The K.I.D.S. Foundation has unveiled the 'Children's Hospital of the Future' report, which outlines a vision for the transformation of Healthcare facilities. Nearly 2,000 hours of in-depth analysis and research, allowed the Foundation's 27 experts not only to make a diagnosis by identifying the challenges of today's hospitals, but also to propose more than 100 innovative solutions that change the hospital reality to a friendlier one - for both patients and doctors. The report was produced in collaboration with the Children's Health Centre and influture.institute, and the Ombudsman for Patients' Rights and the Institute for Patients' Rights and Health Education joined the discussion on the transformation, both of which took up honorary patronage of the publication.
The hospital of the future, or what kind of hospital? Megatrends
The report presents the patient's journey from diagnosis to return home. To create a comprehensive picture of the health system, the K.I.D.S. experts explored different perspectives: that of the child, the parent, but also that of the medical staff and the hospital administration. Based on in-depth interviews, a definition of the 'hospital of the future' was created. According to K.I.D.S., such an organisation first and foremost puts the patient and the patient's experience at the centre, maintains constant contact with the patient, focuses on collaboration between medical staff and parents and patients, invests in the organisational culture and cares for staff, and implements changes in space and processes, bringing them closer to the idea of the 'smart hospital'. The Hospital of the Future is an incubator of innovation that brings together different disciplines - including non-medical ones. Similar conclusions are also drawn from the trends defined by infuture.institute. The trends, which for the purposes of this report were named after titles from children's songs, clearly indicate the need to change the health-related field in specific directions.
The patient pathway in the hospital of the future
BEFORE VISITING: The stress of hospitalisation begins even before the hospital visit. How do I prepare for the visit? Do I have all the necessary items and documents? What awaits us on site? These are just some of the questions that trouble the parents of young patients. In an ideal world, the healthcare system would take care of both sides: providing parents and patients with convenient access to information and preparing doctors to work with the family affected by their child's illness. That is why the hospital of the future recommends trusted sources such as About Kids Health, which provides key tips for parents.
TALK: The hospital of the future already supports the patient on arrival at the facility. Parents, using their smartphone, can easily check for free parking spaces at the hospital or use the integrated communication system from further car parks - adapted, for example, from airport terminals. The waiting room at the hospital of the future will be adapted to patients of different ages. There will be space, for example, with interactive walls and games using augmented or virtual reality. These will allow children to be in 'another world' for a while and forget about the pain and reasons for being in an outpatient clinic or hospital.
Simplifying and digitising the registration process, which the patient will already be able to start at home using the app, will significantly shorten the clinic visit and relieve the administrative burden. Medical staff, on the other hand, will gain valuable time for patient interviews and examinations thanks to electronic medical records and robot support. Duties such as organising data, providing bedding, monitoring medication stocks or counting pills will be taken over by artificial intelligence.
Integrated IT systems, noticeably improve the level of care and comfort. What's more - significant savings are possible, allowing more patients to be served. Children's Bellevue Clinic and Surgery Center in Seattle, for example, monitors the efficiency of operating room use.
In modern hospitals, patients and their carers do not get lost in corridors and find their way to the right office or room without any problems. At the Children's Health Centre, a system of signs and infographics placed on 'Metro' floors with stations assigned to wards has already been implemented. In the future, a GPS-guided navigation app will guide people around the hospitals, and there will be interactive maps at key communication points, as used in shopping centres today.
HOSPITALISATION: The moment the diagnosis and treatment recommendations are known, the family enters a completely unfamiliar and stressful area. The hospital of the future teaches how to navigate this in an accessible way. At Children's Hospital Colorado, instructional videos have been made available on YouTube to make the first moments in hospital easier for children and parents. The beginning of hospitalisation also involves a lot of procedures and paperwork, so modern facilities will provide caregivers with support in the form of virtual assistants, such as the KIDS MD used in Boston.
Innovations in the hospital of the future will work towards good relations and a pleasant atmosphere. Anything to make the stay more pleasant for young patients and to include an element of fun in unpleasant procedures. In modern facilities, children will wear smart wristbands that collect key data, so that we can forget about waking up at night to take measurements such as temperature. This solution will also relieve the burden on nursing staff, who will be able to spend more time mentally supporting patients. During procedures such as blood draws or injections, children will be transported to virtual reality. Thanks to VR googles, they will put a protective shield on their arm in the game, which will affect the way they feel during real-life activities. With prolonged hospitalisation, it is also worth taking care of education and contact with peers. This is where the AV1 robot, which allows children to learn remotely, can help. It is placed in a classroom or school environment and controlled via an app on a phone or tablet. The child can see and hear what is happening in the classroom and participate in activities.
The hospital of the future is also a comfortable space for carers staying on the ward with their children. This means that they have convenient access to both a private area (with kitchen, bathrooms or laundry facilities) and an office area (with equipment to enable remote working).
Successful treatment is a collaboration of many specialists, so the hospital of the future also relies on good organisation and internal communication. This will need, for example, information boards, staff portals, chat rooms, mailings or team meetings. In the United States and the United Kingdom, there is a Formula 1-inspired solution in the ED. When a patient arrives, each specialist stands at a designated place and performs a single action. Staff at the hospital of the future are provided with the right working and development conditions. Nationwide Children's Hospital has implemented a programme aimed at preventing professional burnout and reducing stress in staff. It also offers them individual and group support 24 hours a day.
RETURNING HOME: In the hospital of the future, the patient, on leaving for home, will be provided with a complete set of information and access to tools and technological solutions to support further treatment. Continuing care at home will be overseen by a virtual medical assistant and a remotely managed medication system managed by the hospital. Constant contact with the hospital and telemedicine solutions will ensure continuity of treatment, which is extremely valuable in the case of growing children and changing needs, physiological and psychological changes. Discharge from hospital will be synonymous with appropriate training for parents, who, equipped with the right equipment, will be able to continue treatment at home and consult remotely with a doctor or intelligent assistant about any concerns.
The state-of-the-art facility will also provide easy contact with psychologists and support groups to help families find their way in the 'post-hospital' reality, and through extensive social media channels, it will connect patients and encourage them to maintain relationships even outside the hospital room.
About the authors of the "Children's Hospital of the Future" report
The authors of the report are: Maciej Malenda (project leader), Sabina Białek, Weronika Czarnecka, Karolina Sielska-Bielska, Paweł Bielski, Maciej Remiszewski. Its creation was supported by big-hearted experts Dr Marek Migdał (director of the Institute "Pomnik - Children's Health Centre"), Natalia Hatalska (founder of infuture.institute) together with a team consisting of Aleksandra Trapp, Zuzanna Bonecka and Aleksandra Kuliński; Tomasz Rudolf (Vice President of Innovation at K.I.D.S.), and Dagmara Witek-Kuśmider (Vice President of Communications at K.I.D.S.), the graphic design was created by Slawek Figura (Publicis Worldwide). The vision of children's hospitals of the future was co-created by a whole host of volunteers who put a lot of energy into the project. Work on the report took almost a year, and the report was held under the patronage of such institutions as the Ombudsman for Patients' Rights and the Institute for Patients' Rights and Health Education. Media patrons of the report included such titles as Rzeczpospolita, Newsweek Zdrowie, Forbes and Medonet.pl.
The full report can be read at the link: https://www.kids.org.pl/news/jak-beda-wygladały-dzieciece-szpitale-przyszłosci