DHN 2027

Digital health is progressing rapidly. Prediction, prevention and earlier intervention are opening new possibilities for improving clinical outcomes and patient experience. Technology also promises greater efficiency, better use of resources and reduced costs. But every innovation carries expectations. We expect it to solve a problem. We anticipate its benefits. We estimate the time and resources it might save. We expect people to use it. And when a pilot demonstrates value, we often expect adoption and scale to follow. But what happens when innovation meets everyday practice? Drawing on experience across academic research, multidisciplinary healthcare programmes and digital health implementation, a recurring challenge emerged. A technology can work. A pilot can succeed. Evidence can demonstrate value. Yet sustainable transformation can remain challenging.

Why? What are we missing?

Through experiences across primary care, population health and remote patient engagement, this keynote explores the often overlooked “missing layer” in digital health transformation. The same innovation can be viewed very differently from the perspectives of multidisciplinary professionals and stakeholders. What happens when those perspectives meet? And what can leadership do differently to turn shared ambition into sustainable change?

Prevention is not only about preventing illness or identifying risk earlier. It is also about anticipating the challenges that can consume time, resources and investment when valuable innovation struggles to embed, scale and sustain.

Sabarna Mukhopadhyay is a Chartered Engineer, former academic, health tech entrepreneur and strategic advisor. Sabarna has over 25 years’ experience across research, engineering, healthcare innovation and transformation. Her career bridges R&D through to live healthcare implementation, working with multidisciplinary teams across primary care, population health, remote monitoring and preventative care. As founder and CEO of a multi-award-winning SME, SymlConnect, she led the development of NHS integrated digital health solutions supporting patient engagement and earlier risk identification. She now works as a leadership speaker, healthcare transformation consultant and advisor, bridging perspectives and strengthening judgement to enable sustainable change.