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HEALTHCARE
where it should be. As a result, they
simply do not have the capacity to keep
up with innovation, let alone use it actively.
What would change the situation?
The impulse has to come from hospital
leadership. Nurses cannot be the ones
expected to carry all of this on their own.
They need management to be open
to innovation and to take an active interest
in it. However, hospitals often resist both AI
as a medical device and its use in everyday
work and that is a shame.
Is this reflected in the approach to AI as
well? Is there resistance to it in hospitals?
It is more a matter of strong distrust. Many
people believe it will take their jobs. My
experience is that, at the moment, it is
mainly self-learners who work with it –
people who take an active interest in it.
But systematic education on how to use AI
in everyday healthcare practice essentially
does not exist.
So where can artificial intelligence
realistically help healthcare professionals?
AI as a medical device is entering diagnostics
directly, which is a highly regulated area
with many specific requirements. However,
in addition it can also function as a practical
tool that eases everyday work for healthcare
staff – for example in staff scheduling,
communication, or document preparation.
There are plenty of consultants who
advise companies on AI strategy
and implementation. But someone coming
in and saying: I will create an AI assistant
to help nurses manage their daily agenda –
I have not come across that yet.
When you talk about nurses as
an overlooked group, what form
of support would help them the most
in your view?
In my opinion, what makes sense is a safe
space for sharing experiences and practical
challenges they deal with in everyday
operations. That is exactly why I would like
to set up mastermind groups specifically
for nurses. It would be a closed group
of up to eight people with clear rules,
where each person brings their own topic,
the others respond to it, and at the end
everyone leaves with a concrete step they
will revisit at the next meeting.
I have very good personal experience
with this. With nurses, I often address
how to prepare a presentation, how
to communicate with management, or
how to set up their work more effectively.
These are not skills they lack because they
do not want to develop them, but because
they are overloaded in the long term
and no one systematically offers them this
kind of support. That is also why I believe
mastermind groups can be one of the ways
forward.
Mastermind groups are one option.
In your view, what should education
in healthcare and MedTech look
like today?
People in MedTech need to understand
the entire system, not just their own
part of it. Regulation, AI, telemedicine
and project management are closely
interconnected, yet very few people have
an overview across all these areas. What
matters is being up to date, interdisciplinary,
and closely connected to real-world
practice. Moreover, MedTech is evolving
so quickly that what was true a year ago
may already be different today.
Is that the reason why you became
the academic guarantor of an MBA
programme focused on MedTech?
Yes, that was one of the reasons. We wanted
to create a programme that would help
people understand the broader context. We
designed a one-year course, with classes
held once a month on weekends. It is
intentionally not a three-year commitment,
but an intensive year with truly up-to-date
information from real experts in the field.
What does the teaching look like? What
do lecturers need to meet in order
to stand in front of the group?
The programme consists of six specialised
blocks: regulation of medical devices, AI
in practice and in medicine, telemedicine,
the impact of technology on human
health, and project management
in the development of medical devices.
In addition, there are general modules
shared with other MBA programmes –
marketing, law for managers, and strategy. It
is precisely there that people from different
fields meet, which is valuable in itself.
One of the biggest “wow moments” was
the block on AI tools led by Josef Dvořák.
He introduced entirely new ways of working
with AI – how to create assistants and agents
– and demonstrated both their benefits
and risks. The participants themselves said
they had never experienced AI training
like it before. They were able to try out
the newly acquired knowledge in practice
straight away. What matters to us is that they
do not leave with just a one-off experience,
but also with a contact to the lecturer,
with whom they can continue to consult
their projects. The goal is not to learn
how to use a single tool, but to help them
navigate the flood of innovation.
For us, it is essential that the specialised
parts are taught by practitioners who have
real experience to pass on to students who
already have a basic background and want
to expand their knowledge. For example,
the block dedicated to medical device
regulation is taught by a practitioner,
Jan Štěrba, Head of Regulatory
and Certification at LINET, complemented
by the perspective of a national authority,
Martin Tulis, Director of the Medical
Devices Section at SÚKL. The block on
artificial intelligence in medical practice is
led by Matěj Misař, CEO of Carebot, who has
played a significant role in the development
of AI in Czech medical practice.
Students learn not only from the lecturers
but also from one another. The programme
is attended by doctors, representatives
of manufacturers, and people from public
administration. Each individual sees
the field from a different angle, and this
clash of perspectives is irreplaceable.
At the same time, they have the opportunity
to revisit the expert lectures even a year
later.
What competencies will be key
in MedTech in ten years’ time?
The ability to work with people, to navigate
innovation, and to apply it in practice.
AI and digitalisation will of course be
everywhere, but equally important will be
the ability not to get lost in the sheer volume
of information. To be able to pause, choose
what is truly useful, and not become
overwhelmed. I feel it myself at times. That
is why the ability to filter and have someone
who can give you a clear overview while
helping you find your way will be extremely
valuable, rather than having to figure
everything out on your own.