This Looks Interesting. Pity It Is So Expensive For People To Browse. There Are Also Some Scope Issues.

This publication was released last week:

SA HB 163:2017

Digital Hospitals Handbook

Standards Australia

Abstract 

This Handbook develops a set of principles and recommendations that inform the design and implementation of digital hospitals, both new and refurbished, that enables innovative ways for providing healthcare services and supports positive outcomes for stakeholders now and into the future.

Scope 

This Handbook provides guidance on what a digital hospital is and proposes a set of principles (in Section 3) that provide the basis for the development of a Digital Hospital Program.

Sections 5 to 9 of this Handbook set out the key phases required to deliver a digital hospital—from business case through design, implementation, go-live and finally, to handover—that take place in a Digital Hospital Program. Throughout the program are foundations or themes that should be considered and established at the onset and thereafter require a continuous focus; the breadth and depth of focus on each theme or foundation may vary but should be commensurate with the stage of the program.

Here is the link:

https://infostore.saiglobal.com/en-au/Standards/SA-HB-163-2017-1919534/

There is a write up found here:

https://www.cio.com.au/article/621451/standards-australia-launch-digital-hospitals-handbook/

Standards Australia launch 'Digital Hospitals Handbook'

To help healthcare providers plan their digital transitions

George Nott (CIO) 06 July, 2017 09:09

Standards Australia has release its Digital Hospitals Handbook to inform the design and implementation of modern healthcare facilities.

The handbook – IT039 – includes a clear definition of 'digital hospital', and guidance relating to systems architecture and design, programme management, business case formulation, leadership, staffing, risk management, governance, change management and continuing operations.

UnitingCare's St Stephen's Hospital in Hervey Bay, which opened in 2014, was used as an exemplar.

“Australian hospitals have been improving their digital maturity for decades. However, early adopters show some projects have cost more, taken longer and been less effective than was otherwise possible,” said Dr Andrew Howard, chair of the handbook’s technical committee and adviser to the Australian Digital Health Agency.

“By focusing on people and outcomes our hope is it will be widely leveraged by private and public health systems as they plan their digital transitions,” he added.

Work on the handbook, originally proposed by Department of Health and Human Services Victoria and the first of its kind in the world, started in 2015, led by the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council and the National Health CIO Forum. Since then a long-list of organisations, including government bodies, clinicians associations and engineers have been involved in its creation.

“Digital health projects across the globe have faced challenges. Australian experts wanted a consolidated reference to guide health systems as they move to digital. The handbook aims to improve the outcomes of these types of projects by ensuring clear articulation of the underlying principles for a ‘digital hospital’; alignment with the design, construction and commissioning of healthcare facilities through a benefits estimation and realisation framework and an ICT systems architecture that enables innovative healthcare services now and into the future,” Standards Australia, the independent, government-approved standards body, said.

More here:

https://www.cio.com.au/article/621451/standards-australia-launch-digital-hospitals-handbook/

I am a tiny bit skeptical of the quality of the contents with this commentary:

Recommendations for future iterations of this Handbook

Committee IT-039 makes the following recommendations regarding any future development of this Handbook:

(a)             Resource to undertake a more detailed  evidence-gathering  phase  including researchers to extract more lessons learned from reference sites and undertake a literature review; the latter was out of scope in the development of this  Handbook.

(b)            Have reference groups in addition to the steering  committee.

(c)             Resource to develop example checklists.

(d)            Collect feedback from users of the first version and include broader consultation prior to publication

(e)             Develop an Implementation Planning Study template for a Digital Hospital  Program.

Consideration should be given to develop additional publications which build on this Handbook and allow for more detailed analysis of this  subject.

----- End Extract

One really does wonder why no literature review and only one (small hospital) reference site!

Those involved in preparing this were:

-----

The following are represented on Committee IT-039:

·         ACT Health

·         Australian Digital Health Agency

·         Australian Information Industry Association

·         Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation

·         Australian Private Hospitals Association

·         Department of Health, NSW

·         Department of Health, NT

·         Department of Health and Human Services, Vic.

·         Department of Health and Human Services, Tas.

·         Department of Health (NSW)—Information

·         Department of Health, WA

·         Engineers Australia

·         Health Informatics Society of Australia

·         Health Information Management Association of Australia

·         Institute of Healthcare Engineering Australia

·         Master Electricians Australia

·         National Electrical and Communications  Association

·         Queensland Health

----- End Extract

I look forward to the ADHA making the full publication available so we can all read it rather that parting with $180 or so.

DoH used to provide this service, and ADHA should continue the role.

David.