Interview with Dr. Sébastian Spencer, Medical Director at Cliniques de l’Europe
Better communication for better care
From emergency to medical leadership
Trained as an emergency physician, Dr. Sébastian Spencer has spent much of his career in settings where every minute counts. Today, as Medical Director at Cliniques de l’Europe, he draws on this hands-on experience to shape healthcare organization and professional collaboration.
“My work as a medical director is to ensure that patient care is of high quality,” he explains. This mission goes far beyond medical acts alone, encompassing all exchanges between healthcare providers.
At the heart of care: The quality of communication
For Dr. Spencer, “a significant part of the quality of medicine we are able to provide depends on the quality of communication between the various healthcare providers, and not only between physicians.” General practitioners, specialists, and non-medical caregivers all contribute to the patient journey. When information flows clearly and in a structured way, decisions are more accurate and coordination is smoother. His experience in emergency care has allowed him to see firsthand the tangible impact that clear and well-organized communication has on the quality of care.
However, this requirement for high-quality communication collides with an unavoidable reality: time. “There are 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week. We would like everyone to be available all the time, but that’s not possible.” In this context, asynchronous communication emerges as a well-suited solution. Sending a message and giving the recipient time to read it, reflect, and respond with a considered opinion fundamentally transforms the quality of exchanges.
Trust relies on data security
Data security is now a central concern for medical professionals. “Doctors are always somewhat concerned about GDPR compliance in the communication tools they use,” Dr. Spencer notes.
He recalls that in the past, some platforms did not meet strict enough data protection standards. Using a solution specifically designed for the medical sector, like Doctolib Connect, provides a clear and secure framework: “Having a platform built for healthcare is reassuring,” he explains.
By ensuring the confidentiality of exchanges and compliance with regulations, such tools help build trust among professionals and secure communication around patients.
Moving forward together amid change
For institutions still hesitant to adopt digital communication tools, Dr. Spencer recommends learning from the experience of others: “I would suggest reaching out to a counterpart in a similar-sized hospital who has already implemented the system, and have a conversation about the benefits and the implementation steps.”
He also highlights the importance of solidarity between institutions: “Hospital directors are generally quite available to support each other.”
Toward more cohesive medical communication
His vision for the coming years is for greater regional coherence. “General practitioners don’t want to be on multiple platforms. They want a single platform, and from there, be members of different networks.”
The goal is to simplify requests for advice, urgent consultations, and specialist exchanges, while respecting everyone’s pace. “Specialists benefit from being able to respond when convenient, between surgeries or after their workday.”
Partnering with trusted technology providers
Finally, Dr. Spencer stresses the importance of choosing the right technology partners: “We want to work with a partner that continues to challenge itself, meets European standards, and adapts to the country’s legal context.”
In an environment with growing cybersecurity and regulatory requirements, this ability to evolve is essential. “Better communication among us, while preserving patient data confidentiality, has become absolutely crucial.”