Using technology to advance global health

April 7, 2025

Let’s start by aligning ourselves at the same moment: today, April 7th, is World Health Day, celebrated annually on this date since 1948 as an initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO). This day aims to raise awareness about the major global health challenges and to encourage everyone, wherever they may be, to play a part in improving health worldwide.

For companies like Telefónica Tech, this day holds special meaning. Because we feel a profound responsibility to contribute to better health outcomes for all—through technology.

Technology as a response to healthcare challenges

We face a growing demand for healthcare services, driven by an aging population—21% of the EU's population is over 65—and the rising burden of chronic diseases. This situation is further aggravated by emergency linked to infectious diseases spread and the impact of environmental phenomena, which continue to destabilize an already strained system.

So, how do we relieve that pressure? While the answer resists oversimplification, we could cautiously distill it into two essential dimensions: reducing and better managing care demand, and increasing professional resources productivity.

Technology is a critical pillar for relieving stress on healthcare services and improving patients' quality of life

With technologies like IoT and Big Data, we can streamline and prioritize care, and automate and optimize processes. This is where health and technology converge-technology is understood not as an end in itself, but as a tool to transform not just how we treat patients, but how we understand health altogether.

The tangible benefits of technology in healthcare

Technology allows us to imagine an improved healthcare environment where:

Waiting lists shrink, because procedures are carried out more efficiently, without cancellations or unnecessary downtime. In Spain, for example, the average wait time for non-urgent surgery is 121 days.

—IoT-based automation and tracking solutions make it possible to follow every patient through each phase of a procedure, speeding up every step of the process. At the same time, these tools keep both professionals and families informed at all times, resulting in an increase in surgical throughput of over 10%.

Remote monitoring of chronic or post-operative patients has become standard practice. This reduces the need for travel, encourages active participation in one’s own treatment, and decreases the likelihood of complications through tight follow-up.

—Connected devices and sensors collect real-time data on vital signs—heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, blood glucose, among others—and make it available to professionals through web interfaces. These systems trigger alerts when values fall outside safe thresholds.
Diseases are diagnosed earlier thanks to AI-powered tools that analyze large volumes of medical images and data.

—These systems can assist in diagnosing everything from dermatological conditions to complex cancers, supporting medical professionals in making timely decisions and reducing the risks of delayed or missed diagnoses due to resource constraints.
Older adults experience a better quality of life, for longer, with the ability to remain in their homes.

—Advanced telecare solutions, combining sensors, medical devices, and AI, not only ensure current wellbeing but also help detect early signs of deterioration, making it possible to intervene before problems escalate.

The good news is that this vision of the future is already beginning to take shape. It will continue to grow as investment in healthcare technology increases and as inequalities in its adoption, by both patients and professionals, close.