Looking Forward: Why Data Collection is Crucial for Intelligent Hospital Operations

Written by Doug King with special thanks to Sandesh Jagdev, President and Founding Principal at Logimaxx, for his contributions to this article! 

In the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, the integration of intelligent technologies into hospital environments is not just a luxury—it is a necessity. To effectively integrate and operationalize technology in a healthcare setting, it’s essential to understand how the data generated by the entire medical environment can be harvested and utilized to enhance the healthcare experience for patients, staff and visitors alike.

Collecting, storing and using data across a variety of medical and building systems provides real-time information that can better inform high-stakes decisions across clinical, operational and facility management operations. Data generated by Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and hospital systems enables continuous monitoring, predictive equipment maintenance and immediate response to emergencies. Data collection and analysis can also enhance safety, security and compliance, making it easier to meet healthcare regulations and improve the overall hospital environment. Most important, medical technology data can be leveraged to improve patient outcomes.

Ultimately, data collection is at the core of making intelligent hospital buildings truly smart. It enables operational improvements and supports better patient outcomes, higher staff satisfaction, and long-term sustainability for the healthcare facility. In this article, we will discuss the challenges and opportunities of implementing intelligent systems in healthcare settings, sort through the litany of information and communication technology (ICT) systems deployed in medical settings, explain how data is gathered and analyzed within these systems, and provide a roadmap for optimal performance and return on investment (ROI).

ICT Systems: The Foundation of Intelligent Hospital Operations

Modern hospitals rely on advanced interconnected ICT systems to streamline operations, improve clinical outcomes, and enhance patient, staff and visitor experiences. These systems work in harmony to collect, store and process vast amounts of data that can then be used to inform smart decisions across hospital operations.

The key ICT systems involved in building a truly intelligent hospital can be categorized into the following distinct groups:

Building Systems: Such technologies as the building management system (BMS), medical equipment management system, and real-time location system (RTLS), play a pivotal role in ensuring that the building operates efficiently. They monitor everything from energy usage to the location of equipment, helping improve energy efficiency and overall operations performance.

Patient Care Systems: Hospital information systems (HIS), electronic health records (EHR), patient monitoring systems (PMS) and more track patient information in real time, providing doctors and medical staff with vital data that enhances the quality of care provided.

Service Delivery Systems: Systems for supply chain management and medication management help streamline complex hospital logistics and ensure that everything from pharmaceuticals to linens is delivered and managed efficiently.

Communication and Analytics Systems: Integrated communication systems (ICS) and artificial intelligence (AI) are becoming increasingly important. ICS systems powered by AI not only enable real-time communication across the hospital, but also analyze large data sets to generate actionable insights for decision-making.

Financial and Administrative Systems: Revenue management systems and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems handle everything from billing to human resources, ensuring financial health and operational optimization.

When integrated properly, these systems provide a holistic view of hospital operations, improving efficiency and supporting clinical excellence. The ability to gather and analyze data from each system in real time is key to creating a truly responsive and adaptive healthcare environment.

How to Collect and Integrate Data Across Systems

With such a wide variety of systems serving various clinical and operational functions, gathering useful data in a hospital setting requires the use of IoT sensors—small devices that collect data from their surroundings or from building equipment, and transmit that data via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Ethernet to an analytics or monitoring platform. These sensors are part of the broader IoT ecosystem, in which everyday objects and devices are connected to the internet to share information and work together.

IoT sensors typically perform the following functions:

• Sensing Physical Properties: Detecting physical properties such as temperature, humidity, pressure, motion, light, or sound is often necessary in a hospital setting. For example, temperature sensors monitor the temperature of rooms or equipment, motion sensors track movement in a building, and heart rate sensors monitor a patient’s vitals in a hospital.
  

• Data Transmission: After gathering the data, IoT sensors transmit data via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other technologies to a cloud-based platform or a local device where the data can be processed or analyzed.

• Automation and Alerts: Many intelligent medical devices and building systems can automatically respond to data transmitted to or from IoT sensors. For instance, if a temperature sensor indicates that a surgical suite is too warm or a patient room is too cold, an HVAC with smart controls may be able to self-adjust to bring the room temperature to the proper level. If self-adjustment doesn’t fix the issue, a smart building management platform can automatically notify facility management staff to apply human expertise to the problem.

In a hospital setting, IoT sensors can monitor everything from patient vitals, bed occupancy and equipment status to environmental factors like air quality and room temperature, all of which can have a sizable impact on a hospital’s efficiency and patient outcomes.

Of course, all the data in the world is only useful in context. The data gathered by IoT sensors and disparate medical and building systems must be harvested and integrated, then analyzed and interpreted—possibly with the help of AI—and used to inform decision making and/or automated functions.

Integrating data from various systems into a common platform is a critical part of creating a seamless, efficient and truly smart healthcare environment. The goal is to integrate and leverage data from IoT sensors, the EHR, the BMS and other hospital information systems to improve patient care and operational efficiency.

To maximize the power of data, it’s crucial to build an interactive data integration and analysis process based on a closed-loop circular flow of tasks:

1. Data collection
2. Data standardization
3. Data integration
4. Data sharing and security
5. Data analytics and AI processing
6. Data visualization
7. Decision support

Imagine a patient newly admitted to a hospital. An IoT-based system monitors the patient’s vital signs and transmits real-time data to a central patient monitoring platform. Simultaneously, the medical team access the patient’s EHR, which details their medical history. A clinical decision support system (CDSS) integrates both datasets to help healthcare providers make informed treatment decisions. Meanwhile, the BMS adjusts the room’s temperature and lighting based on data from the RTLS system. Clinicians are able to view all patient data on an integrated dashboard and make better decisions in real time.

The integration of data from diverse sources allows for a more efficient hospital operation, enabling healthcare teams to respond quickly and appropriately to patient needs. This interconnectedness ultimately leads to improved patient outcomes and better operational efficiency.

Achieving Performance and ROI

When considering the investment in intelligent technologies, hospitals must carefully evaluate the potential payback in terms of both performance and ROI. For example, hospitals can generally realize substantial savings and operational efficiencies from integrating smart building systems.

In fact, our experience shows hospitals that have implemented intelligent building technologies often see an ROI between 10% and 20% annually, with payback periods typically ranging from three to five years. Key drivers of ROI include energy savings, labor cost reductions, and improved maintenance through predictive analytics that extends equipment lifespans.

With regard to healthcare operations beyond the building systems, intelligent technologies most lend themselves to the “Five Ds,” or tasks that are:

• Dear: High-value and time-sensitive  
• Dirty: Involving soiled linens or janitorial work
• Dull: Repetitive, such as restocking supplies
• Difficult: Physically demanding or complex
• Dangerous: High-risk or hazardous conditions, such as handling medical waste

By using IoT sensors and AI-driven autonomous robotic vehicles, hospitals can automate the movement of materials, food, medical supplies and linens, saving time and reducing human error. The same principles apply to enhancing the patient room environment by integrating lighting, HVAC, patient safety sensors and entertainment systems into a central control panel.

Understanding and Overcoming Roadblocks to Successful Integration

While the potential benefits of intelligent hospital operations are significant, several challenges can arise on the road to fully integrating these systems. One of the biggest hurdles is the need for cooperation among various vendors, many of whom are hesitant to share data or collaborate for fear of losing their competitive edge.

An experienced project management team can provide invaluable leadership for the complex task of implementing and integrating diverse and complex technology systems. One way to help streamline integration would be the creation of a repository for research and outcomes from systems integration projects. Like the public design repository of the Center for Health Design, data from intelligent technology implementations should be available to the wider healthcare community to help accelerate the adoption of best practices.

Looking Forward

As intelligent technologies mature, their use in healthcare spaces will grow, following a path like building commissioning. In the near future, hospitals will see more AI, IoT sensors and automation, which will enhance efficiency, responsiveness and care quality. The integration of these technologies will transform hospital operations, improving patient care, staff satisfaction and overall efficiency.

The future of healthcare is smart, and the transformation is already happening.