The Guest – Michał Węgrzyn, Head of Engineering at Physitrack
Michał Węgrzyn is the Head of Engineering at Physitrack, a cloud-based patient engagement solution used by 80,000+ healthcare practitioners around the world with over 7M patients. With over 10 years of experience in different leading roles, Michał is here today to talk about transitioning into engineering management, and his thoughts on innovation, and AI adoption within healthcare, and more specifically, the patient management services. 

Innovation in Patient Engagement: The Role of AI in Revolutionising Healthcare

In the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare, patient engagement has emerged as a key factor in improving outcomes, reducing costs, and enhancing the overall patient experience. As healthcare systems around the world grapple with challenges like staff shortages, increasing demand, and the complexity of chronic conditions, innovation in patient engagement is not just a necessity but a critical driver of future success. At the forefront of this transformation is the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is reshaping the way healthcare providers interact with and support their patients.

From AI-powered virtual assistants that streamline patient communication to intelligent platforms that personalise treatment plans, AI is enabling a new era of patient-centric care. This shift towards digital, data-driven solutions is not only increasing the efficiency of healthcare providers but also empowering patients to take a more active role in their own health journeys. In this article, we’ll explore how innovative AI solutions are transforming patient engagement, the challenges that come with integrating these technologies, and what the future holds for AI in healthcare.

Some highlights in this episode include:

• Big Company vs. Startup: Finding the Right Fit
• Hiring and Managing Engineering Teams for High Performance
• Building and Maintaining a Strong Company Culture
• AI Integration and Its Role in PhysiTrack’s Future

Q:Moving into the management side of things, and now that you're managing teams, how do you drive performance?

"I think that it all starts with hiring great people. It's so much easier when you have the freedom to invest in proper hiring interviews, find people who have technical skills, but mainly they have the right attitude and want to do things. Like, if you have people who optimise for getting stuff done, managing them is so much easier.

And this is also related to letting people go. It's one of the most difficult parts of leadership, but one bad performer can ruin the whole ecosystem and the team’s health. So it's important to optimise for that. And once you have great people, it gets so easy. It's just like playing; you just have to set priorities.

From there, just make sure that people know what they're supposed to do. If you have high performers, like in my current engineering team, where there are so many great performers, my role is more about telling people to chill and relax and not burn out, rather than making sure they do what they’re supposed to. Because they already do what they’re supposed to do, and even more than we would like, occasionally. So, as always, it's complicated."

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