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Supporting change in Health & Social Care through proactive management and System Control Centres

Author:

Phillipa Winter

Health & Social Care

•  Aug 01, 2024

The new government is in place, and their 2024 manifesto pledges to support the Health and Social care systems with a genuine and transformative shift from reactive to proactive care and prevention. It will be interesting to see how the Health and Social care systems will ensure excellent patient care and experiences. One pledge for the NHS in England by the labour party is to deliver an extra two million NHS operations, scans, and appointments every year; that is 40,000 more appointments every week. 

Development of System Control Centres 

One way to deliver this is through maximising the use of current applications, alongside modern technologies that drive integration that surface the actionable data. Having a sound, unified System Control Centre can differentiate an organisation from others and raise the bar of quality, efficiency and experience for staff and patients.  

Health inequalities are inextricably linked to the other forms of inequality that people experience. We also know that the solution to improving population health is the need for a fundamental rewiring of how we run our health policy in this country. Breaking down the silos can only be done through the understanding of the many bottlenecks in the pathways that exist across the whole health and social care system, be it from home, primary care, community, secondary care, and all key partners. System control Centres require collaboration and Integration of systems and information sharing to then utilise the data to direct services where they are most needed. This is the only way to provide efficient and effective services that promote health and wellbeing and that will truly transform the lives of the public. 

As NHS budgets continue to tighten, hospitals need to deliver not only excellent patient care, but also an outstanding patient experience at every digital touchpoint. This means that care providers need to think like a business, and then fulfil their mission to serve patients at every stage in their care journey.  

System Control Centres are gaining prominence and aim to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery by using artificial intelligence (AI) and real-time data. A System Control Centre powered by AI monitors the status of an organisation’s bed state and helps staff make optimal decisions on patient care. It uses advanced algorithms to anticipate and resolve bottlenecks, reduce length of stay, increase patient flow, and allocate resources effectively. The System Control Centre should support the integration of care across different services and systems, such as A&E, GP, pharmacy, and outpatient appointments. The System Control Centre is an example of how data, digital and technology can transform the NHS and enhance patient outcomes. 

However, they face several challenges, such as: 

  • How to ensure accurate and timely information on the location and status of patients, staff, and assets. 
  • How to optimise the utilisation of resources, such as appointments, beds, equipment, and staff. 
  • How to communicate effectively with different stakeholders, such as clinicians, managers, and patients and partners delivering care. 
  • How to respond quickly and appropriately to emergencies, incidents, and alerts. 

Every contact point counts, and organisations need to use the best technology available to ensure and enhance positive patient experiences. This is where we at CDW can help. 

Transforming Care with AI to support Control Centres  

Healthcare technology providers can offer innovative ways to provide better patient experiences. One way to build your foundation is to integrate artificial intelligence into your System Control Centre. It is no surprise that most care providers are bogged down daily with outdated, complex, and overlapping systems. I have met with many healthcare organisations using different systems at the same time, often due to lack of integration of services and/or departmental choice (shadow IT). 

Taking the time and effort to standardise and integrate platforms will perform a great service for patients and staff (IT staff included). By standardising platforms, you can eliminate unnecessary costs and provide a smoother patient experience through reduced complexity, real-time data, and improved care. Standardisation is important in the age of AI; collecting relevant data points along the journey is what enables systems to provide personalised experiences.  

Today, it is essential for a System Control Centre to be, where possible, integrated into the cloud. This will increase scalability and allow access to AI-assisted features. Another benefit of a cloud offering is the ability to stay updated with the latest features. Due to the need for 24/7 operations in healthcare, finding the time for upgrades is often hard. Having the System Control centre in the cloud eases this burden.  

System Control Centre technology and innovation is a promising way to transform care delivery in the UK by using data, digital and tech to support staff and patients. However, it also requires careful evaluation of its safety, effectiveness, impact, and ethical implications. Therefore, it is important to conduct rigorous research and involve stakeholders in the design, implementation, and evaluation of System Control Centre solutions to improve your business outcomes. 

System Control Centres can use a variety of technologies to improve patient care and hospital efficiency: 

  • Health Information Systems: These collect, store, manage, and transmit a patient's electronic medical record. 
  • Interoperability: Allowing different information systems, devices, and applications to access, exchange, integrate, and cooperatively use data in a coordinated manner. 
  • Devices: High-definition screens, computers, tablets, and mobile devices to support real time data on the go at the point of care. 
  • Analytics: Advanced predictive analytics are used to monitor and target real-time data on incoming patients, patient discharges, bed availability, and other hospital logistics. 
  • Radio Frequency Identification (RFID): Used for automated identification and data capture (AIDC) systems. It can track medical equipment, staff, and even patients in real time. For instance, RFID tags attached to medical equipment can reduce the time to find a tagged asset to less than 25 seconds, freeing hours of clinical time back for patient care.  
  • Geographic Information System (GIS): This system captures, stores, manipulates, analyses, manages, and presents all types of geographical data.  
  • Cloud Computing: Provides on-demand availability of computer system resources; especially data storage and computing power. 
  • Mobile Apps: Used for seamless functioning of the System Control Centre. 
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI): Providing real-time and predictive information, empowering staff to take action to prevent or resolve bottlenecks, reduce patient wait time, coordinate services, and reduce risk. 
  • Business Intelligence Dashboards: The visual display of the organisation’s most important metrics. 
  • Order Management Software: Managing and streamline order processing and communication. 
  • Remote Monitoring Tech: Allows for the remote monitoring of patients. 
  • Supply Chain Software: Helps manage the flow of goods and services in the hospital. 

These technologies can work together to provide a comprehensive, real-time view of the care provider’s operations; helping to improve patient care and operational efficiency. 

CDW: your partner of choice in deployment 

CDW UK is a leading IT provider that can assist customers in implementing and managing System Control Centre solutions for their healthcare organisations. We provide a platform for healthcare organisations to improve patient care and well-being. 

Our key areas of focus include: 

  • Foundations of Care: Ensuring robust IT operations, security, and digital workspaces. 
  • Optimising Care: Leveraging big data, analytics, and real-time insights. Maximising current technologies and identifying Gaps to support transformation. 
  • Future of Care: Exploring automated documentation and ambient AI, care anywhere, and smart hospitals 

We have experience in supplying and supporting complex IT projects for the NHS, as well as other public and private sector customers. We can offer a range of services and technology solutions to help customers design, deploy, and operate System Control Centre technology and innovation However, we can also support through modernising the Healthcare Experience by: 

  • Empowering Staff: CDW enables staff to work efficiently by providing mobility solutions. 
  • Data Centre Architecture: Resilient infrastructure for continuity of care. 
  • Risk Management: Protecting patient data and securing systems. 
  • Cloud Adoption: Simplifying complexity with CDW's cloud services. 
  • Software Solutions: Driving best practices with leading software tools. 
  • Ecosystem Integration: Coordinating solutions across healthcare, regional government, and housing. 

Contact Us

CDW UK acts as a trusted partner for developing your own System Control centre technology and innovation, delivering end-to-end solutions that can transform healthcare delivery in the UK by using data, digital and tech to support staff and patients. Every moment matters, and CDW is committed to transforming healthcare through technology.  

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