On 24 April 2025, EHTEL ran a webinar that focused on building digitally-confident members of health and care workforces. The webinar showcased good practice examples from two regions that are building digitally-competent workforces. It also identified potential future actions needed to skill and reskill digitally-competent health and care workforces.
The webinar formed part of the Change Management track, which is just one pillar in EHTEL’s Imagining 2029 work programme for 2025.
The webinar, with its focus on digital skills, was organised in collaboration with the BeWell project.
What was the webinar about?
The webinar provided an interesting balance between two experiences of digital skills development: one in Flanders (Belgium) and one in Campania (Italy). The first was related to integrated care and the second to anti-microbial resistance. These regionally-based experiences revealed key insights into what can be done in regions and by organisations: they also counterbalanced what can be done at the national or international levels. Many observations emphasised the importance of social and soft skills rather than technological skills. Speakers reflected on their chief lessons learned, and panellists gave even more insights into problems, challenges, and change management.
The workshop was a useful lead-in to the next steps needed when building confident health and care workforces and their digital skills.
What did the speakers have to say?
“The case of Flanders: An update on ALIVIA”
Prof. dr. Dominique Van De Velde, University of Ghent, Belgium
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Dominique offered an overview of the implementation of ALIVIA, a digital tool developed by the government in Flanders and supported by the work of his entire team. He set the scene on goal-oriented care in Flanders when “the patient is always in control”. Experiences came from “two pilot projects [run] in a real-life situation” – even if the eventual application,“ALIVIA … is not yet implemented in normal daily practice”. The first thing done in the ALIVIA pilots was to train the patients in the use of the digital tool: with patients, it was important to “ma[k]e them feel safe”. With the professionals, Dominique, and his colleague, Ine Huybroecks, focused on the importance of intervision, a peer-to-peer led process of interaction, discussion, and management. To provide a framework/structure, Dominique focused on the lessons learned in terms of objectives, process, challenges, and the functional, normative, and integration outcomes. Overall, “people recognised the value of the digital tool”, although – of course – despite the variety of challenges that they faced. These six reflections point to the importance of wider platforms of personnel who work with vulnerable people, e.g., interRAI. Ultimately, Dominique says, “We hope to have ALIVIA implemented within a year”.
For Dominique, his chief lesson learned was about creating a safe environment for learning with people whom one trusts. With health and care professionals, he emphasised the need to be open to working with other professionals throughout the system, and avoid certain don’ts.
See ‘Deploying digital health in Flanders: the path to health and care integration’, to compare ALIVIA’s status today with the situation in December 2023.
“The training challenges for the transformation of health and care services: The case of Campania”
Professor Maddalena Illario, University Federico II & Campania Region, Italy.
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Maddalena drew on University Federico II’s experiences with fighting the challenge of anti-microbial resistance (AMR), its drivers and hotspots. Regions in three different European countries – France, Italy, and Spain – are addressing this problem through the work of the RADAR project. They are innovating with rapid and accurate detection and the smart management of results, including with patients. In terms of an example use case, “[digital] interventions in the journey of this patient can be the difference between life and death”. Throughout her talk, Maddalena highlighted how introducing this approach “impacts education and training” and needs to “be supported by adequate education and training”.
Training is one of the key pillars in Campania: ‘[it] plays a key role”. Indeed, a “pretty successful” training exercise was completed earlier in 2025. The training has needed to be “focused and sharp”. The approach concentrates on what it calls process organisation as well as on work teams. The hospital and region is able to draw on the TeamCare project, including community-based interprofessional teams (called CBIT). The new syllabus designed by TeamCare highlights 10 important aspects. Keywords in the training range from collective leadership & interprofessional decision-making to telemedicine and remote monitoring.
For Maddalena her chief lesson learned was about being realistic, open, and flexible, and emphasising stakeholder engagement. She recommended, for example, “If you spot a stakeholder you didn’t see coming, welcome them on board!” Overall, the change has been “like a technology-driven reorganisation that was pushing a process reorganisation”.
Both Dominique and Maddalena were asked to consider further on their chief lessons learned on training in relation to the two fascinating case studies they presented. Overall, the emphasis was on the processes involved – multi-disciplinarity, interaction between people, and lots of collaboration and cooperation – rather than technologically-related issues.
As moderator, Emma Scatterty of NHS Education for Scotland, summarised, “It’s a whole mindset shift for our workforce.” Scotland’s own digital leadership skills training can be explored in a short video about the country’s work.
What were the panellists insights?
Moderated by Emma Scatterty of NHS Education for Scotland, the panel discussion focused on several aspects of digital transformation. On the one side, it dealt with problems and challenges; and on the other side, on the interactions between change management and reskilling and upskilling:
- What have been the main problems faced in engaging the health workforce in digital transformation?
- What are the challenges with reskilling and upskilling (e.g., staff availability, resource availability)?
- How to organise reskilling and upskilling initiatives?
- Can reskilling and upskilling have a positive influence on diminishing resistance to change?
The first two panellists pitched their discussions largely around experiences with different types of personnel, including individuals and teams of clinicians and nurses. They examined what organisations and occupations can do to engage their workforces in a positive way, and cited several examples of good practice in training and curricula. The key technologies mentioned were artificial intelligence (AI) and the development/installation of platforms. The use of digital technologies was introduced in terms of helping with a range of illnesses and conditions e.g., cancer and sepsis.
- Sascha Marschang, European Hospital and Healthcare Federation (HOPE)
Sascha reflected on the fact that digital transformation is part of a much wider societal and healthcare transformation. There is “a convergence of transformative processes”. (Today, there is an almost overwhelming slew of European Union (EU) legislation ready for implementation in the health and care sector: from the European Health Data Space to the EU AI Act, and the action plan for cybersecurity – which is especially important for hospitals.) The span of opinions on digital transformation in hospitals is “really diverse and, of course, extremely fragmented”. For example, attitudes towards lifelong learning differ substantially in different cultures and locations. In terms of gaining digital skills, some matters can be challenging for health and care staff e.g., not being able to obtain 24/7 technical support, and liability for clinical practice if/when “particularly sensitive” health data is leaked, lost, or stolen. Sascha spoke with enthusiasm of two example experiences emerging from ongoing initiatives with a focus on co-creation: HOSmartAI, an AI-based platform of pilots, and KeepCaring, an endeavour to help healthcare personnel overcome burnout which uses both digital and non-digital means. “Ultimately, what we want,” Sascha concluded, “are happy healthcare workers and happy patients, and that takes a lot of trust.”
Moderator, Emma, commented on the opportunities available as solutions, since “technology is going to have a role in solving some of these challenges”.
- Sebastian Kuhn, Comité Permanent des Médecins Européens/Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME)
Sebastian also examined how change is occurring in the work of clinicians. His focus was not just on digital transformation but on AI transformation. Among his insights were the myth of generational change. “It’s a fairytale,” he said, “about the digital competence of digital natives” (a myth he and colleagues spotted when working on a curriculum on Medicine in the digital age 4.0). In terms of positive recommendations, Sebastian suggested two main directions. The first was to focus on four approaches – knowledge, awareness, skills, and attitudes – and the second was to introduce or implement training in the daily practice of members of the workforce. Sebastian cited several concrete examples of applied learning. One was working with nurses on skin tumours which could be either malignant or benign. Another was the use of AI when examining X-Ray images. Yet a further illustration was the diagnosis of patients with sepsis, when healthcare personnel really need to see the condition ‘hands-on’. Key messages on training involved: working both top-down and bottom-up; building a curriculum year-on-year; and training trainers.
The last two panellists oriented their discussions more towards insights into the leadership needed in the digital skills field in health and care in Europe. The first panellist’s set of insights were to do with local and regional leadership; the second had management as her focus.
- Marco Di Donato, European Regional and Local Health Authorities (EUREGHA)
Marco described a range of examples of experiences developed by regional and local healthcare authorities in Europe. A regional orientation can be especially influential since health and care are often organised at precisely this level. Three key items were especially valuable. First, Marco drew attention particularly to the work of several key regions, among them Catalunya in Spain. More detail on this experience, and others, is available in EUREGHA’s “Booklet of good practices on Health Data”. Second, at the European level, the European Commission’s DG REGIO is supporting a Harnessing Talent Platform which includes a health working group. Third, having published its own manifesto, the BeWell project’s own Large-Scale Partnership for the Health Ecosystem continues to meet up and promote ecosystem needs for upskilling and reskilling. Its partnership liaises with several others.
“Collaboration is key,” was the moderator’s conclusion.
- Federica Margheri, European Health Management Association (EHMA)
Given EHMA’s role as the project coordinator of the BeWell project, Federica focused on aspects of managerial support and managerial decision-making on digital skills in health and care and what leaders can do. Federica advocated the following needs: digital champions; the modelling of behaviours; and encouragement of peers. Collaboration too is especially important, whether across levels or sectors. In terms of learning from appropriate projects and initiatives, she cited the work – until 2022 – of the Digital and Innovation Skills Helix (DISH), an Erasmus+ project, which piloted and developed a variety of digital training tools.
Summing up, Emma emphasised that of key importance – among the many different take-aways from the discussion – was the focus on “people, processes, and technologies.”
What were the audience’s opinions?
The last part of the meeting was used to undertake a poll with webinar attendees. The poll was based on two elements: first, capturing a set of insights into what kinds of training are occurring in the fields of health and social care and, second, an adaptation of the open public consultation which is being coordinated by BeWell.
The session came to a close with two insights. First was a rapid overview of BeWell’s own initiatives. Second was an outline of what EHTEL itself is doing on change management and on workforce training and development on the digital skills needed in health and care.
Overall besides the importance of digital skills, priorities include the need to get involved with problem-solving as teams and groups and to focus on soft skills.
What’s next for EHTEL and for BeWell?
In terms of EHTEL’s focus on Imagining 2029 on change management, transforming care delivery, and implementation strategies, look out for the association’s 2025 work programme. Up to eight (8) webinars will be held this year, and will involve the needs of health and care professionals, carers/caregivers, and people/patients.
With regard to the BeWell project, look out for opportunities to:
- Give your opinions on what’s needed in upskilling and reskilling in terms of digital skills through an open consultation in nine languages.
- Access information on 80+ digital skills courses identified by BeWell. In the same spot, add the good practices on training that you are involved in or know about!
- Test or trial more than 12 digital skills courses/programmes developed by BeWell. Coming soon are also some next generation digital skills courses (geared to new emerging professions and occupations in health and care).
EHTEL and BeWell look forward to following through with you on future webinars and activities, as the project refines its findings throughout its last 12 months of activities. Join both EHTEL and BeWell for our next webinars!
What’s the BeWell project?
BeWell is a four-year project on upskilling and reskilling in digital skills for members of the health and care workforces. It offers supports the European Pact for Skills, now the Union of Skills, which invests in people for a competitive European Union (EU). In turn, it is supported by the Erasmus+ programme and DG EMPL, with its focus on employment, social affairs, and inclusion. It also has a focus on green skills. The project is about to enter its last year of activity.
