Live from the Health Data in Motion conference, a panel of leading experts explored one critical question: Can data standards actually fix the mess in healthcare data?

Moderated by Priit Kruus, the discussion featured Grahame Grieve (FHIR), Kerli Linna (TEHIK), Hanna Pohjonen (openEHR), and Sulev Reisberg (University of Tartu). From HL7 v3 and CDA to FHIR, openEHR, and OMOP, the conversation went far beyond formats. Panelists tackled the limitations of Estonia’s document-based system and the pressure to move toward event-based, API-driven architectures. They questioned whether Estonia’s centralized approach is a powerful asset—or a growing bottleneck. AI readiness was a hot topic: can we really train useful healthcare algorithms with imperfect, siloed data? The discussion also hit on the true cost of transformation—not just in money, but in shifting mindsets across the system. Everyone agreed: the challenge isn’t choosing a standard, it’s agreeing on how and why to use it. Whether you’re a policymaker, developer, or clinician, this episode unpacks the real-world complexity.

Kust tuleb arstitarkvarasse nupu tellimus – kas praktiseerivalt arstilt või hoopis ministrilt? Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller avab ausalt tervishoiusüsteemi kitsaskohti, räägib sellest, miks digiarendus ei tohi toimuda arstist mööda minnes. Juttu tuleb ka tervishoiu rahastusmudelite kohatisest absurdsusest ja sellest, kuidas süsteem võib premeerida mõttetuid uuringuid, aga ei toeta piisavalt ennetust ja tulemuslikkust. Lisaks arutleb saatejuht Priit Kruus Karmen Jolleriga meditsiinieetikast, regulatsioonidest ja inimese motivatsioonist püsida terve.

🎙️ #21 Sigvards Krongorns: It’s not just about the product—it’s about the fit.

Kicking off our first-ever special episode on Baltic Health Tech with Sigvards Krongorns, Associate at Verge HealthTech Fund and ex-founder who dared to 3D-print a smarter cast (yes, like Iron Man, but for broken bones) and shake up a system that doesn’t like being shaken. He’s battled the three-headed beast of clinical inertia, regulation hell, and scale-up chaos—so you don’t have to.

💡 Sigvards shares the highs, lows, and “did-that-just-happen?” moments from his startup journey, and how those lessons shape his work now backing early-stage founders at Verge.

In this episode, Sigvards and Priit get real about:

• What it really takes to get innovation into the hands of doctors (spoiler: it’s not just building cool stuff)
• Why the Baltic health tech scene is quietly cooking up some serious magic.
• How Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania differ in the approach to health tech landscape.
• How cross-border collabs might be the secret sauce to making it all scale.

👉 👀 P.S. This is just the beginning. More Baltic stories coming soon. Follow-up episodes will dive deeper into the ecosystem—because one episode ain't enough!