Can AI Finally Upgrade Outdated Hospital Systems?

New EIT Health InnoStars program seeks digital solutions for hospital scheduling and neonatal care challenges.

Across Europe, healthcare systems are buckling under the pressure of rising patient numbers, overstretched staff, and outdated administrative processes. In hospitals, inefficient appointment booking systems have become a serious pain point — delaying treatments, frustrating patients, and wasting valuable resources. Now, a major initiative from EIT Health InnoStars and Portugal’s ULS de Coimbra hospital is looking to harness artificial intelligence (AI) and smart digital tools to transform hospital workflows.

The InnoStars Connect program, currently open for applications until May 30, is inviting startups, researchers, hospitals, universities, and companies from across Europe to propose innovative, scalable solutions for improving hospital appointment management systems. It marks the second time EIT Health’s regional program is targeting this critical area of healthcare logistics.

Why Hospital Scheduling Needs a Digital Revolution

As Rui Gomes, CIO of ULS de Coimbra, explains:

“Smart scheduling isn’t just about efficiency — it’s about ensuring every patient gets timely, quality care. Delays and bottlenecks can have life-threatening consequences.”

Hospitals face a complex mix of demands: systems must handle real-time updates, minimize no-shows and overbooking, and accommodate individual patient needs, such as language preferences or mobility limitations. AI-powered chatbots, automated scheduling platforms, and patient-centric interfaces could dramatically improve both patient experience and operational efficiency.

Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows Europe is increasingly embracing digital health services. Telemedicine is available in 77% of European countries, with teleradiology adopted by 84%. Even telepsychiatry is gaining traction, now available in over half of EU countries. Citizens’ access to electronic health records (EHR) has also risen, with the EU average jumping from 72% to 79% by the end of 2023 — and even higher in Hungary, where it stands at 86%.

Two Core Challenges the Program Aims to Solve

1. Automated Clinical Appointment Scheduling:
Missed appointments are a persistent problem — in psychiatry, for instance, no-show rates can reach 30%. These missed slots often go unused, exacerbating delays and overloading staff. In Hungary, one-third of patients report waiting over a month for specialist appointments. Rigid scheduling systems, overbooking practices, and poor coordination between hospital departments make matters worse.

2. Patient Navigation and Booking Accessibility:
Outdated booking systems disproportionately affect vulnerable patients, widening healthcare inequalities. Complex booking processes, opaque waitlists, and long delays discourage patients from seeking timely care, especially for urgent conditions like cancer or chronic diseases.

What’s in it for Innovators?

Selected applicants will join Europe’s largest health innovation network and receive tailored training, mentorship, and financial support. Ten teams will be chosen to further develop and test their solutions alongside experts at ULS de Coimbra. Each team will receive a €10,000 grant: €6,000 for product development, €3,000 for travel, and €1,000 for mentoring.

At the program’s conclusion, these teams will pitch their projects to healthcare leaders at the EIT Health InnoStars finals. Sarah Haddadin, Regional Innovation Manager at EIT Health InnoStars, highlights the initiative’s unique role:

“InnoStars Connect shows how real-life challenges can fuel collaborative innovation. We’re creating opportunities for startups, researchers, and health providers to co-create solutions for pressing healthcare gaps.”

A Second Call Focused on Neonatal Health

Besides hospital scheduling, InnoStars Connect is also tackling neonatal care through a parallel program with pharmaceutical firm Chiesi Group. This challenge seeks AI-driven or digital solutions for improving outcomes in premature newborns — particularly those suffering from neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

The initiative encourages ideas like early diagnostics, non-invasive monitoring systems for hospital and home use, and smart technologies that assist neonatal care. Equally important is ensuring access to high-quality care in lower-income environments and providing resources for parents — from telehealth services to educational programs.