Healthcare technology company, Clanwilliam Health, today committed to playing its part in the digital transformation of Ireland’s health services with the appointment of Eileen Byrne, Clanwilliam Health Managing Director, to the Ireland Digital Health Leadership Steering Group.

Comprised of leading digital health entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, clinicians, patients, academics and others, the charter of the Steering Group is to agree, align and accelerate Ireland’s Digital Health Strategy and Action Plan – Stay Left, Shift Left – 10X.

Byrne was appointed to the Steering Group earlier this year after which the group held their first meeting to review and approve the 10 key principles underpinning the Ireland Digital Health Transformation Strategy.

An Irish healthcare technology company operating under leading healthcare technology and services firm Clanwilliam, Clanwilliam Health has long enabled the digitalisation of Ireland’s health services in both primary and secondary care settings, as well as supporting the much-needed acceleration of this digitalisation over the past two years.

With the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, Clanwilliam Health’s biggest challenge as a software provider was ensuring that its users had effective digital tools to make their day-to-day activities as seamless and agile as possible.

From Covid 19 e-referrals, which enabled GPs to quickly and easily send a notification to refer a suspected Covid patient for a test, through to e-prescriptions and video consultations, Clanwilliam Health prioritised and rolled out new digital functionalities to enable GPs and their patients to better navigate the challenges of Covid-19.

Commenting on her appointment, Eileen Byrne, MD of Clanwilliam Health, said: “It is an honour for me to be appointed to the Ireland Digital Health Leadership Steering Group alongside the other members of this steering group. The last two years have really shown us how important digital technologies are to our health services and why we need to harness these technologies to make those same services more agile, flexible and responsive, for the benefit of both healthcare professionals and their patients.

“I am looking forward to working with Professor Martin Curley, Director of Digital Transformation for the HSE, and the rest of the steering group members, to further support the digital transformation of healthcare in Ireland and to Clanwilliam Health playing a central role in this transformation.”

Also commenting on the appointment, Professor Martin Curley, Director of Digital Transformation for the HSE, said: “I am delighted to have Eileen join the Digital Health Leadership Steering Group and for Clanwilliam Health to play a leading role in advising on and supporting the digital transformation of health services across Ireland.

“At the HSE, we’ve been leveraging the use of innovative technologies to enable the digital transformation of our health service since the implementation of Sláintecare and our Stay Left, Shift Left – 10X strategy in 2018. At the core of this strategy is the concept that digital technology provides an opportunity to provide 10X innovations or improvements, doing healthcare 10X better, faster, cheaper and increased capacity.

“From the support of our Chronic Disease Management Programme to e-referrals, e-prescriptions, video consultations and electronic patient records, Clanwilliam Health has been an invaluable partner for the HSE as we’ve looked to implement this strategy and utilise the power of digital applications, data and technology to improve the efficiency of care across the country.

“Now, with Eileen’s appointment to the Digital Health Leadership Steering Group, I am very much looking forward to building on our existing relationship to further advance the digital maturity of healthcare in Ireland.”

Both Eileen Byrne and Professor Martin Curley will take part in today’s inaugural National Digital Health Conference taking place at the National Digital Health Innovation Lab in the Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore. This will also be broadcast as a live video event.

The conference comprises leading digital health entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, clinicians, patients, academics and others to agree, align and accelerate Ireland’s Digital health Strategy and Action plan – Stay Left, Shift Left – 10X. Other confirmed speakers included Myles Murray, CEO PMD Solutions Ltd, Maeve McGrath, Digital Health Lead, Roche, Mohammad Al-Ubaydli CEO, PKB and Dr John Sheehan, Clinical Director, Hermitage Clinic.