From repair medicine to health medicine
Essay by David Matusiewicz, Professor of Healthcare Management at FOM University and Dean of Health & Social Care
The medicine of the future will not simply become more digital—it will be more connected, preventive, personalised and humane. From my perspective, we are at a turning point where technological innovation and a fundamental cultural shift in healthcare will be coming together. I have been actively involved in shaping this change for 20 years—but the transformation is now more radical than ever before. The crucial question is no longer whether the technologies are available, but how we can use them effectively for patients.
Healthcare will increasingly move away from reactive repair medicine towards proactive health medicine. Diseases will be detected earlier, risks assessed more precisely, and personalised preventive measures will become the new standard. Artificial intelligence, data analysis and digital health applications will support doctors in making better decisions. They will not replace medical expertise but broaden it. The future belongs to what is known as intelligence augmentation: the interplay between human experience and machine assistance.
A key factor for success will be the intelligent use of health data. Data from hospitals, medical practices, wearables, and care at home can contribute to a comprehensive picture of a person's health. This requires interoperability, high standards of data protection, and public trust. Data are not an end in themselves, but the basis for better diagnoses, more effective treatments and more efficient healthcare.
At the same time, the role of patients will change fundamentally. They will increasingly become active participants in managing their own health. Digital platforms, telemedicine, health apps and personalised information services will create new opportunities for taking individual responsibility. Shared decision-making will become standard practice. Medicine will therefore become more of a partnership, with a stronger focus on people's individual needs.
Care structures will also change. The boundaries between outpatient and inpatient care will become less important. Networks, platforms and regional health ecosystems will complement traditional organisational structures. Interprofessional collaboration will become a key factor for success. Doctors, nurses, therapists, pharmacies and other healthcare professionals will work together in a more coordinated and data-driven way. The focus will shift from the individual healthcare provider to the entire patient journey.
Artificial intelligence will take over many routine tasks—from documentation and image analysis to supporting administrative processes. This will create more space for what really matters: one-to-one consultation, empathy and individual support. In an increasingly digital world, humanity and trust will become even more important. Technology must never become an end in itself but must serve people.
The system's capacity for innovation will be equally important. Healthcare will become more open to collaboration between research institutions, start-ups, established companies and healthcare providers. New solutions will emerge in
ecosystems where different areas of expertise come together. Speed will become a competitive factor, without compromising quality or safety.
The medicine of the future is therefore not simply a technological vision. Above all, it is a task for society as a whole. Digitalisation, artificial intelligence and data-driven medicine offer enormous opportunities—provided they are developed responsibly. People must always remain at the centre of all this. The future of healthcare will not be determined by the capabilities of individual technologies, but by our ability to combine innovation with trust, ethics and a genuine focus on patients. Anyone looking to shape the future of medicine must therefore bring together technology, humanity and the courage to embrace change.
DAVID MATUSIEWICZ is Professor of Healthcare Management at FOM University of Applied Sciences and Dean of Health & Social Affairs. He runs the research institute ifgs and is co-founder of the FOM-CIBE Center for Innovation, Business Development & Entrepreneurship. Matusiewicz is one of Germany's best-known voices in digital health, working as a keynote speaker, moderator, editor, columnist and SPIEGEL bestselling author. He is a TEDx speaker and LinkedIn Top Voice.