Co-creating the future of clinical care: Why partnerships matter more than technology

Tools evolve, systems modernize, and platforms change, but real transformation happens when people come together with a common purpose. 

My background as a clinician gave me a clear view of how digital solutions can either lift the burden of care or unintentionally add to it. That understanding now guides my work at Tietoevry Care, where I oversee the development and customer needs of clinical solutions. At the center of this work is co-creation, an approach that brings clinicians, managers, developers, and patients together from the very beginning so that solutions grow out of real needs and genuine collaboration. 

Co-creation as shared ownership 

Co-creation is more than teamwork; it is a mindset of shared responsibility. It starts with sitting side by side, asking meaningful questions, and building trust through openness and iteration. Together, we explore who is facing a challenge when it arises, and how it affects care. This early phase gives us a shared understanding and a joint list of priorities to work from. 

From there, we move into design and testing. Clinicians try out prototypes in real settings, giving honest feedback about what works and what does not work. Their input is not an afterthought; it is what shapes the solution and ensures it is practical, safe, and genuinely helpful. 

We saw such an effect in our collaboration with Basel University Hospital, where we worked together to impove effiency and clinical workflows in emergency care.  

From systems to ecosystems 

Healthcare IT has come a long way: first standalone apps, then large monolithic systems, then fragmented modules. Today, we are entering a new era built around open, modular ecosystems. This shift is not just about architecture; it is about culture. It requires a willingness to work across disciplines, to rethink old patterns, and to commit to a shared vision. 

With openEHR and other open standards as our foundation, we can build scalable and intuitive applications that truly reflect clinical needs. It helps us move past legacy constraints and innovate in a way that is responsible, flexible, and grounded in real-world use. 

What we have learned 

If there is one lesson that stands above the rest, it is that technology on its own does not solve problems, people do. Throughout this journey, three things have become clear to me: open standards give us the stable foundation we need; co-creation ensures that solutions reflect real needs; and the true measure of success is the impact on everyday care, faster workflows, safer processes, better outcomes. 

Healthcare is complicated, and not every challenge can be solved quickly. But when clinicians, developers, patients, and managers work side by side, we can create digital solutions that genuinely make a difference. 

In the end, technology should not be the hero of the story. People should. And when partnerships grow strong, the quality of care grows with them.