Information and communication technology as an enabler for decongesting the hospital ecosystem for timely emergency care – ‘accident to discharge’

The article focuses on developing methods and techniques for improving accident- to-discharge workflows that could in turn enable smarter, de-congested hospitals. The paper analyzes the role of large corporations with expertise in building sensors, solutions for healthcare, and smart cities. This could be the desired catalyst in speeding up the transformation. The paper explores about three large players – patients, the ecosystem, and the hospitals that would play a key role in ensuring effective accident-to-discharge workflows. We performed multiple interviews with first responders and care providers that were primarily involved in ferrying and treating accident victims in and around large cities in southern India. The study involved observing trauma stations at multiple public and private hospitals that handle accident victims. Key findings indicate that the infrastructure around the hospitals is not conducive to enable hospitals to provide quality care during emergencies. This limits the timely delivery of critical care. Barriers were beyond the hospital environment. They included the unavailability of full life care support ambulances support in an optimal vicinity, difficulty in relaying messages to the receiving hospital, unplanned traffic deviations, and unacknowledged right of the way for ambulances to name a few. While smarter and connected hospitals are the need of the hour to ensure timely emergency care—any transformation powered by information and communication technology should be seen holistically. This includes the role of urban infrastructure, and the ecosystem in supporting a smoother movement of traffic and awareness among people.