Mikko Kytö, development manager at HUS Helsinki University Hospital, wants to make significant impact in healthcare with the CleverHealth Network (CHN) ecosystem partners. His extensive background in data science, human-computer interaction and health technology innovation is a great asset in boosting the collaboration.
With four years at HUS and experience as a docent in computer science at the University of Helsinki, Mikko Kytö is specialised in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and user-centric development for health tech solutions. He also teaches human-computer interaction at Aalto University and the University of Helsinki.
Mikko joined HUS with the ambition to make a real impact in healthcare. As a key member of the CHN coordination team, he acts as a bridge between clinicians and technology experts, providing his expertise in data, regulation and data management to the ecosystem. “Collaborating with talented clinicians is incredibly interesting. Speaking the same language as both clinicians and data experts from partner companies makes me some kind of an interpreter in CHN,” Mikko says.
User-centric innovation in gestational diabetes care
One of Mikko’s projects in CHN is the development of a mobile application for individuals with gestational diabetes to monitor their blood glucose levels, physical activity and nutrition habits. Emphasizing a user-centric approach, Mikko and his team designed the interface based on user feedback. After the app was completed, Mikko joined the clinical research phase, contributing as a main author to a published research paper based on a randomized controlled trial.
At the moment, Mikko’s research group is interviewing nurses to gather further feedback on how the app can be improved from the clinical perspective. He has also started exploring commercialisation and IPR (intellectual property rights) issues for the application and is investigating new piloting and funding opportunities.
New projects and innovation scouting
Beyond the gestational diabetes project, Mikko is preparing new initiatives, including a project on age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and a project on respiratory diseases. The nAMD project aims to optimize patient care, such as injection intervals and medication, by combining imaging data and patient records. The project on respiratory diseases will focus on automating the interpretation of spirometer curves and streamlining patient pathways.
In the CHN team, Mikko is responsible for scouting new project ideas at HUS. He has been involved in developing a technical tool which aims to streamline the review process of potential innovations and will collect ideas, challenges and clinical needs from within the organization into one place.
Driving collaboration and international networks
Mikko participates in several boards related to artificial intelligence, such as the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health’s (STM) Sote AI ecosystem coordination group and the HUS risk analysis group.
To gain international exposure, Mikko and the CHN team have recently visited the Mayo Clinic in USA to learn from global best practices and build collaborative networks. They have also attended major conferences such as DMEA in Berlin and HLTH in Las Vegas. These efforts aim to raise the profile of CHN beyond Finland and to facilitate learning from other innovation ecosystems and initiate collaboration.
Looking ahead: data-driven innovation and future expectations
Looking to the future, Mikko is also focusing on identifying data-driven innovations. Access to comprehensive data pools enables the mining of new processes and the identification of unmet needs. The impact of innovations can be assessed through process modelling tools and cost calculations, which help determine whether new solutions are needed. This approach will also help optimize hospital processes using the HUS data models.
Regarding the development of CHN, Mikko highlights both challenges and opportunities. He notes that a lack of incentives for innovation in the public sector is a key barrier, as much of the work is carried out by a handful of enthusiastic clinicians alongside their regular duties. This slows down progress. Regulatory challenges exist but are not insurmountable, and anonymisation of data is continuously improving.
Mikko envisions CHN as a genuine development platform with access to large amounts of anonymous data and active collaboration with companies for creating impactful health care solutions. As the network grows, he hopes to scale operations and achieve faster turnaround times for development.
Photo: Felt Totografi
