The Digital Hospital

Here’s an interesting report from PricewaterhouseCoopers titled “Reactive to Adaptive: Transforming Hospitals with Digital Technology” (soft copy is available for free – you just need to provide some information about yourself).

I haven’t had a chance to read the document in detail, but I did manage to give it a quick scan. From what I’ve read, the report seems quite useful. The findings aren’t completely new or earth-shattering, but I think the presentation is very good. Here are a few things that caught my attention:

  • Technology is not portrayed as a quick-fix or a “saviour”. I liked how the authors are pretty honest about when return on investment may be expected: after considerable investment and work.
  • Business processes and needs drive technology use. This one I haven’t heard anyone articulate before. I know that I’ve always held the notion that the system as it currently exists should be optimized before looking at technology solutions, so this “finding” was good to hear. Basically, need should dictate where and what technologies are implemented.
  • Develop a learning culture. I know the authors didn’t state it as such, but several of the recommendations and findings seem to imply this notion.
  • The definition of a digital hospital. There was a nice figure and table trying to operationally define this concept of a digital hospital.
  • Complexity. Again, the authors didn’t say it as such, but they articulated it as “non-linear continuum of automation” and a “multi-dimensional continuum” paths and disciplines. I think the authors did a pretty cool job sliding complexity theory in here.
  • The Goal: Digital Health Community. I have to give my kudos to the authors. The identify the current status with the ultimate goal of being part of a fully integrated and digial health community. The digital hospital is just one step toward reaching this ultimate goal.

That’s pretty much it. Again, I haven’t had a chance to read the detailed explanations, but from what I’ve read, the report seems to be pretty good. It’s not hard-core “academic”, but I think it’s a pretty good stab at knowledge translation.


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One response to “The Digital Hospital”

  1. […] Good reading with PWC’s report on the digital hospital. […]