By Con McGarry, Contributing Writer

To ensure the safety of patients and their families in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, it is crucial to examine patient-safeguarding mechanisms and explore the untapped potential of technology in enhancing patient safety. Moving beyond traditional approaches to raising concerns and detecting irregularities in the care process is essential.

It is important to emphasize the human element in raising concerns, ensure strong governance and maintain open channels for whistleblowing within the healthcare system. This approach underscores the need for healthcare facilities managers to listen to the concerns of patients, families and staff. 

But it is also essential to recognize that integrating digital systems can complement and significantly enhance this human-centered approach, paving the way for a more comprehensive and proactive strategy for patient safety.

Tapping into technology

Parallels can be drawn between healthcare and other sectors, such as air traffic control, where digital systems are effectively used to swiftly detect anomalies. These industries demonstrate the potential of a digital ecosystem focused on prevention and timely intervention — key elements closely tied to healthcare.

The question is, “Can healthcare systems be restructured to achieve the same efficiency and proactivity?”

Although many healthcare organizations are already investing in innovative technologies to optimize and improve care, a vast reservoir of untapped potential remains, particularly in the critical area of patient safety.

The range of technologies that can support this effort spans from simple patient-monitoring devices to advanced traceability systems. Each technology offers unique strengths, and together, they can form a robust, integrated approach to enhancing healthcare delivery and patient safety.

The use of analytics has been highlighted as a cornerstone of patient safeguarding. It not only alerts healthcare providers to risks but also ushers in a new era of pre-emptive care. Intelligent monitoring platforms that track patient vital signs using advanced sensors and analytics driven by artificial intelligence (AI) go beyond standard practices.

By integrating data over time, these systems can detect subtle trends that signal the onset of complications, such as sepsis or heart failure, before they become clinically apparent. This proactive approach to patient care could significantly improve outcomes by enabling timely interventions.

It is important to note that patient monitoring is just the beginning. Sophisticated algorithms that analyze treatment decisions, patient outcomes and even the timing of care are essential to identifying deviations from established norms and tracking potential life-threatening irregularities when providing care.

Smarter inventory management

Advanced data analytics and security systems are also revolutionizing supply chain management, where full lifecycle traceability — enabled by technologies like blockchain and autonomous monitoring — can play a crucial, potentially life-saving role in patient care.

For example, technologies such as smart cabinets can identify anomalies, including drug mismanagement. These cabinets store pharmaceuticals and are accessible only to staff with registered radio frequency identification (RFID) badges.

Once closed, they automatically audit the inventory, logging each item removed against the unique RFID identifier. By leveraging real-time data, unexpected trends in medication use or possession can be detected, highlighting potential misplacements or, more critically, theft.

Traceability ensures that drugs and hazardous materials are used for their intended purposes at the correct times and by authorized personnel only. By proactively addressing these issues, this technology reinforces safety protocols, reducing the risk of accidents and misuse.

The smart cabinet represents just the beginning of a larger, more sophisticated transformation in healthcare supply chain management. In 2021, supermarket chains introduced contactless, checkout-free stores that operate with QR code entry and exit, along with smart shelving that detects every item removed.

Supported by AI monitoring in real time, the technology tracks shopper movements and applies charges are applied for all items picked up. Extending this concept to healthcare stockrooms could be revolutionary, offering seamless, real-time inventory management and enhanced accountability. 

Digitally enhanced security 

Security in healthcare facilities typically relies on a combination of physical barriers, administrative protocols and technological measures. Despite the strength of controlled access, diligent policy enforcement and cybersecurity initiatives, there is room for improvement, particularly in adapting to new threats and leveraging emerging technologies.

Implementing real-time location services and replacing swipe-card access with advanced biometric identification methods can secure access to sensitive areas, such as medication storage, patient records and special care units. Integrating these advanced digital solutions with pattern-recognition software can transform secure locations into proactive safeguarding environments, enhancing defenses against external and internal security threats.

The prevailing theme is a digital ecosystem that goes beyond passive data recording to actively analyze and identify potential issues in real-time, enabling swift, data-driven interventions. This shift in healthcare necessitates embracing the extensive possibilities of digital technology, transforming patient safety from a reactive measure into an intelligently proactive mission.

The digital revolution in healthcare is emerging as a multifaceted guardian of patient safety, ensuring security while fostering an environment of trust. With each technological advancement — ranging from AI-driven predictive analytics to blockchain-enhanced data security — healthcare facilities move closer to a future where patient safety is seamlessly integrated into the very fabric of healthcare delivery.

As this narrative unfolds, balancing optimism with practical application is crucial. The vision is clear: a healthcare system that harnesses the power of technology to transform past lessons into proactive future measures. This approach seeks to uphold good governance and the human element in raising concerns, supported by ongoing progress and vigilance.

Con McGarry is senior consultant, digital healthcare, at Arcadis.