"Will the new medicine be affordable?" The PremiQaMed Group symposium on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 at Palais Ferstel in Vienna was dedicated to this question. More than 250 participants followed the keynote speeches on future topics in medicine as well as a high-caliber panel discussion. The event concluded with a ceremony to mark the 60th birthday of Julian Hadschieff, CEO of the PremiQaMed Group, with laudatory speeches by Federal Minister Beate Hartinger-Klein, WKO President Harald Mahrer and UNIQA CEO Andreas Brandstetter.
Genetic engineering, pharmacogenetics, nanomechanics, artificial intelligence... - the new possibilities of medicine will offer highly effective therapies in the future that can improve and prolong people's lives. But are these even affordable for healthcare systems financed on a solidarity basis - both public and private? "Innovation is the most important driver in modern medicine. Investments in innovation are therefore always worthwhile," said Julian Hadschieff, founder and CEO of the PremiQaMed Group. In his speech at the ceremony to mark his sixtieth birthday, he emphasized that decisions in medicine must always focus on three things: "It is important to preserve what is good, to seize opportunities for innovation and to use everything together for the benefit of people. "Four keynote speeches shed light on key issues relating to the future of medicine. Prof. Dr. Thomas Grechenig (Vienna University of Technology and RISE R&D) spoke about the effects of digitalization and artificial intelligence on the relationship between doctors and patients, among other things. Prof. DI Dr. Christian Baumgartner (Institute for Health Care Engineering at Graz University of Technology) posed the question of where the limits of medical technology might lie. In any case, the new data technologies make personalized medicine tailored to the individual possible - the associated paradigm shift was vividly demonstrated by Prof. Johannes Khinast (TU Graz and Managing Director and Scientific Director of RCPE). Finally, Prof. Dr. Markus Hengstschlager (Institute of Medical Genetics, MedUni Vienna) provided insights into the latest scientific revolutions resulting from the fusion of biotechnology (genetics, stem cell research) and information technology.
The topic "Austria and the 'new medicine': Opportunities, challenges, financial viability" were discussed, moderated by Nadja Bernhard, ORF, Dr. Peter Eichler, Board Member for Personal Insurance, UNIQA Austria, Prof. MMag. Dr. Gottfried Haber, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Health & Medicine, Danube University Krems and President of the Fiscal Council, Prof. Dr. Markus Muller, Rector of MedUni Vienna, Prof. Dr. Herwig Ostermann, Managing Director of Gesundheit Österreich GmbH and Bernhard Wurzer, Deputy Director General of the Main Association of Austrian Social Insurance Institutions.
The panel agreed that digitalization will be THE driver of innovation in medicine in the coming years and decades. However, the prevailing opinion among the experts was that Austria is currently only playing a "passenger role" in the major digital innovations in medicine, even though the potential is there. Yet there are plenty of research institutions with excellent scientists. Innovation budgets, good coordination between the individual initiatives and partnerships "in which one does not overburden the other" are urgently needed for Austria to catch up with the leaders. Provided that overregulation is avoided, the Austrian healthcare system could benefit massively from the new digital possibilities. Austria should therefore embrace the changes positively and play an active role in further development.
More than 250 guests attended the symposium, including Federal Minister Beate Hartinger-Klein, Federal Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection; Deputy Governor Dr. Stephan Pernkopf, Office of the Lower Austrian Provincial Government; Dr. Harald Mahrer, President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber; Dr. Andreas Brandstetter, CEO UNIQA Insurance Group; DI Walter Ruck, President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
Vienna; Peter Lehner, SVS Transition Committee; MP Gabriela Schwarz, Health Spokesperson of the Austrian People's Party; Director General Dr. Josef Probst, Main Association of Austrian Social Security Institutions;
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Paul Sungler, SALK; KR Dr. Georg Semler, Rudolfinerhaus and many more.
About PremiQaMed Group
The PremiQaMed Group is a leading operator of private healthcare facilities in Austria and a wholly owned subsidiary of UNIQA Österreich Versicherungen AG. Around 1,900 employees work for the group of companies. The Group includes Privatklinik Döbling, Ambulatorium Döbling, Privatklinik Confraternatität and Goldenes Kreuz Privatklinik in Vienna, Privatklinik Wehrle-Diakonissen in Salzburg and Privatklinik Graz Ragnitz. As part of private-public partnership (PPP) models with the SVA, the PremiQaMed Group also operates the Malcherhof Baden Clinic, which specializes in
rehabilitation medicine, and the SVA Health Centre in Vienna.
Further information:
Barbara Werwendt
Corporate Communications
PremiQaMed Holding GmbH
Heiligenstädter Straße 46-48 - 1190 Vienna, Austria
T: +43 1 586 28 40-103 - M: +43 664 5512121
barbara.werwendt@premiqamed.at - www.premiqamed.at