Why the hospital of the future will be your own home?

Nobody likes going to the hospital, whether it's because of the logistical challenges of getting there, the astronomical costs of procedures or the alarming risks of complications like antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But what if we could get the lifesaving care provided by hospitals in our own homes? Health care futurist Niels van Namen shows how advances in technology are making home care a cheaper, safer and more accessible alternative to hospital stays. All that technology is coming together in much more insights into the patients' health, and that insight and all of the information leads to better control and to less medical errors.

Why you should listen？

Niels van Namen has more than 20 years of experience in the health care and life science industry, working closely with customers across R&D, supply chain and manufacturing. He is passionately involved in key developments and supply chain challenges in the health care value chain; in clinical and commercial biopharmaceutical supply chains; in the complexities of medical device distribution, returns, consignments; in hospital logistics; and in final mile, home healthcare distribution and care systems. He is responsible for all health care customers and the team across all UPS business units, providing strategic direction to leverage UPS's expertise in supply chain transportation, inventory management, distribution and regulatory compliance to support healthcare companies.

Van Namen started his career as an engineer and an entrepreneur in clinical trials management. He initiated Diagnostic Units, a company performing clinical trials and providing regular diagnostics and care to patients in Europe. And he worked in the IBM Healthcare consulting practice and then joined DSV to lead the global Healthcare solutions industry.

Van Namen is a PDA member, holds an MSc from Delft University of Technology, obtained his MBA on the Rotterdam School of Management and holds a certificate from l'école Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris. He lives in the Netherlands, is married and has three children.