If we are lucky, our hospital experiences will be limited. Perhaps a broken bone in youth, babies being born, and visits to recovering relatives. It is during these moments that we absorb by osmosis the goings on in a typical hospital — the level of care that patients receive, the collaboration between teams, and a level of empathy delivered with an attitude that keeps patient spirits high at what can be quite worrying times.
The UK government's 2023 Mandate to NHS England is a window into how drivers on high could positively influence the patients, people and processes we see on the ground, and the actions administrators, clinicians, and even volunteers need to take to meet the government objectives for the NHS in 2023. How are we collectively supposed to cut NHS waiting lists and recover performance, support the workforce through training, retention, and modernising the way staff work, and deliver recovery through the use of data and technology? Just as importantly, how would progress be measured against these objectives?
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The NHS, like most health organisations around the world, is under pressure from a growing and ageing population, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, and workforce shortages. Its patients are influenced by the wider digital world and expect greater transparency into their care options and the care actions taken, along with more convenient care options and greater access to healthcare providers, medications and other supportive resources. We are also not yet fully over the impact of the pandemic, with waiting times to see a healthcare provider remaining stubbornly high.
In light of this, the UK government has provided an extra £14.1 billion to help cut the queues, whilst acknowledging that digitalisation is the key to securing the future safety of the NHS, stating that “digitally mature trusts operate with approximately 10 per cent improved efficiency compared with their less digitally mature peers.”
In short, digitalisation done correctly bolsters efficiency and improves patient care.
Finding the right person at the right time
Patients on a ward are seen by a lot of staff. It is easy to observe a nurse checking blood pressure, carers helping wash nearby patients, a senior nurse giving updates about care agreements, a junior doctor explaining a medical condition, and a consultant explaining test results. Staff need to dash in and out in order to provide care to all patients on the ward.
That can be confusing for a patient, particularly if they are elderly or in a state of recovery and may not be fully alert. It also means tracking down the right member of staff can be challenging, leaving questions unanswered and creating worries.
But imagine if a nurse or consultant could be found instantly, without someone physically chasing them down. Location solutions exist — the capability to find a staff member instantly without having to physically search for them is tried and tested. In a fully digitalised world, anyone on the nursing team could look at a tablet or a mobile computer to instantly locate people or assets.
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If a consultant doctor wore a radio frequency identification (RFID) wristband or badge and the hospital was set up with antennas at all doorways, then a simple glance at a digital handheld device screen like a tablet or mobile computer would indicate what room he or she was in.
Or if they have moved on to another building, a secure message could be sent using an app built for instant staff communication to their clinical mobile device. A consultant could even respond via a live telehealth video chat through their device if they wanted to have a ‘face to face’ with a patient. And that slicker system, with more patient throughput, could only be good for outcomes.
As hospitals deal with growing pressures with limited growth in budgets and resources, efficiency is the solution. Doing more with what is already there can be addressed in part, with visibility. RFID-based location technology can help realise that potential.
Lorna Hopkin is the Healthcare Specialist, EMEA, Zebra Technologies.
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