How Copenhagen Uses AI and Digital Care to Support an Aging Population

This episode of Faces of Digital Health explores how Copenhagen is leveraging decades of digital health infrastructure to support its aging population through the 2024 Danish health reform. Host Tjasa Zaitz interviews Anders Ilken Sundersby and Rike Saltoft-Andersen from the City of Copenhagen’s health and care administration, who explain that the reform is not a radical overhaul but an acceleration of existing digital initiatives. Copenhagen’s approach centers on seamless data sharing across hospitals, general practitioners, care homes, and home care services, enabled by national standards like the MET-COM infrastructure. A key focus is on reducing administrative burdens for care workers through AI-powered tools—such as the TALT project, which uses speech-to-text and summarization to automate documentation—freeing up time for direct patient care. The city also emphasizes inclusive digital engagement, actively involving family caregivers in care planning. Despite regional disparities in healthcare delivery, Denmark’s tax-funded system ensures affordability and access to services, with care homes operating under standard rental models while care services remain free. The episode highlights how digitalization, interoperability, and human-centered design are central to building a sustainable, equitable elderly care system. Key takeaways include: 1) Denmark’s long-standing digital health foundation enables rapid adoption of reforms; 2) AI is being tested to reduce administrative work for frontline care staff, improving both efficiency and data quality; 3) Involving family caregivers through digital tools strengthens holistic care; 4) National interoperability standards (like MET-COM) ensure data follows citizens across care settings; 5) Tax-funded care removes affordability barriers; 6) Local innovation thrives within a shared national digital framework; 7) Digital equity is prioritized by adapting communication to diverse citizen needs; 8) The TALT AI project exemplifies how technology can support, not replace, human care. The tone is optimistic and forward-looking, emphasizing systemic resilience and human-centered innovation.