141 Interoperability and The Smart Hospital with Henrique Martins

Summary

In this healthcare technology discussion, Henrique Martins, an associate professor in Health Management, emphasizes the importance of interoperability in smart hospitals for efficiency and effectiveness. He discusses how advanced hospitals are integrating technologies like automation, robotics, and AI to enhance patient care and streamline operations. Martins also highlights the critical role of data security in building trust and ensuring patient privacy. He concludes by advocating for a more trusting approach in healthcare, empowering patients with their data to simplify the healthcare experience.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Henrique Martins, an associate professor in Health Management, discusses the importance of interoperability in smart hospitals, emphasizing the need for global sharing of health data.
• 🏥 Smart hospitals are becoming more advanced with AI, but their effectiveness is limited without the ability to integrate data from other healthcare facilities.
• 📚 The lack of longitudinal health data from various institutions can hinder the full potential of AI in healthcare, as it requires comprehensive patient histories for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
• 🤖 Technology in smart hospitals includes automation and robotics, which are used to improve logistics and efficiency, such as robotic food distribution and automated pharmacy supply.
• 🚀 The integration of 5G and cloud computing is crucial for the operational side of smart hospitals, facilitating faster data processing and communication for robotic technologies.
• 💡 Decision-making technologies in healthcare include clinical support systems that assist medical professionals in making informed decisions, enhancing patient care.
• 🔒 Data security is paramount in smart hospital technologies to ensure patient privacy and trust. Cybersecurity protocols and human factors play a significant role in maintaining this trust.
• 🛡️ Cybersecurity in healthcare is not just about technical measures but also about educating staff on best practices to prevent human error, which is a common cause of security breaches.
• 💼 The investment in digitalized hospitals is high, and while they may not be more efficient, they are expected to provide better care and patient safety through advanced technologies.
• 🔑 To make healthcare less complicated, there needs to be a shift in trust towards patients, allowing them more access and control over their own health data, similar to how other industries operate.

Q & A

What is the significance of interoperability in smart hospitals?

Interoperability is crucial for smart hospitals as it allows the integration of data from various healthcare institutions, enabling a more comprehensive view of a patient's medical history, which is essential for personalized and effective treatment.

How does the lack of interoperability affect the functionality of smart hospitals?

Without interoperability, smart hospitals are limited in their ability to collect and utilize a patient's complete medical history, which can hinder the effectiveness of treatments and limit the potential of AI and other advanced technologies.

What role does technology play in enhancing patient care in smart hospitals?

Technology in smart hospitals enhances patient care through automation and robotics, decision support systems, and in some cases, replacement technologies. These advancements streamline operations, support clinical decisions, and in certain areas, automate tasks to improve efficiency.

Can you explain the importance of data security in the implementation of smart hospital technologies?

Data security is paramount in smart hospitals to maintain trust and ensure patient privacy. Without robust cybersecurity measures, the investment in digitalized hospitals could be jeopardized by cyber threats, which could lead to data breaches or system failures.

How can human factors impact cybersecurity in healthcare settings?

Human factors are the most significant contributors to cybersecurity issues in healthcare. This can include behaviors such as leaving passwords visible, opening phishing emails, or sharing sensitive information carelessly, which can lead to breaches and undermine the security of the entire system.

What are the challenges faced by hospitals in adopting smart technologies?

The challenges include high initial investment costs, the need for extensive cybersecurity measures, and the complexity of integrating various technologies and data sources. Additionally, there is the need to manage the human factor in technology adoption and ensure that patients' trust is maintained.

How does 5G technology contribute to the operations of smart hospitals?

5G technology provides the high-speed, low-latency connectivity required for the efficient operation of robotics, remote monitoring, and real-time data processing in smart hospitals, enhancing the overall performance and responsiveness of the healthcare infrastructure.

What are the potential benefits of smart hospitals for patients?

Smart hospitals can offer patients more personalized and efficient care, potentially reducing wait times, improving the accuracy of diagnoses, and enabling better management of chronic conditions through the use of advanced technologies and data analysis.

How can the healthcare industry learn from other sectors, like aviation, to simplify processes?

The healthcare industry can learn from sectors like aviation by implementing trust-based systems that simplify processes for users. For example, by making it easier for patients to access their own health data and by standardizing data formats to facilitate sharing across different healthcare providers.

What is the role of trust in making healthcare less complicated?

Trust plays a vital role in simplifying healthcare by empowering patients with access to their own health data and enabling them to make informed decisions about their care. This requires a shift from a paternalistic approach to one that treats patients as partners in their health management.

How can healthcare institutions balance the benefits of automation with the need for human interaction?

Healthcare institutions can balance automation and human interaction by carefully implementing technologies that augment, rather than replace, human tasks. This includes using AI and robotics to handle routine tasks, freeing up healthcare professionals to focus on more complex cases and patient interactions.

Outlines

00:00

🏥 The Role of Interoperability in Smart Hospitals

In the first paragraph, the discussion centers on the significance of interoperability in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of smart hospitals. Henrique Martins, an associate professor in Health Management, explains that while many hospitals are technologically advanced, they often operate in isolation. This results in patients leaving behind fragmented health data as they move between different healthcare facilities. Interoperability is crucial for smart hospitals to collect and integrate this data automatically, allowing for more intelligent healthcare services. The conversation also touches on the importance of longitudinal health data for AI algorithms and the growing interest in hospital networks for data collection.

05:03

🤖 Technology and Automation in Smart Hospitals

The second paragraph delves into how smart hospitals are leveraging technology to improve patient care and streamline operations. Henrique discusses various technologies including automation and robotics, such as robots for food distribution and pharmacy supply, which are facilitated by 5G connectivity and cloud computing. The paragraph also covers decision-making technologies like clinical support systems and the cautious implementation of replacement technologies where AI is used in medical imaging and diagnosis, potentially replacing some human tasks. The discussion highlights the balance between technological advancement and the need for human trust and acceptance.

10:10

🔒 Data Security in the Age of Smart Hospitals

In the third paragraph, the focus shifts to the paramount importance of data security in smart hospital technologies. Henrique emphasizes that without trust, the value of digital investments in healthcare cannot be realized. He points out that while it's clear that advanced digital hospitals can be built, the challenge lies in extracting value from these investments. The conversation underscores the high costs associated with digital hospitals and the risks posed by cybersecurity threats. Henrique stresses the need for 'cybersecurity patrols' and the importance of human factors in cybersecurity, advocating for a culture that prioritizes trust in healthcare data management.

15:15

🛂 Simplifying Healthcare Through Trust and Technology

The final paragraph addresses the question of how to make healthcare less complicated. Henrique suggests that the industry needs to trust patients more with their own health data, drawing a comparison with the airline industry's approach to ticketing and check-ins. He argues that healthcare should empower and trust individuals with the tools to manage their health, which would inherently simplify the process. The conversation concludes with a call for a shift from a paternalistic healthcare culture to one that assumes most people have a personal interest in their health and are capable of making informed decisions.

Keywords

💡Interoperability

Interoperability refers to the ability of different information systems to exchange data and use the data that it has received. In the context of the video, it is crucial for smart hospitals to integrate data from various sources to enhance patient care and streamline operations. The script mentions that without interoperability, hospitals cannot fully leverage digital technology to provide smart services.

💡Smart Hospitals

Smart Hospitals are healthcare facilities that utilize advanced technology and data analytics to improve patient care, streamline operations, and enhance the overall efficiency of the hospital. The video discusses how integrating interoperability contributes to the efficiency and effectiveness of these hospitals, making them 'smarter' by collecting and analyzing patient data across different healthcare institutions.

💡Digital Health

Digital Health encompasses the use of digital technologies in the healthcare sector to improve patient care, streamline processes, and enhance communication between patients, providers, and other stakeholders. The video features a digital health leader who discusses the importance of digital health in the context of global sharing and the challenges of integrating data across different healthcare systems.

💡Healthcare AI

Healthcare AI refers to the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare settings to analyze complex medical data, support clinical decision-making, and improve patient outcomes. The script mentions that many algorithms for Healthcare AI require a comprehensive set of longitudinal patient data, which is often not available within a single hospital system, emphasizing the need for interoperability.

💡Automation and Robotics

Automation and Robotics in healthcare involve the use of technology to perform tasks that would otherwise require human effort. The video script discusses how smart hospitals are investing in automation, such as using robots for distributing food and medication, to enhance efficiency and reduce the workload on staff.

💡5G

5G is the fifth generation of mobile networks, offering faster data speeds, lower latency, and improved connectivity. In the video, 5G is highlighted as crucial for the connectivity and infrastructure of smart hospitals, enabling real-time data exchange and supporting the operation of automated systems and robotics.

💡Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from digital attacks. The video emphasizes the paramount importance of cybersecurity in smart hospitals to ensure data security and maintain patient trust. It discusses the human factors involved in cybersecurity breaches and the need for continuous security measures.

💡Data Security

Data Security involves protecting data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. In the context of the video, data security is integral to the implementation of smart hospital technologies to ensure patient privacy and the integrity of sensitive healthcare information.

💡Patient Care

Patient Care refers to the various services and support provided to patients by healthcare professionals. The video discusses how smart hospitals leverage technology to enhance patient care, including automating routine tasks, supporting clinical decision-making, and potentially replacing some administrative procedures with automated systems.

💡Healthcare Operations

Healthcare Operations encompass the administrative and logistical aspects of running a healthcare facility. The script mentions how smart hospitals use technology to streamline healthcare operations, such as automating the distribution of medication and managing bed occupancy rates, to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

💡Trust

Trust is a fundamental aspect of the patient-hospital relationship and is essential for the successful implementation of digital health initiatives. The video argues that to make healthcare less complicated and more patient-centric, there needs to be a shift in trust, empowering patients with access to their health data and tools to manage their care.

Highlights

Introduction to Henrique Martins, an associate professor in Health Management and digital Health leader.

Discussion on how integration of interoperability contributes to the efficiency and effectiveness of smart hospitals.

Challenge of hospitals being isolated islands of excellence and the need for data sharing across different healthcare institutions.

Importance of collecting longitudinal health data for AI and smart hospital algorithms.

Investment in hospital networks for automatic data collection and the role of large scale projects like European electronic Healthcare exchange format.

Role of technology in enhancing patient care and streamlining healthcare operations in smart hospitals.

Use of automation and robotics in hospitals for logistics and supply chain management.

Importance of 5G for communication and fast processing in robotic hospital operations.

Technologies for decision making support in healthcare and the role of electronic pathway software.

Emergence of replacement technologies in healthcare, such as AI in medical imaging and digital pathology.

The significance of data security in the implementation of smart hospital technologies.

Human factors as the most critical aspect of cybersecurity in healthcare.

The necessity of trust for the successful implementation of digitalized hospitals.

The high investment required for high-end digitalized hospitals and the focus on effectiveness and quality of care.

The role of cybersecurity in ensuring patient trust and the safe operation of smart hospitals.

Henrique's perspective on making healthcare uncomplicated by trusting patients with their health data.

The need for healthcare to empower and enable patients with tools for self-care.

Closing thoughts on the importance of trust in healthcare and the potential for patients to manage their health more effectively.

Transcripts

[Music] hello and welcome back to the healthcare  and complicated YouTube channel make sure you  

subscribe to the channel so you get all the  notifications and the amazing guests every  

week and also acknowledge our Channel partners  and make sure you check all the previous content  

there over 100 VI videos about Healthcare  technology everything to do with healthare in  

life sciences for you but today gives me great  pleasure to introduce you to Henrique Martins  

he's an associate professor in Health Management  and the digital Health leader Henrique how are  

you thank you I'm good thank you very much for  the conversation now today brilliant Henrique  

thank you so much for accepting my invite we  have this common element we both Portuguese  

but operate globally isn't it that's true well  today I'm home but often not so much so very  

happy to to chat from Portugal but of course um  sharing my ideas and and yeah definitely working  

more and more at a global scale as I think digital  health is about global sharing right now sure and  

today we are here to discuss interoperability  and the smart Hospital and the first question  

I have for you is how does the integration of  interoperability contributes to the efficiency  

and effectiveness of smart hospitals so one of  the one of the challenges really thank you for the  

question is that many times we see very Advanced  hospitals um they tend to be large organizations  

some of them academic medical centers around the  world us Singapore or Japan Taiwan whatever you  

name it Europe um and they many times they're  isolated there are one island of Excellence  

where if you're a patient and you are admitted to  that hospital um and perhaps most of your medical  

history is there it's fine they're smart they're  becoming even smarter with AI they're becoming  

intelligent the problem is that most of us don't  live always in the same place so we tend to leave  

our health uh uh Health Data behind us a little  bit like uh our footsteps so we leave Health Data  

in many many other Healthcare institutions and as  we move around the world as we move around our own  

countries even inside each country um we leave  bits and pieces of our medical history and as  

many people people know I'm sure everyone hearing  this has experienced a conversation with a doctor  

the first thing a doctor asks you is you know  where have you been how have you been and and  

and at the end of the day he's collecting data  about your life about your health history and the  

problem with smart hospitals is that if they're  not collecting this data automatically from other  

hospitals from other health care facilities from  primary care facilities they cannot really be  

smart so many times many of the algorithms that  people are now working on for example Healthcare  

AI they would require a very good longitudinal so  lifelong set of data which often is not available  

in each individual super amazingly smart one  Hospital facility uh and so therefore we see  

now big hospitals investing and interested in what  we call hospital networks uh large scale projects  

such as European electronic Healthcare uh exchange  format because they want to be able to collect the

DAT their citizens from their perations in  a very automatic way is not available uh um  

you know in their servers when you step in so  I don't know if that that was clear enough but  

without interoperability there's going to be very  very very uh significant limitations to the type  

of smart things you can do with digital technology  in very Advanced hospitals I'm talking about thary  

care you know super sophisticated hospitals  that are going to do high-end procedures or  

diagnosis personalized medicine as we've been  talking now yeah brilliant thank you I think  

of course very important to have data and um  historic data and data from other sources so  

pardon me so interoperability is really very  crucial I'm moving on how are smart hospitals  

uh leveraging technology to enhance patient care  and streamline Health Care operations basically  

when when we talk about the expression smart  hospital or intelligent hospitals um we are  

looking at various sets of Technologies uh  I mean one sort of group of Technologies is  

what we call Automation and Robotics so we see  that these hospitals are investing heavily on  

automated procedures such as distribution of  food with robots rather than people we see  

these hospitals automating Pharmacy supplying  the wards with also robots that are able to  

organize the dispensation of of medication uh  into you know movable boxes and movable units  

and then and then these units are moved around  the hospital with robotics um technology behind  

this all of the robotic part also 5G for the  communication part having these robots moving  

around requires good fast processing and  communication with wireless capabilities  

as well as as iend clouding Computing so this  is a sort of once or more logistic uh in the  

logistics side you would see these things you  see uh for example automated beds that are able  

to um um you know for example provide the weight  of the patient automatically or the occupation  

the bad occupation rate and things like that  um then there's one other set of Technologies  

looking at decision making so everything to  do with clinical pathways clinical support  

decision systems um so supporting professionals  not just doctors but other professionals um to  

make better informed decisions so of course here  technology behind very sophisticated highly Gra

[Music]

electronic pathway software  that often run provide good

decision um and then I would say as a sort of  a third uh third group we see um is the word is  

a little bit dangerous people get nervous is  is replacement Technologies where uh you are  

seeing things like booking automated booking  admin procedures that are substituted between  

people and it uh we see AI in IM Medical Imaging  somehow replacing some uh medical diagnosis uh uh  

and this is very of course problematic pathology  digital pathology so in this case it's not about  

supporting the function it's actually slowly  progressively very carefully and managing the  

the the human reaction but in a way moving forward  um replacing some human tasks with robots with AI  

um which is a little bit more tense and it's  becoming an issue in in some context where um  

there isn't a shortage of stuff where there is  shortage of stuff many of these Technologies are  

being well received because there just no people  to do the task so people are welcoming that they  

have an extra hand in this case an extra an extra  artificial brain these are just a few examples I  

mean of course one one could stay here all day  well all night talking about this brilliant  

Henrique thank you so much I mean you mentioned  many many factors there but also I like the 5G  

capabilities that crucial for connectivity and the  infrastructure of technology for the operational  

side and to advance things speed the connection  the even the interoperability and getting data  

faster I was actually doing a couple of large  projects in 5G when the 5G came out with big Tech  

brand so 5G very crucial for healthcare moving on  what roles does data secure security play in the  

implementation of smart Hospital Technologies and  how can it be effectively manage to ensure patient

privacy well um security cyber security is  is Paramount for trust uh without trust there  

cannot be uh um there cannot be the environment  for humans to really deliver value upon the  

investment the question is is not whether you can  build a very Advanced uh digitalized hospital that  

that is that is quite clear we know we can do  it as humans the question now is can we extract  

value from that can we make sure that that that  means either better care or more effective so so  

we solve more clinical problems more efficient  difficult because the investment in a in a in a  

high-end highly digitalized hospital is very high  right now so so we cannot really talk about smart  

hospitals being very efficient uh some people  say because they want to sell the idea but I  

don't believe that is true I I I think they are  going to be better safer from the point of view  

of clinical care so people will die less people  will get more care but I think they're going  

to be quite expensive now why am I saying this  because after all of this if you you're going to  

have highend product which is differentiating  himself itself not out of efficiency but of  

Effectiveness and quality and patient safety then  you can't risk it all because you have a you know  

you have some ransomware uh destroying your  servers just because one of your professionals  

forgot the good rules of of not opening a a  pishing uh email you know and and you know  

or or sharing his password with with someone  from his family or what what not so it's these  

cyber security etiquette cyber security rules  continuously what what we called at some point  

in time in in in Portugal when we were drafting  our national cyber security for health policies  

we were talking about the cyber security patrols  which is something that was tested in in in in  

an environment I don't remember even where but  where people were going around the hospital and  

checking whether whether for example people left  posting with their password on the on the screen  

of their computer computer very typical Behavior  because 2third of the cyber security problems  

in health are human related factors they're not  about network uh connectivity they're not about  

firewalls updates on firmware and whatnot this  is also an important point in cyber security um  

procedures but but the human factor is the most  important one so in conclusion if I don't trust  

my hospital I won't trust its my data to it so I  I will not allow it to be smart and intelligent H  

at the other on the other hand if in the process  of being smart and intelligent about my health  

something goes wrong with information some someone  tappers into the system and shuts it down for two  

minutes then you know the system doesn't work it  doesn't deliver the intelligence that we would  

expect expected to deliver to provide value so  that's that's the connection brilliant Henrique 

thank you so much I mean we coming to the end of  the interview I really appreciate your expertise  

This Magnificent overview all these important  points from the enhanced Technologies to the  

security layer and I finish all my episodes  with this question which is big question in  

heare is related to the channel is how  can we make Health Care uncomplicated

well how can we make it not so complicated I think  we need following from what I was saying about  

trust uh I think we need to trust people more and  and and Healthcare has been historically dominated  

by a paternalistic culture of doctors thinking  they know better from for People's Health just  

because people are sick now the problem is is  that people are less and less sick in the sense  

that they are completely uncapable of thinking and  deciding so we have more chronic disease we will  

have more preventive medicine so progressively  people are actually healthier when they interact  

with Healthcare so I'll give you a few examples  of making it simple when you fly you normally  

you book your plane and you get an email with  your e ticket right you don't have a you know  

complicated password to access your email your  your your ticket you just have a booking reference  

in your name so anyone in the world indeed  could check in for you they would just go to a

normal checkin website for any air company  as long as they know your your your booking  

reference right and yet most companies they they  don't force you to register they don't force you  

to have a password okay and we're talking about a  very safe com uh very safe uh um oriented industry  

now let me finish this example and then you'll  you'll know what I'm going to get at so then  

you go with your checked in you know a boarding  card which anyone could actually literally put  

on their phone they could put your boarding  card on their phone M right and then you go  

with that boarding card and you go to an airport  you go through a machine no one's there it reads  

your K code you go in and if you're flying in  the EU it may even happen that you walk into  

the plane and no one checks if that person is  the name on the boarding card now and then you  

sit and you'll fly okay now why why such a very  sophisticated industry does this because actually  

no one really would fly with your boarding card  people won't do that they won't they won't find  

out because you are not going to share an  expensive ticket with anyone else and the  

the industry trusts you on that this is the point  the industry trusts that you will not do it look  

at Healthcare your own laboratory results in  theory it it's your data in the European law  

it's your data and yet we don't trust it we  don't send you an email well private practice  

sometimes they do in public settings you have  to upload you have to go into the website get  

registered have a national EID number maybe have  to use a sophisticated e signature e um you know  

account then you finally get to your lab results  if you're lucky and if you try to share your lab  

results with another hospital whatnot you may  might find it very difficult that they could  

import that data because it's not standardized so  we don't trust people we don't trust people with  

their data yeah and it's their D okay and we want  them to take care of themselves so I think to make  

health care less complicated we need to start  assuming most people have a personal interest  

on their health it is not the doctor's interest  it's not the healthc care or Hospital's interest  

people have the interest on their health  they have to be empowered and enabled but  

also entrusted with tools to use for their health  care that's my that's my key on on uncomplicating

Healthcare I didn't even notice that your channel  

was about this topic anyway it  was very very nice and interest

so good good luck with this session yeah  brilliant uh Henrique thank you so much for  

your amazing expertise your input your time I know  you are busy doing many many things including the  

European projects uh it's been a delight so I'm  going to wrap up now thank you so much again uh  

to all our viewers and listeners make sure to  subscribe to the channel also following Rick's  

uh work I'm going to post his um links to his  social his LinkedIn and everything and check our  

Channel partners and I'll see you all next week  for another exciting episode take [Music] care