The case in summary Østfold Hospital has developed its own apps to streamline work processes, which they estimate saves healthcare personnel one hour per day per employee. The apps move work processes from PC and paper to mobile phones, increasing safety by reducing human error. The hospital has its own app center which has developed 17 apps from scratch, including an app for drug control and one for blood transfusion. The hospital has received inquiries from other healthcare organizations that want to use the apps, and has already signed an agreement with Ahus for an app. Employees at the hospital believe that simpler work processes with new apps can help contain the announced health crisis. Data security is safeguarded through risk and vulnerability analyses, and the infrastructure behind the apps is operated by Sykehuspartner in their data centres. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – Then we will find some medicines here, says Lill-Anita Karlsen. She is a nurse in the cancer department at Sykehuset Østfold. Karlsen now has fewer time thieves who steal away the day. Among other things, in the medicine room, where she is about to take out medicines. – In the old days, I would have had a binder standing by, then I would have had to write everything manually. Now I can only connect here. Withdrawal of medicine now takes place on the app – not with pen and paper. Photo: Even Bjøringsøy Johnsen / news She fishes out a smartphone from her pocket and logs on to the Narkontroll app. In a few seconds, she has scanned the QR code for the medicine room. She has scanned the medicines that are taken out, and scanned the patient. – It’s digitized, so we have it very tidy ahead of us, says the nurse. Saves time and increases security The aim of the apps is to move work processes from PCs and paper to mobile phones. – We always have the phone in our pocket, so it is much easier when we go in to see the patient. That’s what Hanne-Guro Gellein Berg, who is section leader at the Cancer Department at Sykehuset Østfold, says. She sees that everyday working life has changed radically at the hospital. At Sykehuset Østfold, there are 1,800 smartphones that employees use. Photo: Even Bjøringsøy Johnsen / news She herself reported the need for a separate app to register when taking out medicines. An app that is now in use in most departments at Kalnes. – We feel much safer, because we see that it is much safer than it has been in the past. She says the apps provide increased security for the patients, but also make it safer for the nurse or health professional who performs the work. With apps, there are fewer human errors. She praises the collaboration with the app center at the hospital. The apps are developed in collaboration between developers and those who will use them. Photo: Sykehuset Østfold Has its own app center at the hospital Sykehuset Østfold was an early adopter of creating its own apps. Now they have taken it a notch further and have put their own app center in place. So far, they have developed 17 apps from scratch. An app for the mother’s milk bank, an app for drug control and one for blood transfusion are among the innovations. – Work processes are constantly appearing that are done in cumbersome, paper-based ways, says developer at the app center Glenn-David Lind. The center constantly receives input from employees about new apps they want. It can be individuals who see a need or an entire department that has a specific need. The hospital was early on in developing apps. Developer, Glenn-David Lind is constantly working on new app projects. Photo: Even Bjøringsøy Johnsen / news Each employee saves an hour a day The apps mean that healthcare workers do not have to look for a free PC. They also avoid having to convey messages using post-it notes. – The more processes we manage to move out with mobile phones, the easier and better everyday life becomes for our employees, says Morten Lie, who is an advisor on ICT and innovation. Østfold Hospital itself estimates that the new apps save healthcare personnel at the hospital an hour per day per employee. – Then it greatly increases patient safety as we have the option to scan patient wristbands, scan blood bags or test tubes, which then replaces the fact that there are two of us to verify that we are doing the right things, says Morten Lie. The apps must be easily accessible and easy to use. Photo: Sykehuset Østfold Can apps prevent the announced health crisis? Digitization and Administration Minister Karianne Tung (Ap) thinks it is very good that the hospital is testing new technology. – We know that we are entering a time of labor shortages and narrower financial room for action, while at the same time we are getting older, says Tung. – If we are also to maintain the quality of the services, we must think new and smart – and we must digitize. Digitization and Administration Minister Karianne Tung believes digitization at the hospitals will free up time and resources, which can be used on the most important tasks. Photo: Kai Rune Kvitstein / news She hopes that more people can do like Sykehuset Østfold, and allows herself to be inspired to test out new solutions and working methods. Østfold Hospital has received inquiries from other healthcare organizations that want to use the apps. They have already signed an agreement with Akershus University Hospital for an app, informs the communications manager at Østfold Hospital, Ingrid Winsnes Trømborg. Several of the employees news spoke to at Sykehuset Østfold believe simpler work processes with new apps can help stem the announced health crisis. – Yes, I probably agree with that, says nurse at the cancer ward Lill-Anita Karlsen. – And when you gradually see how much less time is spent, I am completely convinced that it is part of the efficiency improvement – which does not go beyond safety, she says. It is scanned for blood transfusion. Photo: Jan Kenneth Bråten Thinks the app solutions are secure With new apps on 1,800 phones in Kalnes alone, it is important to have control over data security. The app center ensures that risk and vulnerability analyzes are carried out, the hospital states. – The infrastructure behind the apps is run and operated by Sykehuspartner and run in their data centres. And the apps and what we create, we have software that we run security checks on. So security is absolutely important to take care of, says developer at the app center Glenn David Lind. Published 13.11.2024, at 12.31
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