Technology in the Service of Hospitals:

Challenges and Solutions

Prodromos A Kaplanis, Ph.D. & Demetris Kaolis, M.Sc.

Senior Medical Physicist Medical Physicist

Medical Physics Department

Nicosia General Hospital

Ministry of Health

Hospitals

Hospitals are probably the most complex

structures ever developed by the human being.

Alexandre Lourenco, President of the Portuguese Association of Hospital Managers, 201812/7/2018The Future of Healthcare in Cyprus

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Hospital management

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The World Health

Organization (WHO) uses

the broader term

‘HEALTH TECHNOLOGY',

which it defines as

including:

‘devices, drugs, medical

and surgical procedures –

and the knowledge

associated with these –

used in the prevention,

diagnosis and treatment

of disease.

(Source: Kwankam, Y, et al, 2001, ‘Health care

technology policy framework’, WHO Regional

Publications,

Hospital

management

is one of the

most

complex

management

areas that

anyone can

work in.

Which are the 2 main issues that prevent

the adoption of technology in healthcare?

1. No one wants to pay for the new technologies.

• We need to switch from fee-for-service to pay-for-value

2. Technology may slow down many Physicians.

• Time consuming, “unnecessary” data, fear

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WHY???

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Clarence Dally X-raying his hand, from the New York

World, August 3, 1903, page 1 (American Newspaper

Repository).

Hands of Mihran Kasabian, 1909

The top 3 challenges that today’s Hospitals face in

implementing Healthcare Technology

1. Regulatory Standards

Non compliance with standards can lead to poor quality of care and fine

2. Maintaining patient safety and patient satisfaction

Infection, power failure, radiation etc

3. Financial challenges and Hospital productivity.

Do more with less, without compromising quality of care

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How could that be achieved???

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Healthcare Technology Management

Healthcare Technology Management 1/2

Members of the HTM need to have broad skills in the management of a number of areas, including:

Technical problems e.g. Do we need more CT’s or / and MRI’s?

Finances

Purchasing procedures

Past, Present, Future

Specifications oriented Performance oriented

Patient Safety

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Healthcare Technology Management 2/2

Staff development

Finding the right people for the right job

The PACS case study

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Ολοκλήρωση Δικτύου Συστημάτων Αρχειοθέτησης και Διανομής Εικόνων -Συστήματα PACS

Παρασκευή, 7 Δεκεμβρίου 2018 12

PACSPACS

PACS PACS

Παρασκευή, 7 Δεκεμβρίου 2018 Γενικό Νοσοκομείο Λευκωσίας - Κλάδος Ιατροφυσικής 13

Ολοκλήρωση Δικτύου Συστημάτων Αρχειοθέτησης και Διανομής Εικόνων -Συστήματα PACS

Παρασκευή, 7 Δεκεμβρίου 2018 14

PACSPACS

PACS PACS

Conclusions

Healthcare Technology’s significance for public health is that it Influences

healthcare more than any other force, and in the future it will continue to

develop in dramatic ways.

While we can glimpse and debate the details of future trends in healthcare,

we need to be clear about the drivers so we can align with them and actively

work to ensure the best outcomes for society as a whole.

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