Prof. Luís Lapão
Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal

Title: Taking Digital Transformation into the Ward: Combining Digital Health, Operations Research, and Advanced Data Analytics with AI

Abstract: Healthcare is facing very challenging problems that could be addressed by proper use of engineering science. Digital transformation in healthcare is promising, yet its implementation at the ward level remains a critical challenge. The availability of data and the advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) methods offer significant potential to improve decision-making, reduce inefficiencies, and enhance patient outcomes, their successful adoption depends on meaningful engagement with frontline healthcare professionals. This keynote addresses the integration of digital technologies into clinical practice, emphasizing a co-participative approach enabled by Design Science, which fosters collaboration between researchers, physicians and nurses to ensure solutions are practical (based on processes), evidence-based, and aligned with real-world needs.

A key challenge in implementing AI-driven digital health solutions is the organizational difficulty to adopt new technologies, often due to concerns about workflow disruption, lack of perceived clinical relevance, and trust. In this keynote the combination of Operations Research and Advanced Data Analytics will be explored on how data-driven methodologies can support healthcare professionals in making smarter, more efficient decisions while reducing overload. The integration of real-time ward-level data provides an opportunity to optimize patient flow, predict deterioration, and personalize treatment pathways, thus reducing waste and enhancing care quality.

The presentation will highlight case studies, some from our laboratory, demonstrating the positive impact of data-driven decision support tools in hospital wards, addressing both the clinical and operational dimensions of healthcare. Evidence-based frameworks for evaluating digital transformation initiatives will be discussed, emphasizing safety, effectiveness, and the impact on both patients and healthcare professionals. The need for robust validation through real-world evidence is crucial to ensure digital technologies adoption leads to measurable improvements rather than untested technological enthusiasm.

Finally, this keynote will outline best practices for overcoming barriers to digital transformation in clinical settings, focusing on strategies to engage physicians and nurses as active contributors in the design and refinement of data-enhanced tools. By integrating insights from human factors research, participatory design, and change management, healthcare organizations can foster a culture where digital solutions are seen as enablers rather than disruptors of high-quality patient care.

The talk concludes by presenting a future vision for AI-enabled healthcare at the ward level, highlighting the critical role of multidisciplinary collaboration in achieving sustainable, scalable, and ethically sound digital health innovations. The goal is to transform clinical decision-making into a data-enriched, intelligent process that enhances both the efficiency and quality of patient care.

Bio: Luís Velez Lapão is a Professor with Habilitation of Health Information Systems and Digital Health at Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Coordinator of the Intelligent Decision-Support Systems Laboratory at the UNIDEMI Research Center. Former Head of WHO Collaborating Center on Health Workforce Policy and Planning and Co-Coordinator of the CPLP’s Telemedicine Network. Since May 2023, he has been appointed to the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Health Emergencies, Resilience, and Preparedness (Preparedness 2.0). He was President of the General Council of the Lisbon School of Nursing (2017-2022) and President of the NGO AGO-Associação para a Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Garcia de Orta (http://www.ago.com.pt/ago.html). He holds a PhD in Systems Engineering (Healthcare Management) from the Technical University of Lisbon and a master’s degree in physics. He graduated in Physics Engineering from the Technical University of Lisbon. In 2014, he was a Visiting Professor of Healthcare Management at Karolinska Institutet (Medical Management Centre) and at Dubai University in 2009. From 2007 to 2009, he was a Visiting Professor of Project Management in Medical Informatics at the University of Porto. He also served as the Director of the PACES programme (National Institute of Administration/Ministry of Health), responsible for training in Management and Leadership for Primary Health Care Managers in Portugal (2008-2010). He has coordinated several strategic and reorganisation projects in various hospitals and health centres. Since 2005, he has been an auditor for the European Commission for Healthcare Information Systems. He works in engineering, innovation, and organizational development in health, with an emphasis on Digital Health, decision-making, Implementation Science, change management, project management in health, and telemedicine (e.g., the telemedicine systems in Cape Verde and Angola, and the European Project Momentum). He is the Principal Investigator in four research projects: eHospital4Future-Building the future through an innovative and digitally skilled hospital (2023-25); Smart_Decision@Crisis (FCT NOVA), which aims to design and implement an information situation room for Hospital Cybersecurity and Climate Change (2022-23). PHIRI-Public Health Information Research Infrastructure (UNL), coordinated by SCIENSANO (Be), aims to design and implement a European Portal for COVID-19 information (2020-23). METHIS (FCT): designing and implementing a digital platform for primary care (2019-2025), and Digital_Twin@ICU, which studies AI in an Intensive Care Unit (2023-26). Coordinator of the Advanced Course on Hospital Innovation Management for Digital Transformation (Brasília University Hospital - Brazil) from November 2024- April 2025. He is the author of over 200 peer-reviewed papers (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Luis-Lapao-2) and seven book chapters.