Digital Hospital

Joseph Moubarak, Peter Salameh, Hady Stephan

Notre Dame University - ECCE Department
Advised by: Dr. Mohammad Nassereddine
Biomedical Engineering
Healthcare Management

Abstract Results
Introduction
Abstract
Digital Hospital Case Study
Conclusion
In order to achieve true technology
convergence and interoperability, its
necessary to use a common
communication platform that all
intelligent devices can be connected to.
The digital hospital will lead to more
efficient care environment through the
integration of communications with
business and clinical applications
Materials and Methods
St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim,
Norway

St. Olavs Hospital has been tagged the
most modern hospital in Europe and
probably among the worlds leading
healthcare technology initiative and is
now fully operational

This hospital is equipped with the most
updated technologies, it has:
5250 PCs,
3200 Wireless IP-telephones,
2600 Fixed IP-telephones,
150 Servers,
180 Cisco switches,
1100 wireless access points,
930 Patient terminals,
130 Multifunction printers,
650 Laser printers and other
equipments

Replacement and expansion of existing
hospital
1.5 million square feet
NOK 8.1 billion (US$1.6 billion)
balance of the campus is scheduled to be
completed in 2011.

Key technologies
Pervasive wired and wireless network
Comprehensive EMR with bedside patient
terminals and access via wireless PCs and
handhelds
100% digitized medical imaging
Dual-mode IP telephones
AGVs and robotics in pharmacy and
supply chain
Computer-guided pneumatic tube system.
Up to present, most of the hospitals are still far away from
being classified under the Digital category. Digital hospitals
were designed in order to reduce the operating costs, increase
patient satisfaction, improve responsiveness and quality of care,
simplify compliance with documentation requirements,
increase staff productivity, improve the working environment
and even to help ensure confidentiality. Thus in order to
achieve these goals many new concepts and strategies are being
introduced to the hospital. The following table summarizes
these improvements.

Skyrocketing costs, reports of medical
errors, consumers demanding better
care, and the ever-growing need to
move away from paper charts are all
leading to a restructuring of the world
health system. Information technology
(IT) holds the key to a radical
transformation of the healthcare
industry. For decades, healthcare was
slow to embrace IT as a solution, but to
address todays needs and to prepare
for tomorrows, IT is a must. Advanced
technology solutions are giving rise to
futuristic digital hospitals where
everything is connected.
The concept of a digital hospital
might evoke images of an impersonal
facility, but the reality is just the
opposite. Digital hospitals, where
information, images and clinical know-
how are all connected, already exist
and can be compared with five-star
hotels with regard to quality of care
and interpersonal interaction.
Why go digital? By definition, the digital hospital is connected which leads to better
efficiency and information flow laying the groundwork for better patient care. The
digital infrastructure within these facilities provides the foundation to meet the
nations call for electronic health records within the next 10 years. With healthcare
accounting for at least 15 percent of the U.S. economy, the cost of not adopting
Information technology and advancing healthcare is too great to ignore.
Hospital process Traditional hospital Digital hospital
Patient monitoring Information from different devices is
stored separately.
All patient monitoring information is available in
the EPR. Monitoring data from a patient on the
move can be viewed remotely, from the nursing
station.
Nurse call Nurse must walk to patient room to find
out what the patient needs.
Patient can press a button to indicate need (water,
pain medication), and the request appears on
nurses PDA or IP phone. Systemlocates and sends
a message to the nearest qualified staff, according
to hospital rules. Nurse can call back patient if
more information is needed. Reduced walking time
frees up time for patient care.
Asset location and tracking
such
Pinpointing the location of moveable
assets as wheelchairs, IV pumps and
laptops requires searching hallways and
rooms. In many hospitals, at least half of
the time spent repairing medical devices is
devoted to simply locating the device.
Hospital can instantly locate any asset with a built-
in 802.11 transmitter, such as a laptop or PDA, or
any asset with an active RFID tag. Staff spends less
time locating assets. Quality of patient care
improves when patients do not need to wait until
equipment can be located.
Hospital orderly Caregiver submits a request for laboratory
tests or transport through internal mail;
the lab sends an orderly to pick up the
patient after processing the request.
Caregiver can order clinical tests, equipment and
transport from any location, using a PC or wireless
device. Service staff can view pending service.
orders from a PC or wireless device and
automatically generate invoices.
Trauma or crisis team
assembly
A member of the medical staff issues an
alarm using an analog system or, in
Europe, Digital Enhanced Cordless
Telecommunications (DECT). Team
members need to find a telephone to
confirm they received the call.
Hospital can rapidly assemble a specialist team
based on the type of alarm. Hospital can locate
and inform nearest qualified staff, and
automatically escalate if alerts are not
acknowledged. System logs and monitors all alarm
activity
Patient terminal Patient has limited or outdated bedside
entertainment, information and
communication.
Patients can enjoy secure, role-based access to
entertainment and educational content, including
TV, radio and Internet. Hospital can offer limited
access to the intranetfor example, to provide
treatment information.
Electronic dictation Tape must be physically delivered to a
transcriptionist, delaying information
availability.
Physician dictates into personal digital assistant, PC,
telephone, cell phone, or IP phone. Recording is
delivered over the network to the transcriptionist,
who can begin work immediately.
Askerhus University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
The New Askerhus University Hospital
(AHUS) was opened in October 1
st
2008. This
hospital is now holding many technologies
such as the pervasive wired and wireless
network, comprehensive Electronic Medical
Record (EMR) with bedside patient terminals
and access via wireless PCs and handhelds,
VoIP communication, robotics in pharmacy and
supply chain.