Why Health Tech Needs Better Systems, Not Just Better Devices

By Ayo Sanwoolu

When people talk about innovation in healthcare, the focus is often on breakthrough drugs, robotic surgery, AI-powered diagnostics, or the latest wearable technology. These are the stories that dominate headlines, the flashy advancements that seem to bring the future closer. But behind every medical device, hospital system, or health app that changes lives, there is an invisible infrastructure holding everything together.

Healthcare doesn’t just need better devices; it needs better systems. The most advanced equipment in the world is useless if it isn’t deployed, maintained, and integrated correctly. In a world where lives depend on technology functioning flawlessly, the need for strong system operations and deployment strategies has never been more critical.

The Hidden Challenge in Health Tech

Unlike traditional software, where a minor glitch might result in a slow-loading webpage or a temporary app crash, health tech failures come with real human costs. A medication dispensing system that freezes at the wrong moment could delay critical treatments. A hospital’s inventory software malfunctioning could mean life-saving drugs aren’t available when needed. A cybersecurity breach in a hospital network could compromise thousands of patient records or disrupt emergency services.

Yet, much of the investment and excitement in health tech is still directed toward what is seen and used rather than the systems that make them work. A hospital can purchase the most sophisticated medical equipment, but without a robust IT infrastructure ensuring smooth operation, these investments lose their value.

During my years working in MedTech system operations, I saw this firsthand. At Becton Dickinson (BD), a leading global health technology company, I worked on the deployment and maintenance of critical software that powered automated medication management and hospital inventory systems across different regions. These were systems designed to improve efficiency, reduce medication errors, and enhance patient safety, but only if they functioned exactly as intended, every time.

What Happens Behind the Scenes?

Deploying a new healthcare technology isn’t just about installing software and handing over user manuals. It’s an intricate process involving regulatory compliance, cybersecurity, training, and seamless integration into existing hospital workflows.

One of the biggest challenges in deploying global MedTech solutions is the sheer scale. A single system update can impact thousands of hospitals, each with its own infrastructure, regulations, and operational constraints. A solution that works flawlessly in a London hospital may need significant adjustments to function in a rural clinic in India or a government-funded facility in Africa.

During one major project, I was involved in rolling out a remote deployment system for BD’s enterprise medical software. Traditionally, hospitals required on-site visits for software updates, leading to downtime, increased costs, and operational inefficiencies. By automating the deployment process, we were able to push updates securely to thousands of hospitals remotely, cutting update times from weeks to hours while ensuring compliance with strict regulatory standards.

Beyond the technical side, there is also the challenge of adoption. Healthcare professionals are incredibly busy, and introducing new systems, no matter how beneficial, always comes with resistance. If a new software tool isn’t intuitive or disrupts daily operations, it won’t be used properly. A large part of successful deployment isn’t just about making the technology work but making it usable in real hospital environments.

The Growing Role of Cybersecurity in Health Tech

With the rise of digital health solutions, cybersecurity has become one of the most pressing concerns in healthcare technology. Hospitals are increasingly relying on cloud-based systems, interconnected patient records, and remote monitoring devices—all of which are prime targets for cyber threats. A ransomware attack on a hospital can lock doctors out of patient records, delay emergency surgeries, and compromise confidential data.

Ensuring airtight security during system deployment is no longer optional. At BD, part of my role was overseeing security patch updates and compliance measures across multiple regions. We worked on integrating AI-powered threat detection into hospital IT infrastructures, allowing systems to detect and mitigate potential attacks before they caused damage.

The challenge is that healthcare IT teams often struggle with limited budgets and resources, making them easy targets for cybercriminals. This is why proactive cybersecurity measures, such as predictive security monitoring and real-time alert systems, are becoming as important as the medical devices themselves.

Why System Operations Matter More Than Ever

As healthcare continues to advance, the role of system operations and deployment will become even more central. The future of health tech isn’t just about developing more intelligent devices; it’s about ensuring these technologies can be deployed and maintained efficiently at scale.

One of the most promising trends in this space is the rise of predictive maintenance. Using AI and machine learning, hospitals can now predict when critical systems are likely to fail and proactively fix issues before they cause disruption. Instead of reacting to problems, hospitals will be able to prevent them entirely.

There is also an increasing push towards interoperability, ensuring that different health systems, devices, and software can communicate with each other seamlessly. A hospital’s electronic health records should be able to integrate effortlessly with medication management software, diagnostic tools, and even wearable health devices used by patients at home. Without this level of integration, valuable data remains siloed, and healthcare providers miss out on crucial insights that could improve patient care.

The Future of Health Tech Needs More Builders

The health tech industry often celebrates innovators, but it must also recognize the builders, the people who ensure these innovations work reliably in the real world. The most advanced medical software is useless if it cannot be deployed efficiently, secured against threats, or integrated into existing healthcare ecosystems.

The UK is positioned to lead this charge. With a strong health tech sector, world-class research institutions, and increasing investment in digital transformation within the NHS and private healthcare providers, the UK has the potential to set new global standards for system operations and deployment in healthcare.

Having worked on global health tech deployments, I see an opportunity to contribute to this ecosystem by helping to design and implement scalable, secure, and efficient system operations frameworks that hospitals and healthcare providers can rely on. My experience in large-scale MedTech deployments, cybersecurity, and automation-driven solutions gives me insight into how to tackle these challenges effectively.

Beyond the technology itself, I am committed to sharing knowledge and mentoring professionals in this space. System operations in healthcare is still an underappreciated field, yet it is one of the most critical. By training and equipping the next generation of health tech professionals, we can ensure that the future of healthcare is not only innovative but also sustainable and reliable.

Healthcare technology is evolving rapidly, but unless we build strong foundations, even the most groundbreaking innovations will fail to deliver their full impact. The world doesn’t just need better health tech—it needs better systems to support it. And that is where the real transformation begins.