Hospitals expand their digital workplace in co-creation with delaware

Optimizing collaboration between hospitals

Today, many hospitals already use an electronic patient record and/or enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to collaborate with each other. “However, these systems do not cover all collaboration needs. Moreover, many hospitals still work on outdated technology that limits safe and efficient information sharing,” says Serge Desaranno, Digital Workplace Solution Lead at delaware. “Developing a digital workplace is therefore an important strategic pillar for our hospitals.”

Now, how can hospitals further optimize their collaboration processes? With this question, delaware and Microsoft brought together various hospitals, including AZ Maria Middelares, UZ Brussel, AZ Delta, UZ Gent and VZW Werken Glorieux, for an informal co-thinking workshop. “We soon noticed that all participants have similar challenges,” explains Wim Vermeire, Healthcare Solution Manager at delaware. “Hospitals are looking for more efficient and user-friendly ways to communicate with their personnel and doctors, to share and open up knowledge and information in a targeted manner, and increase employee involvement.”

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Technology drives the digital workplace in hospitals

Microsoft 365’s technological tools (such as Teams, SharePoint, but also Power Apps for example) offer many opportunities to build a tailored digital workplace experience. In addition, hospital employees and doctors are increasingly using mobile phones and tablets, which supports the user adoption process greatly. “However, IT often struggles to capture the right use cases or collaboration needs. Conversely, employees and doctors are also unaware of the possibilities the new technologies can offer them,” explains Serge. “That’s why a good knowledge exchange between IT and business, and the development of a key user or ambassador network is really crucial.”

During the inspiration session, many ideas for a ‘hospital digital workplace’ were captured. “In a next phase, we will investigate together with Microsoft the possibility of realizing and effectively implementing these ideas in co-creation with our hospital customers,” says Serge. “This way, the costs per hospital can be limited, and profit sharing can be realised when the application is also sold elsewhere.”

Tailor-made technology solutions

We’re happy to share that already two hospitals, VZW Werken Glorieux and AZ Sint-Elisabeth Zottegem, are co-working with delaware to build their own meeting application in Microsoft Teams. “With this meeting app you can easily capture agenda items, make notes and share reports with all attendees,” says Serge. “We are looking forward to showing this tool to other hospitals as well!”

Also interested in our co-creation story for healthcare? Wim & Serge are happy to tell you more about it.