Collaborative and cooperative hospital digital transformation in the AI age: a framework compatible with European values (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED The last years have seen an acceleration in the development and uptake of AI systems by ‘early adopter’ hospitals. This transformation has raised concerns among healthcare providers about impacts on professional roles, patient care, and the real priorities of change drivers. The pace of AI-enabled digital transformation in the EU may be slowed by structural factors, the caution of professional organisations, and strict regulation. How can positive AI-enabled digital transformation be carried out in EU healthcare, aligned with European values, while avoiding the risk of falling behind, missing out on the digital health dividend of better care, greater efficiency, and global competitiveness? In response, we explore the co-development of a narrow purpose ‘in-house’ AI system, developed through multi stakeholder collaboration as an introductory step toward bridging the AI implementation gap in real-world clinical settings. This example is then expanded to address the broader challenges associated with complex, multi-agent AI systems. Based on multi-stakeholder workshops and a perspective that spans all stakeholders, we propose a practical, multimodal framework for human-centric transformation based on agreed values.