In the latest episode of the Digital Public Health Podcast, host Rasmus Cloes talks to Dr. Felix Holl about digital technologies in crisis situations. Felix has a doctorate in medical informatics, has been deputy director of the DigiHealth Institute at Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences since 2024, and is a consultant for health information systems at the German Red Cross (DRK) and a delegate for international emergency aid. The conversation focuses on disaster control, telemedicine, digital documentation, and the question of what really helps in a crisis.
Felix combines computer science with emergency medicine. Having been involved in emergency medical services from an early age and later in international missions for the DRK and the World Health Organization, he now researches digital systems for crisis situations. He explains why quality assurance is vital in disasters – and how digital reporting helps to identify undesirable developments at an early stage.
As a positive example, he cites the Red Cross Red Crescent Health Information System (RCHIS): an electronic documentation system for international emergency operations. It works offline, synchronizes later – and enables telemedicine even under difficult conditions.
Germany is also the focus of the discussion: the Corona Warning App, cell broadcast, electronic patient records. What works? Where does it fail due to federalism, financing, or lack of maintenance? Felix advocates a rethink: not just financing new vehicles and tents, but also “invisible” digital infrastructure.
In the end, the key question remains: Are we ready for the next crisis? Digital public health can help – if it is designed, financed, and evaluated with sustainability in mind.
Watch/listen now and gain exciting insights: YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Dezer
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Further reading on the topic
Holl, Felix and Clarke, Lauren and Raffort, Thomas and Serres, Elvire and Archer, Laura and Saaristo, Panu (2024) The Red Cross Red Crescent Health Information System (RCHIS): an electronic medical records and health information management system for the red cross red crescent emergency response units. Conflict and Health, 18, Art. 28. ISSN 1752-1505
Holl, Felix and Kircher, Jennifer and Herelendy, Attila J. and Sukums, Felix and Swoboda, Walter (2024) Tanzania’s and Germany’s Digital Health Strategies and Their Consistency With the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025: Comparative Policy Analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research: JMIR (26), Paper e52150 (Digit. P). ISSN 1438-8871
Holl, Felix and Campbell, Elizabeth and Magrabi, Farah (2024) Climate change and global health informatics: What are the opportunities and challenges? In: AMIA 2024 Annual Symposium, November, 9-13, 2024, San Francisco, CA, USA.
