Building intelligent hospitals Digital technology can help hospitals manage patient care more efficiently inside and outside their walls, Abhi Shekar, Digital Healthcare Lead at Mott MacDonald, explains
H
ealth systems are often asked to do the impossible - to manage care for huge populations of patients without adequate physical, digital or human resources to meet their diverse needs effectively. Global health policy makers and clinicians know this is unsustainable with rising patient demand and workforce shortages, particularly exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. A more streamlined, digitally enabled model of healthcare is needed.
There is a growing consensus that the role of the hospital needs to change. Hospitals of the future should focus on delivering specialist care for patients with the most complex needs, while more standardised health services should be delivered more effectively in the community or in patients’ homes. For this model to work, the entire healthcare system – operating inside and outside of the hospital walls – must be seamlessly, digitally connected.
The UK government is embarking on a once in-a-generation programme to build 48 new hospitals by 2030. Similar programmes are also underway in the Middle East and India. Drawing on our digital expertise and experience developing major new hospitals, we have developed a vision for intelligent hospitals of the future with digital at the core. In the UK and the Middle East, we are helping our clients get the human, physical and digital elements working together. Human-centred healthcare When hospitals are designed with the needs of staff, patients and carers in mind, they have a huge potential to enhance their experiences, both within and outside the walls of the building, and improve health outcomes in society. Digital technologies, when deployed with the end user in mind, play a critical role in this. Clinical information systems sit at the core of staff and patient journeys. Beyond
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