SMART HOSPITALS
A day in the life of a ‘smart’ hospital Here is how digitalisation can deliver efficiency and user experience gains at every stage of the process:
n Parking: Parking spaces can be reserved using an app, optimising use of space and reducing time spent hunting for a spot. Access is granted via license plate recognition.
n Wayfinding: a digital map accessible by smartphone can direct all hospital users to their destination.
n Hospital check-in for staff and patients: Digitalising the check-in process allows the patient to skip reception queues, and ensures that they receive all relevant, personalised information on arrival.
n Locate and book equipment: With digital asset tracking, staff can avoid wasting
time searching for the equipment they need. Usage of available equipment can be optimised, avoiding overstocking.
n Report issues: If a piece of equipment doesn’t work, the issue can be reported via an ‘app’. Flagging the item for repair will avoid the next member of staff facing the same issue.
n Adaptive climate and lighting: Machine learning can enable temperature and lighting to adapt to changing usage needs throughout the day, and even cater to personalised requirements where appropriate, boosting energy efficiency and patient/clinician experience.
Indeed, digital transformation is a continuous process rather than a project with an end-state, and putting in place the infrastructure that will allow continuous improvement and the introduction of innovative technology over time is critical to long-term success. A hospital can only begin to make progress by understanding this big picture, and identifying the outcome objectives to be delivered will ensure that any given project contributes towards the overall goal of providing patients with the best possible level of care. Secondly, successful digitalisation demands a robust yet agile approach that involves a continuous assessment of goals and achievements. This process begins with an evaluation of the current state of building infrastructure, and how this fits in with defined stakeholder needs. Next, the digital transformation team must design an integrated and interoperable system to generate data for analysis. Only then can new devices, systems, and applications be deployed, tested, and optimised over time to deliver against the intended priorities. The vast amount of data generated by the operational
technology (OT) and information technology (IT) requires a robust network to handle the capacity, with existing networks likely to struggle with the increase. This area is often overlooked, but is paramount to successful transformation.
An effective transformation partner The final ingredient is a transformation partner with the skill and experience needed to tackle the full breadth of problems that digitalisation involves. However, there is no single company that can deliver the full suite of solutions required for this ‘in house’. Success will instead require integrating a wide range of solutions from different providers into a unified programme.
n Find and book treatment rooms: Clinicians can find suitable nearby rooms and book instantly, with changes integrated into the calendar system so that they are visible to others.
n Notification updates: Clinicians and managers can receive notifications on their smartphones about relevant updates from around the hospital, including events, incidents, demand surges, and more.
n Hospital check-out: Patients can seamlessly receive all check-out information, including their recovery plan for post-hospital care.
Creating a framework on which to build seamlessly
integrated ‘smart’ building solutions was one of the key drivers behind the development of Siemens Xcelerator. By providing a curated portfolio of hardware and software, along with a robust partner ecosystem and marketplace, Xcelerator empowers businesses to execute their digital transformation initiatives with greater ease and efficacy, removing the barriers created by non-compatible vendor ecosystems. Hospitals often grapple with legacy systems, disparate technologies, and evolving regulatory requirements. Siemens recognises these challenges, and offers a holistic solution that addresses each aspect of the transformation journey.
The future of digital and sustainable transformation Siemens explored the importance of such ecosystems at its recent Transform 2024 event, where more than 4,000 industry leaders, tech experts, and policymakers convened at Manchester Central to explore the future of digital and sustainable transformation. The two-day conference and exhibition saw healthcare providers and system designers explore transferable innovations in other sectors that can easily be transferred and adapted, providing a useful platform to develop innovative relationships. As hospitals navigate the many challenges they face today, digitalisation offers new solutions that can orchestrate and support the many complex interactions that are vital to hospital operations in a more harmonious and efficient way than has ever been possible before. Through collaborative efforts and innovative implementation of technology, hospitals can redefine the future of healthcare, and create a world where true patient-centric care is not just a goal, but a reality.
Steve Jamieson
As hospitals navigate the many challenges they face today, digitalisation offers new solutions that can orchestrate and support the many complex interactions that are vital to hospital operations in a more harmonious and efficient way than has ever been possible before
Steve Jamieson is the UK&I Healthcare Sector lead at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, and heads up the business’s work supporting hospitals and healthcare campuses in seizing the opportunities presented by digitalisation and smart technology. He says he is ‘passionate about unlocking the potential for hospitals to aid the healing process by being interactive, intuitive, energy-efficient, and sustainable’.
October 2024 Health Estate Journal 93
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