New 150-bed facility brings together the latest technology and patient-centered management to provide excellent healthcare services for the Middle East region.
Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group (HMG) is one of the largest private healthcare providers in the Middle East, managing 18 medical facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
According to a statement by theGroup, which has secured 29 awards and accreditations since it was established in 1995, it is well onits way to becoming a highly trusted healthcare provider in medical excellence and patient experience in the Middle East.True to this statement, HMG has recently commissioned its technology flagship 150-bed, 175,000 square feet digital hospital in Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC). The Group stated that it has been eager to introduce its 'digital hospital'concept by employing the next generation of equipment for diagnosis and treatment, and making digital administration and patient management central to its operations.Moreover, the hospital would be designed and built to bring the latest innovations to benefit the patient experience from the moment a patient first enters the hospital through discharge and subsequent follow-up.According to the Group's statement, the new hospital not only had to complement the existing outpatient clinic in DHCC, but provide an integrated care solution in a way that maximizes the potential of the new technology. The hospital's seamless connectivity with the Group's other facilitieswill also provide timely access to clinical expertise and a competitive range of treatment options across the entire patient care pathway.
As HMG's long-standing trusted technology partner in the region, GE Healthcare was challenged to support the Group's ambitious project in a highly competitive marketplace. HMG's high standards requiredGE's local team to leverage its global resources to provide a solution that included a comprehensive suite of diagnostic imaging products and systems. In a number of areas, GE introduced its latest technology for the first time in the region. In addition, GE provided advisory services in facility design, equipment planning, program management, marketing, and the patient experience to meet the standards of this technology flagship project.
Challenge
GE Healthcare was tasked with providing a technology flagship solution that would support HMG'sobjectiveof being a leading private healthcare provider in the Middle East. This meant that imaging equipment had to be integrated with IT infrastructure to promote information-sharing across the Group and enhance the management and delivery of patient care, throughan innovative patient experience solution.
Solution
Having already completed over 11 projects with HMG, GE's local team had a sound base to work from. Nevertheless, HMG's requirements and expectations meant that the GE team leading the project had to bring together a range of new ideas to deliver the right solution. Armed with support from GE's global healthcare expertise, the team developed a range of enhanced and innovative solutions in a number ofareas.
Design Optimization
To maximize the potential of the new Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Digital Hospital, specifically the Radiology department, the GE equipment planning team worked closely with HMG's design team to explore options to optimize the layout as well as the patient flow. As a result, over 30 recommendations were considered before HMG finalized the design.
Equipment Selection
To ensure the new hospital would be competitivewith other local private operators, a number of equipment options were considered, which took into account market analyses to establish the optimumtechnology mix aligned with the planned clinical services. The resulting specification included the latest CT and Cath Lab systems from GE's Discovery, Optima and OEC ranges, as well as cutting-edge wide-bore MR, Digital X-Ray and Ultrasound solutions, all designed to offer a high level of flexibility and image quality combined with low dose technology to benefit patients where possible.Beyond medical imaging, the specification also included GE's latest vital signs monitors and perinatal IT system.
IT Integration
The effective management of administrative and clinical data while interconnecting multiple HMG clinical sites presented a further but achievable challenge. A comprehensive suite of GE Centricity 360 Healthcare IT applications provided the solution for various hospital departments, includingCardiology, Radiology and Pediatrics, by integrating Diagnostic Imaging, Ultrasound and Life Care Support equipment with HMG's Health Information System (HIS).
Patient Experience
One of the most challenging tasks for the GE team was to design a Radiology department that enhanced the patient experience. The answer was to take a completely new look at GE's existing evidence-based solution and integrate it with interactive technology and natural materials to create a relaxing and calming environment for the patient.
In the case of the MRI and CT suites, the patient is able to benefit from a further enhanced audio-visual experience selected and managed by the patient themselves. Designed to accommodate the specific requirements of male and female adults and children, a range of 11 'themes' can be selected by the patient on an iPad before they enter the exam room. Each exam room also includes 'organic' walls, preserved in their natural state to provide a lasting visual experience. During each exam, the patient can experience images on a large screen mounted in the ceiling along with lighting and music designed to put the patient at ease. As an extra personalization, patients can select music from their own medialibrary.
A further enhancement to the overall experience in the MR and CT facilities is the "virtual operator window system". A multiple camera system provides a multi-view patient visual management system replacing the traditional window between the exam room and the technician control room. The benefits of such a system include a perceived improvement in patient privacy and multiple visual angles for better patient management during an exam.
Results/Benefits
Thanks to the extensive range of equipment installed, the overall HMG facility (comprising the existing outpatient clinic and the new in-patient hospital) is well-suited to provide comprehensive healthcare services to all segments of the community. Outpatients can now be referred quickly and efficiently to the hospital for emergency or ongoing care without referral to another operator.
The exacting standards required by HMG have been the guiding force behind this ambitious project. The Group's mission to provide the highest standard of medical care while improving the quality-of-life of the people it serves, has meant that the most advanced medical technology has been implemented throughout the hospital. Indeed, some of the systems are among the most advanced in the world and the region.
From a hospital management perspective, the hospital now has the potential to benefit from:
• Improved workflow and productivity
• Improved imaging quality
• Best-practice knowledge sharing
• An evidence-based approach to the patient experience
• Improved staff satisfaction
In summary, the project has not only strengthened the HMG-GE partnership but serves as proof of HMG and GE's ongoing commitments to high quality patient care.Supported by an extensive range of medical technology and advisory services provided by GE, the hospital represents a true showcase for HMG and the region.
"As a leading provider of medical healthcare in the region, Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group is proud to operate this cutting-edge Digital Hospital that is home to some of the most innovative digital technology and comprehensive patient centered solutions available in the world. Our technology partner, GE, has once again demonstrated their commitment to supporting us in our ongoing endeavors to offer superior healthcare services to the community."
Nasser Al Huqbani, President & CEO, Dr.Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group
Overview, Solution & Results/benefits
Challenge
• Provide a technology flagship solution that helps position HMG as a leading private healthcare provider in the Middle East.
• Integrate the imaging equipment with IT solutions to enable information-sharing across the Group to enhance the management and delivery of patient care.
• Create an innovative solution to enhance the patient experience.
Solution
• Collaboration with HMG at an early stage in the technology solution's design using GE's global expertise, equipment planning and advisory services.
• A customized, high quality and innovative turnkey solution that integrates IT with the diagnostic imaging equipment.
• An enhanced patient experience through an evidence-based implementation of interactive technologies and natural materials throughout the Radiology department.
Results/Benefits
• A new 150-bed technology flagship hospital that provides access to some of the most advanced GE medical equipment available not only in the region but in the world.
• Technology integration in key care areas that will facilitate improved productivity, quality and clinical outcomes for the hospital and group as a whole.
• A patient care environment embodied with interactive technology that can potentially deliver real and demonstrable benefits for the patient and staff.
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© Press Release 2015
