At JOANNEUM RESEARCH and within our research group "Digital Healthcare Solutions," we pursue this goal with a consistent bottom-up approach.
From concept to intelligent processes
Unsere Herangehensweise beginnt mit der Einbindung derjenigen, die die Prozesse gestalten und ausführen – den Mitarbeitenden im Gesundheitswesen. Im Rahmen eines Design-Thinking-Prozesses erfassen wir zunächst die Bedürfnisse und Herausforderungen der verschiedenen Berufsgruppen sowie die patientenzentrierten Ziele. Hierbei sind Co-Creation und iterative Ansätze entscheidend, um Lösungen zu entwickeln, die den realen Anforderungen entsprechen.
Challenges and success factors
Apps and digital solutions in healthcare often fail due to a lack of alignment with workflows. Our experience shows that involving the end users from the very beginning is essential. Field observations, focus groups, and workshops provide the foundation for a deep understanding of processes and problems. Based on this, we create mock-ups, prototypes, and conduct usability tests before deploying a solution in live operations. This iterative process enables us to respond to feedback and tailor the software precisely to users’ needs.
We also place great emphasis on integration and interoperability. Intelligent software must not operate in isolation but should seamlessly communicate with existing IT systems. Our projects demonstrate that the combination of technical excellence and user-centred design is key to successful healthcare innovation.
We firmly believe that the success of a Smart Hospital does not rely solely on technology but on the people who use it. Our focus on co-creation and bottom-up approaches ensures that the solutions developed truly address the needs of healthcare professionals and patients.
Conclusion
A "Smart Hospital" is not an end in itself. It is realised through the seamless combination of intelligent software and intelligent processes. This is achieved through close collaboration with end users, iterative development processes, and consistent integration into existing systems. Only in this way can we overcome the challenges in healthcare and sustainably improve the quality of care.
