Entry is FREE for participants of ITAPA Health & Care 2026.

Gain valuable insights directly from experts in the field.

Masterclasses take place in small groups focused on specific topics, real-life examples, and immediate practical application of knowledge. This format enables intensive discussion, experience sharing, and the development of skills that have immediate value in professional practice.

The masterclasses will take place 18–19 March 2026 at Hotel Družba in Jasná and are a parallel part of the ITAPA Health & Care 2026 program.

All masterclasses will be held in Salon D.

Note: The number of participants in this format is limited to twenty. Please register well in advance.

10:00 – 11:00 Masterclass: Telemedicine in Practice (Salon D)

This masterclass provides participants with insight into the digital transformation of healthcare. We will move from basic forms of remote consultations to comprehensive telemonitoring. Through practical examples, participants will learn how to successfully implement digital tools, overcome legislative and process barriers, and ensure the security of patient data.

The session will culminate in an in-depth analysis of telemedicine in cardiology and a presentation of the results of the Slovak solution Seerlinq in the management of heart failure.

LIMIT: 20 participants

What you will learn

• The spectrum of digital care: from video calls to telemonitoring
• Understanding the terminology. Why telemedicine is not just a “phone call with a doctor,” but a complex system of data collection.
• Implementation in practice: how to start using digital tools
• Technical and process steps for clinics and hospitals that want to transition to digital patient management.
• Secure data transfer and legislative framework
• A practical perspective on GDPR and the current legislative framework in Slovakia. How to handle data legally and securely.
• Changing communication: the patient as an active part of the system
• Increasing the accessibility of care. How technology removes geographic barriers and reduces waiting room pressure.
• Cardiology as a leader of digital transformation
• Why cardiovascular diseases are ideal candidates for remote monitoring. Transitioning from general telemedicine to specialized care.
• Continuous monitoring vs. random measurements
• Clinical significance of real-time trends (ECG, blood pressure, oxygen saturation). How digital technologies refine diagnostics.
• Data analysis and triage in cardiology outpatient care
• Managing large volumes of data. How intelligent systems alert doctors only to critical deviations.
• Heart failure monitoring: preventing rehospitalizations
• One of the biggest challenges in modern cardiology. How early detection of symptoms via telemonitoring saves lives.
• Seerlinq: a comprehensive response to cardiology practice needs
• Presentation of the Slovak platform. How Seerlinq integrates certified devices, software, and physician needs.
• Case studies from Slovak practice using the Seerlinq system
• Real results, physician experiences, and patient stories showing how telemonitoring has improved quality of life.

Who the MASTERCLASS is for

• Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals

• Healthcare facility leaders and management

• Administrative staff in healthcare

• Healthcare project managers

Lecturer: Štefan Karolčík, Seerlinq

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11:20 – 12:20 Masterclass: How to Build and Maintain a Resilient and Secure Hospital – A Managerial and Strategic Perspective (Salon D)

A practical guide for CIOs, project managers, and decision-makers in public healthcare.

How can top management make qualified decisions today that will not harm the hospital or organization in 2–5 years? This masterclass will guide participants through the process of promoting and supervising strategic decisions in hospitals and healthcare organizations on a daily basis—from problem identification to an approved solution.

Without dead ends, underestimated sector risks and vulnerabilities, or “bubble solutions” that work only on paper.

LIMIT: 20 participants

What you will learn

• Why hospitals and healthcare organizations must actively address their known sector challenges

• What happens if they do nothing or very little

• Risks, impacts, costs, and benefits, including resilience assurance and business continuity

• Why the proposed solutions are secure, feasible, and sustainable in the long term

In this context, a business case is not a partial business plan but a strategic decision-making approach connecting strategy, processes, IT, security, procurement, and operations into one functional and dynamic ecosystem.

After completing the masterclass, participants will be able to

• Turn organizational chaos or problems into clearly defined requirements that lead to sound strategic decisions

• Align IT, operations, management, and procurement into one functional ecosystem

• Prepare solutions that withstand audits, legislation, regulation, crises, and leadership changes

• Avoid common mistakes that lead to ineffective development or investment projects

• Understand why many healthcare projects fail before implementation

• Develop strategic decisions and structure them into sustainable and resilient systems prepared for future change

Topics we will cover

• Strategic direction of hospitals or healthcare organizations in response to external requirements (public, suppliers, regulators/insurers, ministries)

• Building an approvable business case for hospitals – a strategic roadmap with tactical and operational impacts

• Setting up processes, procurement, and responsibilities without blind spots (value streams, capabilities, functions, principles, products)

• Supplier and operational risks – what is often underestimated

• GDPR, cybersecurity, and process-based decision-making (secure and safe data-driven management)

• How to build a resilient organization (“a healthy hospital”)

• Real case studies from practice + discussion with participants (regional hospitals in the Czech Republic, Czech health insurance companies, NCZI Slovakia)

• Recommendations on what to focus on and what to avoid, including examples of sensitive implementation processes

Who the MASTERCLASS is for

• Hospital managers and healthcare leadership teams

• Strategic management responsible for decision-making aligned with risks and regulations

• CIOs and project managers working in healthcare

• Representatives of authorities and healthcare regulators

• Regional government (VÚC) healthcare department staff

• Enterprise architects and process specialists

Lecturer: Ľuboš Fryc, Skill Bill

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14:00 – 15:00 AI Fitko Training in Healthcare (Salon D)

Less administration. More time for patients.

Artificial intelligence is already helping healthcare professionals manage the growing administrative burden, work faster with data, and improve the quality of decision-making.

LIMIT: 20 participants

What you will learn

• Practical demonstrations of tools useful in both personal and professional life: ChatGPT, Gemini, NotebookLM
• How to use AI effectively in everyday clinical, managerial, and professional practice
• Simple AI prompting principles that significantly improve the quality of texts, summaries, and materials
• Mini workflows that save time every day (e.g., summarizing medical documentation, preparing reports, creating materials, reviewing professional texts)
• A short preview from AI Fitness Training: “AI as your personal assistant” – working with text, navigating sources, preparing materials without manual rewriting

Note:
The training focuses on administrative digitalization, creating summaries, working with texts and sources, and improving everyday workflows. It is not intended for diagnosing diseases or recommending treatment.

Who the MASTERCLASS is for

• Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals

• Healthcare managers and leadership

• Administrative staff in healthcare

• Professionals working with documentation, reports, protocols, and reporting

• Healthcare project managers

Lecturer: Ivona Matulik-Langner, AI Fitko

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15:20 – 16:20 Are Outpatient Clinics Sufficiently Protected? (ONLINE WEBINAR, Salon D)

The webinar is based on a survey conducted on a statistically significant sample of respondents, including a large number of outpatient clinics in Slovakia.

Based on the collected data, we will present information and communication architectures as they are actually used in outpatient healthcare – from the simplest clinics with minimal IT equipment to network-connected clinics using cloud services, wireless infrastructure, and medical electronics.

LIMIT: 20 participants

What you will learn

• Typical IT architectures currently used in Slovak outpatient clinics

• How clinics can be categorized according to their level of IT complexity

• Typical cybersecurity risks associated with different types of clinics

• Why universal security recommendations do not work in the outpatient sector

• How to adapt security measures to the specific IT environment of a clinic

Who the WEBINAR is for

• Providers of outpatient healthcare services

• Physicians and clinic managers

• IT administrators and healthcare information system suppliers

• Cybersecurity experts in healthcare

• Professionals working in healthcare digitalization and medical technologies

Lecturer: Ivan Makatura

10:00 – 11:00 Masterclass: ATB Stewardship (Salon D)

This masterclass focuses on the principles of antibiotic stewardship as a key tool for managing the quality and safety of hospital care.

It will explain why systematic antibiotic management is becoming a standard across Europe, what clinical and economic benefits it brings, and how it can be effectively implemented in the daily practice of Slovak hospitals with active support from medical management.

What you will learn

• Why antibiotic stewardship is a strategic priority for modern hospitals

• Clinical, economic, and safety benefits of managed antibiotic use

• Key indicators for evaluating antibiotic therapy

• How to establish effective hospital processes and responsibilities

• The role of medical leadership and management in implementing stewardship programs

• Practical examples from hospital practice

• How to support physicians in responsible antibiotic decision-making

Who the MASTERCLASS is for

• Hospital medical leadership (directors of healthcare, medical directors)

• Healthcare quality and safety managers

• Heads of departments and senior physicians

• Members of antibiotic and drug committees

• Hospital pharmacists involved in drug policy management

• Clinical process and standards guarantors

Lecturers:
Alena Koščálová, AGEL
Ľubomír Soják, Nemocnica akademika L. Dérera v Bratislave

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