i n terviews
How to build a smart hospital? Prof. Dr Jochen A. Werner, the CEO of the University Hospital Essen (Germany), wants to design and form a place where technologies address specific problems, following the principle: putting the peoples’ concerns in the centre. By combining strong leadership, clear vision, innovation-driven organisational culture and right mindset of all workers, he has already created one of the most innovative hospitals in Europe. What does for you an “innovative hospital” mean?
We used to call an innovative hospital a “Smart Hospital” since a cross-linked platform within the public healthcare system has been launched at the University Hospital Essen. This unique communication platform enables close cooperation between a classical clinical medicine, registered doctors, rehabilitation facilities and pharmacies. Besides, from our point of view, a smart hospital must represent values like humanity, progress, medical quality and innovative approach. Economic success also should be included. The clinic walls do not determine this, but the patient outcomes do. Digitalization also positively influences the workflow of our employees, especially of the nurses. The recently established electronic patient file, as well as the future support of robotics, is aimed at the goal: reducing the time spent on documentation and all the administrative tasks that do not affect the patients’ care directly. This unlocks more time for communication so patients can share their fears and problems with doctors. So, an innovative hospital’s intention is the well-being of patients, their relatives and the employees.
How to create a digital-oriented mindset in a healthcare setting, so all the doctors, nurses and medical workers are involved in the change process?
Probably the main challenge on the way to becoming a smart hospital is a sustainable cultural change. The new model of the clinic requires from all our employees an entirely different mindset. In short, we need a new way of thinking and acting, less hierarchy and more interaction and cooperation between different peer groups within the hospital. A new category of doctors is needed: specialists who are not captured in their discipline, but who stay open to all other external knowledge and ability to communicate across professional borders. Interaction and dialogue are the keys. One the one hand, we keep informing all our employees using a whole range of analogue and digital communication instruments such as magazines, videos, newsletters, intranet, and so on. On the other hand, we are focusing principally on our new co-workers to make them the ambassadors and opinion leaders of the digital transformation. To do so, at the beginning of every month, we perform an extensive, four-day-long introduction session. It aims not only at edu-
cating and enabling our new employees to start their work smoothly but also at explaining them the idea and the spirit of our Smart Hospital project. But one thing has to be admitted: every change process is a long road – it is not only about changing people’s mind but their behaviour. Our transformation towards becoming a Smart Hospital is an ambitious, probably never-ending process. During my career, I have noticed that only doing, not talking, can change the reality around. What does drive your motivation to apply digital innovations at the hospital you run?
In my former function as a practising physician, but also my current position as a medical director, I have strived for one main aim: improving the lives of people, improving the lives of my patients. During my career, I have noticed that only doing, not talking, can change the reality around. So many good ideas have not been implemented because there was nobody to turn a concept into result. In this case, even the best approach will remain useless. Discipline and hard work determine the success of every project. So,
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