Practical Examples of Use of IT to Improve Processes and Save Costs

In this new post, I will be sharing a few examples of hospitals around the world that have incorporated information technology into their clinical as well as allied operations. These hospitals are known as "digital hospitals" and many of them declare that they have markedly improved patient outcomes, reduced medical errors while resulting in cumulative cost savings in the long run. These sophisticated systems are indeed a sight to behold and may indeed become the "hospital of the future".

1. Hackensack University Medical Centre, New Jersey

Source: Business Week

This hospital was featured by Business Week. According to the article, it has spent over $72 million in advanced technology infrastructure and has achieved a 16% decline in mortality. The images and reports are stunning. Click here to view the full article.

2. Bumrungrad International Hospital

Source: Global Health Travel

This hospital is best experienced than explained. Situated in Bangkok, Thailand, it is a major destination for international medical tourism and one of the "all digital" hospitals. See below for a video tour of the hospital:
Virtual Tour of Bumrungrad Hospital (Video)

3. St. Olav's Hospital, Norway

Play video by clicking here

4. SingHealth Group
This public hospital was a finalist at the Copenhagen Challenge 2008 for its innovation in digitalizing healthcare. Click for website: Sing Health

5. University Clinic of Jena, Germany
Click on this link for a video on this digital hospital in the heart of Europe

This list is by no means exhaustive, but gives you an idea of how many hospitals are leveraging on information technology to improve the care they provide for patients and save costs in the long run. Hopefully, more hospitals will follow suit.