Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering
Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering

Digital hospital NRW

North Rhine-Westphalia provides services for 4.6 million inpatients and 5 million outpatients at a total of 344 hospitals. Measuring the direct influence of digitization appears difficult. Digitally assisted communication establishes consistency, both in the hospital and with external supporting structures.

The challenge

An institution has to develop new expertise to embark on the path to becoming a digital hospital. Patient care remains the primary task. However, digital solutions assist with improving quality, efficiency, and effectiveness in the interest of patients, employees, and the enterprise.

 

Our contribution

Fraunhofer ISST is assisting with the preparation of a vision for the digital hospital of the future. In order to record the current state of digitization and the existing challenges, Fraunhofer ISST is conducting a quantitative analysis. This focuses on the managing directors of hospitals in North Rhine-Westphalia. The vision and analysis results are being prepared in the form of a position paper.

In order to establish the necessary expertise, Fraunhofer ISST is preparing training content and conducting focus groups led by Krankenhausgesellschaft NRW (KGNW).

 

Results

In order to benefit from such effects in North Rhine-Westphalia, the KGNW’s objective is to create a shared vision for the digital hospital in cooperation with Fraunhofer ISST and the hospitals in NRW.

From the perspective of KGNW and Fraunhofer ISST, this implies new skills and abilities for the hospital of the future: Strategic orientation, patient orientation, employee orientation, and process orientation in combination with digitization as a toolbox for the operational support of these values.