Powering the Movement Towards Smart Hospitals
摘要
This chapter provides a comprehensive analysis of the transition towards smart hospitals, with an emphasis on the integration of advanced technologies to enhance healthcare delivery. It elucidates the profound impact of technological advancements, including big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT), improving patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and healthcare management. Indeed, the core attributes of smart hospitals include mobile integration, system interoperability, unified communication systems, digitisation, robust infrastructure, and automated processes. The analysis delves into the dual influences of this transition, that is, technological innovations on the supply side and the growing demand due to increases in patient numbers together with the necessitate more efficient, comfortable, and accessible healthcare services. Central to the enhancement of smart hospitals include continuous patient monitoring through IoT, predictive analytics powered by AI, and the provision of remote care via telemedicine, among others. This chapter explores the unique context of Hong Kong, characterised by its high population density and ageing demographic, to explore the deployment of smart hospitals. The focus is on the implementation of advanced technologies and underscoring the pivotal role of the Hospital Authority in the administration of public healthcare facilities and the integration of intelligent technologies to cope with these demographic challenges. Finally, it emphasises the inevitability of the shift towards smart hospitals as a response to evolving healthcare demands and technological progress, and proposes strategic initiatives to mitigate adoption barriers and enhance the efficacy of healthcare delivery.