INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
The Overlooked Price of Healthcare Digitalisation
Power management continuing to be a big challenge
Technologies such as analytics and advanced diagnostic machines have accelerated advances in care and treatment while emphasising the central role of power management and quality. Now with the need to be able to scale operations in a matter of days, there is increased pressure on connected, always-on hospitals and clinics to get this right and avoid catastrophic downtimes. Rich Farrell, Director, Cloud & Data Centre Segment, Electrical Sector, APAC, Eaton
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he hospital environment today has changed significantly in the last two decades with research and technological innovations advancing patient care and treatment. However, the perennial expectation of doing more with less remains, exacerbated by a myriad of challenges faced by today’s healthcare systems. Even before the emergence of COVID-19, the rapidly ageing populations1 in many developed economies and a crippling healthcare worker shortage2 were already creating big challenges for hospitals worldwide. To address these difficulties, hospitals have turned to digitalisation to identify a range of feasible solutions with technology and data being applied across an array of functions to support hospital operations and cope with 1 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageingand-health 2 https://www.who.int/health-topics/healthworkforce#tab=tab_1
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A SI A N H O S P I T A L & H EA LT HCAR HCA R E M A N AGE M E N T
IS S UE - 50, 2020
today’s challenges. For example, the use of analytics in diagnostics and wearables for remote patient monitoring helps augment healthcare workers’ capabilities and reduce hospitals’ reliance on manpower to complete manual tasks. However, this growing adoption and reliance on data, connectivity and critical machines comes at an oftenoverlooked cost-an increasing energy demand. The modern hospital is already notorious for consuming significantly higher amounts of energy compared to other building types due to their diverse needs. On top of the lighting, cooling, ventilation and heating needed to support hospital operations, the constant movement of thousands of staff, patients and visitors, and the need to remain open 24X7, all make it challenging to keep energy consumption levels low. What will a comprehensive power management approach look like for tomorrow’s hospitals?
