Čekárna plná dat
34 POSITIV 1/2026
ZDRAVOTNICTVÍ
What role do you think artificial intelligence (AI) will
play in the future of healthcare?
Artificial intelligence is already a practical tool
in Czech healthcare today, not some distant vision.
It is used primarily in radiology, in the analysis
of imaging documentation, in administrative processes,
and in supporting clinical decision-making.
However, I do not see its importance primarily
in technological terms, but in systemic ones. If we are
able to transfer routine and repetitive tasks to digital
tools, we will free up healthcare professionals’ capacity
for what matters most: working with patients. Modern
technologies should not replace doctors or nurses; they
should create space for them to provide better-quality
and safer care.
In this respect, the role of the state is clear: to establish
transparent rules, security standards, and an ethical
framework for the use of these tools. I want the Czech
Republic to be a country that actively supports
innovation while consistently protecting patients’ trust
and the security of their data.
What must the state do to make data a real tool
for managing the system?
Healthcare cannot be managed effectively in the long
term without high-quality, interconnected data. We have
extensive information resources at our disposal, but their
potential is still not being fully used for the strategic
management of the system.
My aim is for the state to be able to use real-time data
to assess waiting times, capacity pressures, regional
availability of care, and treatment outcomes. Only
in this way can we plan the provider network, invest
public funds meaningfully, and set reimbursement levels
transparently.
I therefore do not see digitalisation as an isolated
technological project, but as a tool for responsible
governance. Fundamental decisions must be based on
objective indicators, not on fragmented pressures or
the system’s own inertia.
Does the state plan to introduce a unified data
architecture that will enable the safe use of AI tools
across healthcare?
Yes. Without a unified data architecture
and standardisation, it is not possible to create a truly
functional digital environment. The current fragmentation
of information systems leads to duplication, administrative
burden, and the limited usability of data.
We are therefore working to establish unified
communication standards and rules for interoperability
that will allow the secure sharing of medical
documentation between authorised providers.
The protection of personal data, cybersecurity,
and clearly defined responsibilities for each stakeholder
are all essential.
The use of artificial intelligence must be transparent,
auditable, and in line with the European regulatory
framework. Patients must have confidence that their
data is protected and that technology contributes
to the quality of care rather than making it more opaque.
The amendment to the Healthcare Digitalisation Act
is not just about turning paper into digital form. What
is really behind it?
The purpose of the amendment is not merely
to convert paper forms into electronic ones. Its aim
is to fundamentally transform the way the system
operates. Patients should have easy and secure
access to their medical records, providers should be
Monika ŠevčíkováMinisterstvo zdravotnictví