digital-health-solutions-bethnbspsussane
Beth Susanne: https://bethsusanne.com/

Feb 28, 2020 • 56min
F068 The power of patients 4/4: What skills do you need as a patient? (Grace Cordovano)
Grace Cordovano is an expert healthcare navigating solutionist and award winning, board-certified patient advocate specializing in the oncology space. She is the founder of Enlightening Results and Unblock Health - a suite of services that finally provides patients and carepartners with a way to level the playing field and demand access to the critical information needed to make informed, engaged, and empowered decisions about their care. In this episode, she talks about challenges patients faces because of the complexity of the healthcare system in the US, she shares her view about the need of patients getting access to their data and more.
Recap of the discussion: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/f065-f068-the-power-of-patients-4-episodes-series
Enlightening Results:https://www.enlighteningresults.com/
Unblock Health: https://www.unblock.health/

Feb 21, 2020 • 51min
F067 The power of patients 3/4: How can patients influence policy? (Bettina Ryll)
Clinical advocacy has many different shapes. In the US, says Dr. Bettina Ryll, patient advocates work as patient’s navigators in the healthcare system. In Europe, they have a more activist/policy influencing role. When a patient’s interest in his disease grows beyond his personal interest, he becomes a patient advocate, says Mr. Ryll, when asked about how she would define patient advocacy.
This episode presents the role of patients in improving care, the influence of patient advocacy and needs of patients with serious conditions.
Summary: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/f065-f068-the-power-of-patients-4-episodes-series
Melanoma Patient Network Europe: http://www.melanomapatientnetworkeu.org/

Feb 14, 2020 • 34min
F066 The power of patients 2/4: Patients need more than medical treatment (Marina Borukhovich)
In the second episode of the short series about the patient perspective of healthcare Marina Borukhovich, born in Belarus, raised in US and living for the past 8 years in Netherlands and Germany shares her story of being diagnosed with breast cancer at 37 years old. 3 years later she lost her father to pancreatic cancer. She founded YourCoach, a startup giving coaches client management and accountability tools in order to help heal their clients holistically, with a vision of having health coaches accessible to everyone. YourCoach aims to become the ultimate authority for health coaches.
Recap of the show: https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com/blog/f065-f068-the-power-of-patients-4-episodes-series
YourCoach: https://yourcoach.health/


