Experiences in Digitalizing Hospital Laboratory Operations
At EuroMedLab 2023, Dr. Henk J.T. Ruven, from the Department of Clinical Chemistry at St. Antonius hospital, presented on the transformative impact of digitalization in hospital laboratory operations and healthcare delivery. The critical factors that set digitalization projects apart from other initiatives are explored, alongside successful examples. The hospital's perspective on advancing healthcare through digitalization involves embracing Value-Based Health Care (VBHC), prioritizing patient-centered outcomes and value-driven practices, while integrating Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) for comprehensive care and leveraging the Health-Intelligence Platform (HIPS) to optimize healthcare delivery.
Digitalization projects aim to standardize processes, reduce complexity, and ensure quality standards while optimizing care. By integrating digital tools, these projects enhance efficiency and efficacy of hospital operations. Digitalization projects are mostly not limited to a specific department. Therefore, collaboration across multiple departments is essential to address patient variations and unique physician needs within the hospital setting and capacity of colleagues from various departments is required for a successful implementation. Due to staffing shortages and budget constraints, there is an urgency to digitalize primary processes, especially in the pre-analytical phase when it comes to laboratory medicine.
Digitalization projects can have various scope – from departmental to nation-wide. Departmental projects, for example, focus on specific departments and implement low-cost measures to enhance departmental workflows and efficiency. Multi-department projects aim at improving patient care and operational processes on a hospital-wide scale. Regional or national collaborations drive digital transformation in healthcare in alignment with strategic goals and objectives of the national healthcare sector.
Projects integrated into hospital programs, such as those contributing to value-based healthcare, ensure that digitalization initiatives contribute to the overarching objectives. Building and renovation projects seize the opportunity to incorporate digital solutions during construction or renovation, optimizing workflows and future-proofing infrastructure.
Before embarking on any new project, Dr. Henk Ruven deems it crucial to thoroughly consider the following criteria, organized in a traffic light system for easy evaluation:
By evaluating all projects through this traffic light system, you can ensure their feasibility and overall success while addressing critical aspects related to stakeholders, risks, investments, and medical quality.
Digitalization has ushered in a new era in hospital laboratory operations, enabling standardization, enhancing efficiency, and improving patient care. By collaborating across departments, and incorporating digital tools, hospitals can address complex challenges and deliver optimized care. Dr. Henk Ruven highlighted the significance of stakeholder management and risk assessment for successful digitalization projects. By diligently applying the traffic light system to thoroughly assess stakeholder management, risks, investments, and medical quality, all new projects can be set up for success while meeting the needs of stakeholders and ensuring efficient and high-quality outcomes for medical professionals. Embracing digitalization in healthcare holds immense potential to transform patient outcomes and drive progress in healthcare delivery.