IFHE NEWS
Digital solutions help to create ‘smart, flexible, green hospitals’
The coronavirus pandemic has alerted healthcare organisations to the need for greater flexibility in how their facilities are designed and configured in terms of space utilisation – not only in caring for more patients during crises, but also to support changes in patient care delivery models, and adapt to emerging demographics and other trends, including a rapidly aging population, writes IFHE President, Daniela Pedrini.
She says: “Flexible buildings that enable healthcare organisations to change the way their spaces are used based on changing needs are a cornerstone of hospital resilience. Digital innovation in facility management systems and space planning and design makes hospital buildings both more flexible, and 'smarter'. Such innovation is indeed permeating all sectors – from care delivery models, to the increasing use of telehealth and telemedicine services in hospitals and outpatient settings, and from the need to rapidly increase capacity to treat large numbers of ICU patients, to preventing infection transmission during a pandemic or disaster, without disrupting the safety and continuity of services.
Daniela Pedrini.
room subject to flexible use allows the rapid deployment there of additional medical equipment if a patient needs intensive care. Another example of hospital building flexibility are systems that allow a switch from positive to negative pressure and increase air flows to protect healthcare staff and patients against infection transmission during an infectious disease epidemic. Equally, there is an increasing need to consider the design and characteristics of examination rooms and how they will adapt to face-to- face or telemedicine consultation, and how to ensure the right levels of light, acoustics, and comfort. “All systems and equipment required to support the use of space must be integrated seamlessly with the other components of the building management platform, allowing the management and control of these systems from remote locations. Importantly, an optimal balance between flexibility and cost for hospital buildings must be found.
She continues: “Such flexibility requires support systems and technologies that enable clinical spaces to be used in ever more efficient and different ways based on changing clinical demand. For example, having sufficient electrical capacity in a
“The trade-off between cost and flexibility and adaptability is the art and science of resilient design and planning. Hospitals which incorporate flexibility into their spaces and simultaneously manage costs will be best prepared for the changes and challenges ahead. “Healthcare facilities are ‘smart’ when they link their structural and operational safety with ‘green’ building work, at a
AI a key theme at Mexico event
The International Federation of Healthcare Engineering (IFHE) and the Mexican Society of Architects Specialized in Healthcare (SMAES), in association with allied institutions and companies, are inviting representatives from across the global healthcare sector, as well as the general public, to participate in and attend the IFHE International Prospective Seminar 2021 and SMAES 18th International Congress, themed ‘Hospital del Futuro – Regenerate Health with Artificial intelligence’, taking place in hybrid form (both virtual and face-to- face) from 6-10 November 2021, in Mexico City. An IFHE Council Meeting is scheduled for 7 November. Visit
http://congreso2021.smaesac.org/ ?lang=en for further information, and to register for the event.
reasonable cost-to-benefit ratio. From artificial intelligence to robotics, development is not only important as a future technology, but also as a tool to make healthcare accessible and affordable to more people, while protecting the planet and ecosystems.”
Further reading n Smart Hospitals Toolkit: Technical guidance. WHO, 4 February 2017. [
https://tinyurl.com/ c7dmysss].
n Healthy Hospitals, Healthy Planet, Healthy People: Addressing climate change in healthcare settings. WHO, 29 May 2009. [
https://tinyurl.com/23em522u].
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