AI set to restore the doctor-patient relationship

Experts gathered at the Horizontes conference series, organised by Ayesa and the Royal Academy of Sciences of Seville, highlighted the benefits that the deployment of this technology will bring to healthcare.

They also pointed to a hyper-regulated environment as a key obstacle to the development of the industry.

The Horizontes conference series, organised by Ayesa and the Royal Academy of Sciences of Seville (RASC), has held its fourth and final session, dedicated to the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare. A technology that is already present in everyday life, AI holds unprecedented transformative potential in one of the most sensitive areas of society.

AI is redefining how professionals and citizens understand, manage and access healthcare. Today, 87% of healthcare providers are increasing their investment, and adoption has risen from 27% to 43% in just one year, confirming that the sector is undergoing a structural shift.

This rapid progress raises questions around technical and ethical limits, potential biases in clinical decision-making and responsibility in the event of algorithmic errors. However, the experts gathered at Horizontes agreed that AI represents a unique opportunity to restore the doctor–patient relationship and to move towards a more sustainable, prevention-based healthcare system supported by technology.

Xabier Eroa, Director of Health and Industry at Ayesa, noted that although there are significant barriers related to data and ethics, “there is also a certain hype around AI in healthcare. The real challenge lies in identifying where it truly adds value.”

Joaquín Dopazo, Scientific Director of the Computational Medicine Platform at the Foundation for Progress and Health, explained that its mission is “to drive the effective implementation of data-driven innovation within the healthcare system.” Among ongoing initiatives, he highlighted pilot projects focused on the use of genomic data in rare disease diagnosis, pathogen surveillance and the secondary use of health data, all within the Andalusian regulatory framework.

From Tecnalia, Sergio Muñoz, Business Development Manager for Digital Health, stressed that it is an applied research centre focused on solving real problems: “Technology must be cost-efficient. We cannot do everything alone, collaboration is essential.”

He explained that Tecnalia is working on simulation systems using synthetic cases, which make it possible to train algorithms while reducing bias, as well as on the development of advanced sensors, the analysis of drug effects from a human biology perspective, and biological twin models, in collaboration with companies across the sector.

Data, Sustainability And Anticipation Of Health Crises

Jordi de la Osa, Business Development Director at IQVIA, explained that the company operates across multiple disciplines in health innovation with a clear goal: “to accelerate the transition from scientific knowledge to clinical practice.”

He highlighted projects related to antimicrobial resistance, as well as collaboration with the Spanish Agency for Health and Digitalisation to build an intelligent healthcare system capable of anticipating pandemics and medical emergencies.

“A single medical record can generate up to 50 petabytes of data per year. The challenge is not storing it, but turning it into useful knowledge, and that’s where AI plays a key role,” he noted.

Medical Devices, Robotics And Advanced Diagnostics

Aratz Setién, Head of Advanced Digital Health at Tekniker Health, presented a wide range of solutions, including a smart insulin wristband; devices for the early detection of HPV-related lesions; systems to analyse blood coagulation levels; detection of proteins, bacteria and viruses such as Legionella or SARS-CoV-2; as well as autonomous surgical robotics and robotic solutions for rehabilitation.

Setién warned about the regulatory complexity of the sector: “In many industrial projects, 80% of the work is regulatory rather than technological. There is still a significant lack of understanding of Europe’s hyper-regulated environment.”

He also highlighted the challenge of continuous learning for AI models once they have been certified under the new AI Act framework.

AI To Prevent Illness Before The Patient Becomes Ill

Dopazo stated that “everything we will see implemented in AI for healthcare will be spectacular, not because of paradigm shifts, but because of major process acceleration.”

He underlined the crucial role of primary and secondary prevention: “We will be able to contact citizens before they become patients. That radically changes the hospital system.”

As examples, he referred to early detection projects for ovarian, lung and melanoma cancers, as well as monitoring patients with cirrhosis: “Detecting ovarian cancer early raises survival rates to 95%; if we are late, they drop to 25%. This benefits patients and improves the sustainability of the system.”

Prudence, Ethics And Interoperability

Alejandro Pazos, Professor at the University of Coruña, warned that “there is no point in predicting outcomes if we cannot offer appropriate solutions,” and called for caution in the management of information.

He also explained the development of systems within the Galician Health Service (SERGAS) to prioritise cardiac patients based on clinical data: “We assign urgency levels and specialists objectively to improve efficiency and equity.”

For Pazos, the main challenge lies in interoperability and in remembering that “data belongs to patients; healthcare systems are merely its custodians.” He argued that well-applied technology can drive a more human-centred and personalised form of medicine.

People, Processes And Responsibility

The debate concluded with a clear consensus: AI only delivers value if it improves health outcomes, patient experience, costs and the sustainability of the system.

From IQVIA, speakers emphasised that “technology alone does not work; we must transform the way healthcare services are delivered and allow doctors to refocus their attention on patients.”

Experts agreed that the future lies in effective regulation, collaboration and putting people at the centre — using AI as a lever to humanise healthcare.