5 minute read
INTERVIEW: B. Braun (Thailand) - Transition to success
Sayan Roy, Managing Director of B. Braun (Thailand) Ltd.
The healthcare industry has been changing constantly due to several key factors, including technological advancements, ageing populations, changing disease patterns, new treatment discoveries and now the Covid-19 pandemic, which is accelerating transformation across industry sectors. In this interview, Sayan Roy, Managing Director of B. Braun (Thailand) Ltd., shares his view on the current trends and developments of digitalization in the field of health care and medical devices, including the changes this sector is facing in these challenging times.
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What is the current state of digital transformation in health care and what are the challenges that the health care sector is facing?
Digitalization is expanding into all areas of life. The health care system is no exception. For some time now, healthcare providers and the industry at large have been working on innovative digital solutions. For example, you can easily generate a QR code that gives a customer access to a specific eIFU – in other words, an electronic instruction manual – or provide technical service with information about maintenance data for an individual infusion pump. However, to ultimately apply the data in this way, it must be available in a structured way. Conversations revolve around the FAIR data principle - "findable", "availability", "interoperability" and "reusability".
How is B. Braun gearing up for digitalization?
B. Braun has been revolutionizing the health care market for more than 180 years. Why has B. Braun been successful for 180 years? It is because the company has always had the strength and will to develop and improve. Change is the constant companion of the company’s history. We see change as a perfect opportunity – for innovation, efficiency and the development of sustainable solutions. This also applies to digitalization, the biggest topic of change in our time.
B. Braun digitalization strategy is focused on three target groups. Protecting and improving the health of patients is the top priority, and it will stay that way. Second is networking with healthcare providers, dealing with data, and improving patient safety and comfort by utilizing integrated smart systems, which are playing an increasingly important role. Finally, decision-makers and employees in the healthcare sector are also central to B. Braun’s work. The focus here is on the increased use of digital technologies to support effective, safe and cost-efficient therapy and care while also allowing better access to health care.
How will digital technology, as one of the healthcare trends, change the patient experience as well as the healthcare industry in the coming years?
Everyday more and more things are connected to the Internet and they can easily be controlled and monitored. The Internet of Things should be used to support us and make our lives more comfortable. In health care, this topic plays an important role, and it is also the same in B. Braun. One of the projects we are working on is to network all medical technology products of B. Braun systematically and securely, from infusion pumps and devices through to dialysis machines and surgical instruments, with a common IT platform. This will allow hospitals to optimize their processes. In future, many other advancement can be achieved as the devices and data are connected; we may even see harmonization of medical devices linking with a patient’s history in another country. Digitalization will allow processes to become much simpler for the patient, and there have already been many conversations centred around this topic in the industry. It is quite exciting and will benefit patient experience in the coming years.
How has the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation in health care?
Historically, the healthcare environment has been slow to adopt new technologies, but the Covid-19 pandemic has a silver lining. It has facilitated the healthcare sector and hospitals to take a giant leap towards enhancing digital capabilities and providing patients with digital solutions – from eHealth (patient and physician engagement) and remote patient monitoring to eCommerce. Digital transformation is having an impacting lives all over the world.
For healthcare companies, sales must be designed digitally, and training courses are consistently digitized for easier access. Our world-renowned Aesculap Academy, which was reputable for its educational programmes and hands-on workshops, had to stop face-to-face engagement due to the pandemic. All of a sudden, however, we had to pivot towards online training courses and recorded video tutorials, and have continuously working to improve the learning experience for participants. Attendees had to learn not just through the lectures but also by examining the patients themselves with virtual reality glasses and virtual classes.
Any last words?
I see digitization as a critical influence in the healthcare industry, and especially within B. Braun, which enables us to understand and create solutions through increasingly innovative pathways. Successful digital transformation does not only require new business models and products; rather, it distinguishes itself mostly through a change in company culture. Accordingly, it is only necessary for the company to upskill its talent pool to embrace the change in order to ensure that all its employees can effectively contribute to the success of the organisation.
This interview article is contributed by B. Braun (Thailand) Ltd.
Contact details: Vijitra Suwandamrong Aesculap Academy and Corporate Communication Associate Manager B. Braun (Thailand) Ltd. +66 2 617 5028 (DID) vijitra.suwandamrong@bbraun.com www.bbraun.co.th FB : B. Braun (TH) Youtube : B. Braun Thailand Linkedin : B. Braun Group
