Healthcare has long moved beyond waiting rooms and hospital corridors. Thanks to telemedicine, it is shifting closer to patients – into their phones, homes and daily lives. Modern technology is not only changing how we communicate with doctors but our very approach to health itself.
🖊 Ivana Bednářová | MEDDI hub a.s.
One of the pioneers of this trend is MEDDI hub, a company bridging the gap between digital innovation and medical expertise. Behind the MEDDI telemedicine platform, which currently offers care to over nine million people across sixteen countries in Europe and Latin America, is entrepreneur Jiří Pecina. His goal is to make high-quality healthcare accessible to the widest possible circle of patients, relieve doctors of unnecessary paperwork and improve the entire system’s efficiency. In this interview, he speaks about trust, innovation and why medicine will always be, first and foremost, about people.
MEDDI was created as a response to the need for more accessible healthcare. When did you first realise that telemedicine was the path you wanted to pursue?
“It started back in 2016 when my son was having his adenoids removed. I saw just how much administration healthcare professionals had to handle manually, even though many of those tasks could be resolved digitally. It struck me then that there is an enormous amount
of room for simplification in healthcare.”
You lead a tech firm in a highly regulated industry. What was your toughest decision?
“Accepting that in healthcare you cannot move at the pace of a typical startup. Technology evolves rapidly, but healthcare must be, above all, safe and trustworthy. That requires both time and patience.”
What is the biggest obstacle to the digitalisation of healthcare?
“A combination of legislation, the complexity of the system and natural caution. Every change in healthcare must be thoroughly vetted.”
How do you build trust when working with sensitive data?
“Trust is the foundation. We use the highest levels of security and regularly test our systems. In my view, innovation and data protection are not mutually exclusive.”
What role does Artificial Intelligence play in your project?
“AI is rapidly growing in importance. It helps us efficiently plan doctor capacity so we can respond to patient needs within minutes. We are also developing further tools – from health metric measurements to practice management software. For us, AI is a tool, not a replacement for humans.”
Could rapid access to healthcare become a new symbol of luxury?
“Perhaps so, but our goal is the exact opposite – to make high-quality care accessible to as many people as possible.”
How do you look after your own health?
“I strive for balance – exercise, sleep and prevention. And, of course, I make use of our own services.”
What motivates you most today?
“Without question, it is the social impact. Technology and expansion are means to an end, but what gives it meaning is the fact that we are helping people.”
How do you see healthcare in ten years’ time?
“It will be more digital, interconnected and focused on prevention. Technology will provide the support, but the doctor will always retain the key role.”
What is your advice to entrepreneurs?
“Be patient and start with a thorough understanding of the environment you are entering.”
