As i heart from one of our customers SAP is planning a new anonymisation feature for SAP Healthcare / IS-H 6.xx. The goal will be that no body will know the real name from the patient and during his stay in the hospital/faciltiy he will be completely anonymous. Our custumer told us this will be released in 2nd Q 2010 and will also come with a RampUp in 4th Q 2009. I cannot found anything searching the SAP Marketplace for this planned feature, and their was nothing about this in the planned RampUps for this year. We are developing software for the healtcare sector (Medical Documetation) and using all of the standard IS-H Healthcare BAPIS für the complete Patient administration functions. Our main interest is, is their any support for this new feature in the IS-H Healthcare BAPIS and maybe any description of the new structures using the IS-H BAPIS. Anybody who has more information on this new feature will be helpfull. rgds Ismet Tezcanli-Wagner ... View more

  In an age defined by the rapid evolution of technology, it is no surprise that the healthcare industry is undergoing a profound transformation. This revolution, often referred to as "Digital Transformation," is not merely an option but a necessity for modern healthcare systems seeking to provide more efficient, accessible, and personalized care to patients worldwide. Digital Health   The Digital Disruption Digital transformation in healthcare is driven by an array of cutting-edge technologies and strategies, all aimed at improving patient outcomes, streamlining operations, and enhancing the overall patient experience. Here's a closer look at how these innovations are reshaping the healthcare landscape: Electronic Health Records (EHRs) One of the foundational elements of healthcare digitization is the adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHRs). EHRs replace traditional paper records, making patient information readily accessible, improving accuracy, and facilitating seamless information sharing among healthcare providers. This shift not only enhances patient care but also contributes to medical research and public health initiatives. Telemedicine and Remote Monitoring Telemedicine, powered by high-speed internet and mobile devices, has emerged as a game-changer, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It enables patients to consult with healthcare professionals remotely, reducing the need for in-person visits. Furthermore, remote monitoring devices allow continuous tracking of vital signs, empowering patients to actively manage their health conditions and enabling timely interventions by healthcare providers. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are leveraged to analyze vast datasets, aiding in early disease detection, predictive analytics, and personalized treatment recommendations. AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants are also improving patient engagement and support. IoT and Wearable Devices The Internet of Things (IoT) has paved the way for a multitude of wearable devices that monitor health metrics, physical activity, and even provide medication reminders. Patients and healthcare providers can access real-time data, promoting preventive healthcare and early intervention. Big Data Analytics The healthcare sector is generating enormous volumes of data, and leveraging big data analytics enables healthcare organizations to derive valuable insights for decision-making. From population health management to pharmaceutical research, big data analytics is revolutionizing the industry. Blockchain for Security and Interoperability Blockchain technology is enhancing the security of patient data and supporting interoperability across various healthcare systems. Patients have more control over their health information, ensuring confidentiality and data integrity. The Benefits of Digital Transformation in Healthcare The impact of digital transformation in healthcare is multi-faceted and has far-reaching benefits: 1. Improved Patient Care: With readily accessible EHRs and remote monitoring, healthcare providers can offer more personalized and timely care, resulting in better patient outcomes. 2. Cost Efficiency: Telemedicine and streamlined operations reduce costs for both healthcare institutions and patients, making healthcare more affordable. 3. Patient Engagement: Digital tools like patient portals and telemedicine foster greater patient engagement, enhancing overall satisfaction and adherence to treatment plans. 4. Research and Development: Access to big data and AI-driven insights accelerate research, development, and innovation in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and treatment methodologies. 5. Preventive Care: Remote monitoring and early detection help in preventing chronic diseases and improving public health. Challenges and Considerations While the promise of digital transformation in healthcare is immense, several challenges must be addressed. These include concerns about data security, interoperability between different systems, and the need for healthcare professionals to adapt to these technological changes. The Road Ahead As digital transformation continues to reshape the healthcare industry, it's clear that embracing these innovations is no longer a choice but an imperative. The collaboration between healthcare providers, technology companies, and policymakers is crucial to ensuring that these advancements benefit patients and healthcare systems alike. The future of healthcare promises a world of greater accessibility, personalized care, and improved patient outcomes, thanks to the power of digital transformation. ... View more

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The Innovation of SAP in the Healthcare Industry Healthcare delivery is increasingly becoming more organized, patient-centered, and dependent on collaborative efforts. Healthcare organizations are emphasizing cost-cutting strategies and technology to expand their operations and gather and utilize financial and clinical data to improve performance and quality.  The collecting and transfer of data in a manner that is both effective and efficient would be of immense advantage to the healthcare business. It is possible to cut costs, speed up workflows, and improve patient care by digitally modeling administrative, nursing, and medical responsibilities using information technology solutions. Factors for Integrating Healthcare System The healthcare industry as a whole is experiencing a change toward new methods of care delivery and funding as a response to the myriad issues that are currently being faced by healthcare executives all over the world. The following are the forces at play: Government healthcare Personalized, collaborative, evidence-based, outcome-driven, integrated healthcare improvements. Patients want automation and quick info. Standard, payer, and patient choice changes A Roadmap for the Implementation of IT Solutions for Healthcare Providers The healthcare software development companies in USA market use an ever-expanding variety of product classifications. The solution map describes the broad categories of potential solutions, including particular ones. The foundational, corporate, and institutional administrations, the revenue cycle, core care delivery, ancillary care delivery, and mobility are some of the areas that fall under this category. The Application of Information Technology to the Healthcare Industry In modern times, healthcare has become increasingly centralized and provider-focused. In the future, the patient will be the focal point of both the therapy and the organization, and the emphasis will be placed on the person.  In addition, using digital communication and instruments for remote monitoring will make it possible to treat patients in the comfort of their homes, resulting in lower healthcare expenditures and better overall living circumstances.  Healthcare practitioners who presently work alone and store patient data in separate local IT systems are expected to collaborate and share their knowledge and insights more regularly. In the distant future, diagnostic procedures such as tests and examinations will be rendered obsolete thanks to the smooth exchange of data and the establishment of secure direct connections between patients and medical experts. The Benefits of SAP in the Healthcare Industry The SAP solution for healthcare could be helpful in situations like these. This is where the problem's solutions come into play. The delivery of individualized treatment that is also efficient in terms of cost is made possible by SAP Healthcare Solutions, which also improves patient care.  SAP solutions are designed to address electronic medical records (EMR), healthcare analytics, and health information exchange (HIE). The implementation of cutting-edge technologies paves the way for the creation of effective information systems, the delivery of care that is evidence-based, and an improvement in the quality of life for patients in general. The all-encompassing solutions offered by SAP for the healthcare industry provide high-quality care and a personalized patient experience while achieving operational excellence. The integration of horizontal business lines into on-premises, cloud-based, and mobile healthcare solutions is how SAP systems facilitate process integration in the healthcare industry. SAP systems make it easier for patients and healthcare professionals to share information, enable real-time access to relevant data at the point of care, and provide comprehensive visibility and transparency for operational support.  These are helpful to customers in many ways: Patients may be provided with a more personalized healthcare experience if the data about patient access, billing, and clinical care are combined. Manage patients' health outside hospitals through cooperative efforts involving patients and medical personnel. In healthcare analytics, using cutting-edge analytical approaches to provide insights for improved research and results requires advanced analytical techniques. Your employees can be empowered, engaged, and developed with the assistance of human resources, which can help improve patient care and your company's financial success. Gain insight into the future of your entire organization by implementing analytics and financial processes that are fully automated and run in real-time. Simplify the sourcing and purchasing processes to improve compliance and control while lowering costs and risks. This pertains to procurement. By improving patient-caregiver communication and facilitating the exchange of information in real time, SAP solutions make it possible for healthcare organizations to deliver high-quality and low-cost treatment. Patient interactions should be more individualized at every stage, from diagnosis to treatment to disease prevention. The Seamless Integration of Complicated IT Systems In addition to the rising financial obligations, those who provide medical care must contend with intense competition. An effective hospital information system (HIS), such as SAP®, lays the proper framework for integrated workflows and data sharing while simultaneously reducing the organization's internal resources burden.  It makes the work easier for medical professionals like doctors and nurses, streamlines operations, raises the bar for the standard of care provided, and connects smoothly with other SAP-based software. SAP modules contribute to cost savings by delivering comprehensive digital assistance for patient management, financial accounting, logistics, and human resource management.  Consequently, a complete process chain is developed, enabling efficient administration of financial resources and prompt billing for services. Because the i.s.h.med® global hospital information system (HIS) from Cerner is already linked to the SAP platform, it is the ideal barrier to investment in healthcare solution providers. Investment Challenges in Healthcare Industry Solutions Costs (licensing, direct/indirect) (upgrades to the IT infrastructure, integration, hiring staff, and support, for example). Healthcare implementation Difficulties monitoring and evaluating a system's clinical and financial benefits The difficulty of building a business case for an enterprise healthcare solution and the need for more staff to operate, maintain, and improve the system. Lack of clinical leadership and problems creating clinical content limit enterprise-wide solution implementations. Some countries' vendor’s reputations are poor. The Following Factors When Selecting a Vendor The healthcare industry has always been, is now, and will continue to be a market with multiple vendors due to the fundamental needs it has. A significant number of healthcare providers have either begun or completed at least the first phase of the installation process for their corporate healthcare systems. In local markets, retailers, marketers, and providers of healthcare solutions are confronted with increasing competition from multinational firms. When choosing a provider of healthcare solutions, you should take into consideration the following factors: Improved availability of technical, functional, and comprehensive materials The requirements for attention and communication can be reduced by knowing local laws, conditions, and criteria that give standards and specifications for systems and place an evolutionary emphasis within reach. Businesses in the community pay close attention to the needs of their regular customers. Final Thoughts Healthcare delivery is becoming more coordinated, collaborative, and centered on the patient. The healthcare sector focuses on the strategies and technologies that reduce costs and enable the organization to evolve new operating models to scale, bring together, and leverage financial and clinical information to drive performance and quality. To meet these goals, healthcare organizations need to adopt new technologies that can help them coordinate care across different providers and settings. ... View more

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COVID created an explosion in demand for numerous technological developments that are well suited to accelerate digitization in healthcare with corresponding remote services and greater acceptance of such services. During that time, SAP built services like Corona Warn App and SAP Bed Capacity Management within month, got them to market quickly and focused on delivering monthly iterations and incremental capabilities for these new applications. It was a new approach and certainly involved learning along the way, but it was crucial to give it into customers’ hands to learn for early adaption and input on areas for improvement. This shows how much the importance of innovative power, flexibility, and capability to deliver in time has increased. Protecting critical infrastructure and supply chain lines has never been more fundamental. In addition, SAP has decided to stop developing industry-specific applications and focus on efforts on services related to SAP’s future key strategic direction. The two main focal points here are: #1 SAP offer a modular healthcare system landscape to run ERP processes enriched by partner capabilities for customers to benefit from the flexibility and a solid foundation to plan a transition to SAP S/4HANA prior to the end of maintenance of SAP Business Suite #2 Forming an open healthcare partner ecosystem, inviting partners complementing our portfolio and offerings That way SAP’s customers will be benefitting from future modular hospital information landscapes, where partners can provide their industry-specific solutions, whereas SAP puts focus on core customer non-industry-specific business scenarios and business technology. With this comprehensive approach, SAP intends to address hospital chains and health customers of all sizes, even across industry boundaries. This blog is an attempt to work out whether technological and content paradigms from our learnings would be suitable in the long term to become successful as a platform and infrastructure provider in the healthcare industry sharing a perspective on things like: What is a reasonable definition of a platform, what is its purpose and what capabilities does it need to provide? What role does cloud infrastructure play? Whether or not to leave the field to Amazon, Google, or Microsoft? Definitions A platform in this context refers to so-called 'digital health platforms' (DHP) as information exchange infrastructure where applications and systems are built to deliver health services supporting healthcare delivery. To highlight some of their qualities I would like to draw attention to some characteristics... . #1 There is no one-fits-all platform approach. Typically, DHPs manage a couple of business scenarios in a way that connects different user groups in a meaningful way (e.g., physicians and patients, researchers and patients, or hospitals and payers) and is categorized to serve specialized business models in both clinical and non-clinical contexts. Here are some examples: Research and Data Management platforms, to support clinical studies, like those introduced by Microsoft and SilverCloud Health, AWS for Health, or Google Health E-Health platforms, to support remote healthcare delivery in rather large territories, like Teamplay by Siemens Healthineers E-Procurement and purchasing platforms, like Healthcare Content Data Portal by SANA Technology and development platforms to provide tools to build health-related applications, like the Lightning platform by Salesforce #2 DHP architecture principles are typically 2-fold. They all leverage cloud technology and an integrated ‘horizontal’ technology (platform) layer that sits between infrastructure and application. Inbuilt interoperability ties different components and external applications together into a streamlined and cohesive construction. By offering a common set of APIs, such platforms free customers from complex API management, which reduces complexity on their end and positively impacts times to market. #3 Looking into capabilities associated with DHP's, a study by GARTNER, categorizes health platforms along the following requirements: Provides healthcare-provider-specific healthcare cloud offerings Offer most of the capabilities across all three layers of the reference architecture Supports any one or more than one of these open standards such as FHIR, OMOP, OpenEHR, IHE, STDM Offers healthcare-specific prebuilt data and analytics Supports features specific to clinical care and care delivery, and secure messaging for collaboration Offers capabilities to be directly used by patients/consumers, such as patient portal, mobile app, costing tools Offers capabilities to assist in virtual care, and connectivity to medical devices for remote monitoring Such platforms are designed to facilitate and accelerate the development of regulated software applications and tools and manage health data exchange while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. In short, a well-designed platform will improve health systems by ensuring that existing digital health applications work together more consistently and effectively. The future Hospital is a platform On the one hand, a question that arises is whether and what clever ideas exist to replicate experiences made, so they can be used in other contexts. Not too long ago SAP opted for an open technology platform model for the healthcare industry and communicated this to its customers and partners. This means nothing less than a long-term, sustainable reorientation that underlines our clear understanding that digital transformation only will succeed if traditional silos and procedures to a certain extent will be broken away. To necessarily cope best with industry and consumer trends, political and economic uncertainties, and challenges ahead the design of required future industry technology capabilities and apps look totally different from what it has been in previous decades. An undisputed result of digitization is that like in other industries, the healthcare industry generates unprecedented and ever-growing volumes of (siloed) data. Such data require a robust IT infrastructure able to handle large volumes of sensitive data while ensuring compliance with local privacy, security, and regulations. Achieving this on local development platforms and infrastructure is rather challenging as it needs investment, entails significant operating costs, requires sizeable teams of experts and expertise, and needs to ensure security and product compliance to meet mandatory regulatory requirements. But - who can afford to do this? Our industry customers aren't tech companies, nor are they financially flexible, so more likely they will consider leveraging a digital health technology platform in the form of a platform as a service (PaaS) as this enables them to manage complexity of building what they need and focus on their core business. 2nd, with the objectives of making health data universally usable and market participants becoming eco-system partners, the business opportunity is gigantic! So, in the midterm, it is commercially absolutely reasonable and viable to develop an offering and a strategy to connect most important players and make necessary changes possible. Health platforms are on the rise and here to stay for the purpose of reshaping the industry into integrated data and engagement platforms leveraging cloud infrastructure and services. By embracing cloud technology and qualities software and services will be delivered in a more modern and iterative way, ready to cope with future challenges and opportunities. Consequences are big as the next wave of competitors is already building solutions to re-design the entire industry value chain from drug manufacturing to clinical medication, remote patient monitoring, and clinical trials. To reflect and put this in SAP strength and perspective. there's no doubt the task is overwhelming as it is hardly imaginable a single vendor is able to fix it all. So, it requires beyond huge enthusiasm and naivety, strategic thinking and technical capabilities, a broad partner ecosystem, and strategic alliances to become an established market participant. Moreover, fully managed integration is key to giving customers flexible capabilities to integrate with a multitude of application backgrounds even through hybrid infrastructures. Future-wise SAP could look certainly a role model for combining the innovative power and flexibility of a (health) platform provider and the deep expertise as an industry applications provider. As we have to acknowledge recent trends in healthcare, SAP will very much be operating at the health platform and network level, so beyond the enterprise of a single landscape. Given the power of the cloud and the things we already do, there is an opportunity to have much more relevance in broader networks and provide nationwide capabilities. Platform Design The leading paradigm in this concept is SAP the is the key actor on infrastructure, platform, and network layer, complemented by, ERP, etc. capabilities, whilst clinical domain expertise and capabilities are added by partners. To ensure interoperability between all actors to access, exchange, integrate, and cooperatively use data SAP is leveraging the HL7 FHIR standard, introducing SAP Health Data Services for FHIR a PaaS and integration service on SAP BTP and SAP HANA Cloud as central service of the envisioned platform design. Once available, partners and customers can leverage this service to support the design, implementation, and operation of a native cloud application or service relying on health-related data. The service is meant to provide a synchronous REST and asynchronous messaging-based API capable of supporting the necessary FHIR capabilities. Naturally, it is planned to use the in-memory database SAP HANA Cloud as persistence to be able to fulfill the needs for high-performance transactional applications. Introducing the FHIR R4 data model into our portfolio, the intention is to address intersectoral use cases and demand to come from providers, payors, researchers, and policymakers. The first selection currently under investigation concerns applications and services intended to be built or integrated/onboarded to DHP by leveraging SAP Health Data Services for FHIR and additional SAP BTP services. by Solution Area:​ Developing new transactional apps or extensions with intelligent workflows, building upon readily available domain-specific profiling  ​ Health data pooled for research and personalized medicine: Shared health resources (data, infrastructure, expertise…) allow targeted and faster research, diagnosis, and treatment Insurance: Leverage interaction between payer, provider, and patient (e.g., utilization management, denial management)​ Public Sector: National eHealth Infrastructure (e.g., ​e-Prescription, Health-X)​ Secure access and exchange of health data: Users securely access their health data and health providers (doctors, pharmacies…) can exchange them across the regions An early detailed profile of our capabilities for quick readers... INTEGRATION CAPABILITIES BUSINESS CAPABILITIES COMPOSITION TOOLS FHIR R4-compliant health data model on SAP BTP and SAP HANA Cloud Indexing, structuring, and resource profiling provide appropriate API extensibility Content-driven, persistent FHIR data service with extensibility for resources, events, and workflows Event-driven business processes management supporting both visual and code-based interface Enterprise & Support Service Population health management, Emergency & Response Operational and clinical analytics Information Governance, Data integration, and visualization Terminology Services Predictive Analytics No-code/low-code composition workbench, Business Application Studio, mobile SDKs containerized API Management, Integration Suite, REST, SOAP, and O-data APIs AI Business Services / Launchpad Identity Management In-memory data processing It is important to note that the specifics depend on the requirements and constraints of the individual project. As a consequence, creating a customer-tailored design requires a deep understanding of the problem and the technical skills to solve it, collaboration with customer experts is a must. Security and compliance are essential to guarantee success. Overall, capabilities like those depicted below are assumed critical to the success of digital health platforms as they allow the network to collect, manage, and analyze data, engage with patients, coordinate care, and generate revenue. Component design as integrated and re-usable data and functional fabric layer Technical design draft might include the depicted SAP and partner entities.     Preparing for the next normal What overall reasonable conclusions might now be drawn based on the above... Digital Health Platforms are becoming harder and harder to ignore, as growth in health data generated by devices and other systems of record requires robust but flexible and innovative IT infrastructure and data governance approach. This is especially important while developing health-related applications. Build-or-buy is the most strategic decision with implications far beyond the IT embedded into an overall corporate strategy. One-fits-all won't work as DHPs follows purpose-driven demand and consequently architecture. Usually, they are bridging different health data silos from across the health ecosystem, intending to generate innovation, for the ultimate benefit of patients. Design and architecture in particular have significant long-term implications. No platform is plug-and-play. As platforms begin to transform the healthcare sector, players must carefully consider their future path. SAP is committed to investing in this area and designing and developing a 'Digital Health Platform' strategy as outlined in this blog. The starting point is promising as we as a company have already laid the exciting functional and technological foundation, but it still is a long road, and many legal and technical aspects are still being discussed and articulated. The opportunity is hot, and concerning my initial question: Whether or not to leave the field to our competitors..? Certainly not. We are in the process of defining a strategy roadmap i.e., in areas such as interoperability, enterprise support, e-health, and data management, with an open and transparent, realistic conclusion. What we do in detail is… Fine-tuning our radar --> identifying the biggest impact opportunities Selecting our foundation --> based on local strategies and frameworks set appropriate focus Choosing our role --> self-positioning within the DHP provider market Find our market entry point --> beyond provider industry boundaries Strengthen collaboration -->  forming partner alliances To give a full insight into the capabilities and key differentiators of a Digital Health Platform by SAP, we will publish a blog series covering additional aspects and share conceptual updates in the coming weeks and months. We are also happy to get your feedback, questions, or thoughts in a comment. Stay tuned! -------------------------------------------------------------- Co-Authors: Vladimir Ljubicic and Martin Burger References: E-Health Ireland GARTNER, Market Guide for Digital Health Platforms Blaise Jacholkowski, Digital Health Platforms ... View more

It seems just a moment ago hospitals were struggling with pandemic-related problems, intensive care units were stretched to the limit, and organizational challenges on an unprecedented scale had to be overcome, not to mention doctors and nurses were at the edge of their physical and mental limits. And now it is "post-covid symptoms" such as slow financial recovery, urgently needed digitization, the struggle for skilled workers and, last but not least, exorbitantly increased energy costs that are pushing the hospitals’ backs against the economic wall. Is it really a "mandate" for our industry? Yes, it’s precisely these times that make sustainable action urgently necessary. Because quite incidentally, our planet has long since reached the limit of its carrying capacity! Within the Sustainability Development Goals defined by the United Nation 1) , Healthcare, unlike any other industry, has sustainability at its very core. Everything healthcare does directly relates to goal 3 “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. Additionally Healthcare has a dual responsibility as every healthcare facility is a place of healing, but at the same time healthcare contributes to the burden of diseases due to large share in climate change. The health sector contributes more than 4 % to the global CO 2 footprint 2) , hospitals are major consumers of resources and major producers of waste. On average, about 6 kg. of waste is produced per patient per day in hospitals. Operating theatres are particularly emission- and waste-intensive units. In some hospitals, anesthetic gases cause up to one third of surgical procedure’s carbon footprint. Inhaled anesthetics account for 5% of acute Hospital CO 2 equivalent emissions 3) . This isn’t surprising when one considers that, depending on the anesthetic gas used, one operating theatre hour is equivalent to a CO 2 emission of up to 200-400km car journey 4). Therefore, sustainability can no longer be considered a "nice to have". It is high time to make every effort to create transparency about the company's own CO 2 footprint, to minimize waste and food waste, to critically assess purchasing strategies and supply chains with regard to the CO 2 footprint, to reduce water consumption, to minimize waste water pollution, to make buildings climate-friendly, to use suitable areas for solar systems and to think about how patients, visitors and staff can get from home to the clinic and back in a climate-neutral way. Last but not least, it’s also important to deal with the social aspects of sustainability, to ensure human rights and equality in the supply chains around the globe, and to establish a culture in one's own clinic to ensure the clinic's internal and external staff are treated fairly, irrespective of gender, origin, race, or religion,  and the risks of everyday clinical work are minimized. After all, health care workers are exposed to a variety of hazards in addition to the enormous workload, such as injuries from scalpels, risk of infections, exposure to chemicals and medicines, allergies and, unfortunately, violence by patients and relatives. Of course, the issue of sustainability is not completely new. Hospitals have always had to deal with the disposal of hazardous, infectious, and radiological waste. And more than a decade ago the climate-damaging effect of anesthetic gases was already being addressed 5) . Legal requirements are forcing action However, only now are further legal requirements being added that extend into the balance sheet and not only affect large hospitals, but must also be fulfilled by smaller hospitals. Sustainability-relevant key figures are finding their way into the legally prescribed reporting and so starting with 2024 data as the basis, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will be obligatory for almost all hospitals in the EU from 2025 onwards, except for very small hospitals. In Germany, the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act has to be fulfilled by healthcare providers with more than 3000 employees since January 1, 2023, and will also be required from 2024 by hospitals with more than 1000 employees. Over 15 countries across Europe, Asia and North America have already instituted supply chain transparency legislation, and an EU Mandatory Due Diligence Directive is on the horizon. SAP last year published the result of a first orienting pulse check 6) of healthcare providers. According to that survey, 46% of respondents say the increasing number of reporting requirements is urging them to improve insights across financial and non-financial data. So, not least for legal reasons, transparency must be created and it’s necessary to address how key figures can be determined and whether the data basis is sufficient. Ideally, data can be obtained from current business processes and are available in digital form for further processing. The reality is that most hospitals are currently far from this goal. What is SAP Doing to Help? The first step is to know where you stand as a clinic. Based on this, the areas in which there is the greatest need for action are to be identified, be it conversion measures, process redesigns or organizational changes. SAP offers a wide range of solutions for sustainability-related needs. These are divided into 4 major areas: Holistic Steering and Reporting connects environmental, social and financial value in a holistic view Climate Action with the goal of zero emissions Circular Economy with the goal of zero waste Social Responsibility with the goal of zero inequality. Find the complete SAP solution portfolio here. And together with our partner ecosystem we serve an even wider range of healthcare-specific needs. Conclusion The topic of sustainability must be a core component of a healthcare provider's strategy, and it must be integrated into the core processes of a hospital, its supply chains, and networks. And it can’t wait for the next quarter, or the next fiscal year. First there is an obligation, means legal requirements, secondly there is a social aspect, means how much is a hospital willing to do, and thirdly there is a commercial aspect, means cost savings and also commercial benefits longterm. There are already a number of hospitals and hospital chains around the world that have taken up the cause of sustainability and are leading the way. And fortunately, a process of learning from others is taking place. For example, the Global Green and Healthy Hospital Network, which promotes a healthy and sustainable future for the health sector, already has 1,650 members in more than 75 countries 7) . The time to act is now. Only if we start serious, continuous sustainability efforts from now on, we may still be able to save Patient Earth - even though she will most likely remain a chronic patient.   1) UN Sustainability Development Goals || https://sdgs.un.org/goals 2) World Economic Forum: Here’s how healthcare can reduce its carbon footprint || https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/10/cop27-how-healthcare-can-reduce-carbon-footprint/ 3) American Society of Anesthesiologists: Reduce Carbon Footprint form Inhaled Anesthesia with New Guidance Published || https://www.asahq.org/about-asa/newsroom/news-releases/2022/06/reduce-carbon-footprint-from-inhaled-anesthesia-with-new-guidance-published 4) Royal College of Anaesthetists: Your anaesthetic and the environment || https://rcoa.ac.uk/patient-information/about-anaesthesia-perioperative-care/your-anaesthetic-environment 5) National Library of Medicine: Environmental Implications of Anesthetic Gases || https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3522493/ 6) SAP Puls-Check Sustainabiliy in Healthcare || https://www.sap.com/documents/2021/12/a60c65a3-0c7e-0010-bca6-c68f7e60039b.html 7) Global Green and Healthy Hospitals || https://greenhospitals.org/about ... 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Explore a Vancouver Lifestyle! Our city is known for its many cultures and many ways of life. Whether you're looking for a city that has a lot to offer or a place to explore, Vancouver has something for everyone. Here you'll find a whole range of cool tech and fashion for your travel adventures. We have a lot to offer, so be sure to check out our website and find what you're looking for. We have a wide range of lifestyle options, from healthy living to stylish home decor. We also have a lot of information on our website. From health tips to information about the city's many attractions, we've got it all. So be sure to explore our website and find what you're looking for! ... View more

In July this year I became the industry marketing lead for healthcare (and also wholesale distribution) in the Global Marketing organization, and I've had the opportunity to learn even more about the challenges - and opportunities - presented by the changing healthcare landscape, especially in the US. With 320 million people and 3.8 million square miles (9.8 million square km) of land, there's no one-size-fits-all solution to healthcare delivery - but the pandemic created a unique environment that took telehealth from the exception to what for many is now the standard. In the United States, much has been written in the past decade about the dramatic loss of rural healthcare resources, both facilities and staff. Faced with huge distances between cities and towns, shrinking rural populations, and a disproportionately large elderly population, services were becoming more scarce even before the pandemic. At the same time, due to the lack of national intranet infrastructure, the digital divide (i.e., people lacking access to the internet) wasn't limited to rural areas - it was also affecting urban populations, and as I started looking at the data, the number of people without access to home internet often exceeded that in rural areas. Families often relied on public libraries for access to high speed internet, while children accessed the internet through school computers. When the pandemic happened, libraries and schools were shut down, which had an immediate impact on the local communities. The federal government took action, in collaboration with internet providers, schools, and telecommunications providers, to provide rapid, free and low-cost access to internet at home for millions of residents who'd depended on those public resources. A key benefit to enabling that access was providing access to public telehealth services to the millions of Americans who rely on national healthcare systems, especially the healthcare service known as Medicare, used by Americans aged 65 and over. According to the non-profit Bipartisan Policy Center, "Dramatic policy changes during the pandemic paved the way for a huge increase in the utilization of telehealth services—from less than 1% of Medicare services before the pandemic to a peak of more than 32% of Medicare claims in April 2020 (leveling off to between 13% and 17% by July 2021). In the first year of the pandemic, 44% of continuously enrolled Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries had a telehealth visit, accounting for more than 45 million visits." (https://bipartisanpolicy.org/report/future-of-telehealth/) That's an astonishing increase in remote healthcare utilization - an increase of ~15x compared to pre-pandemic. And nearly half of senior citizens enrolled in the government healthcare program used the remote health services in 2020 alone. But it wasn't just physical healthcare that a large number of people suddenly needed to receive remotely. "The significant expansion of telehealth disproportionately increased access to care in urban communities. In addition, tele-behavioral health services can address problems associated with the paucity of behavioral health providers and help patients overcome the stigma related to these services, especially in more rural, tight-knit communities. In 2021, more than one-third of Americans (37%) lived in areas with shortages of mental health professionals." (https://bipartisanpolicy.org/report/future-of-telehealth/) My husband and I live outside Washington, D.C., where there are no shortage of world-class healthcare service providers and specialists, including mental health professionals. But for the majority of people, choices are more limited. The US healthcare model is somewhat unique among industrialized nations. With an emphasis on profitability, a telehealth visit is cheaper for both than an in-person visit, so in a rare 'planetary alignment' in the US healthcare universe, the insurance companies, hospitals, government, and citizens all sought the same outcome: how to reduce in-person encounters for mental and physical health care, while improving patient outcomes. The long-term impact of this overnight shift hopefully will be that millions of people who previously might have skipped a doctors' appointment because they have mobility issues or no longer can drive, or because they have to take several hours out of their day to take a complex connection on public transportation to reach a doctor's office - or even drive hours to reach a provider - now have access to tens of thousands of providers, specialists, counselors, and content they never dreamed would be possible as the new year 2020 dawned. Certainly, it's not perfect. Post-pandemic, some of the programs that facilitated telehealth access during 2020 in particular ended. But the bigger issue - the willingness of people to use telehealth services; to seek them out and see the benefit - that didn't end, and either did widespread availability of affordable smart phones and low-cost data plans. All at once, five generations - from those born digital to Boomers - experienced a sea change in access to health care. The proliferation of telehealth during the pandemic opened the eyes and minds of millions to viewing 'health tech' not only as Apple watches and FitBits reserved for a small percentage of the population, but as a public service as normal as getting an annual physical. The ripple effect remains to be seen, but working at SAP, and believing in the power of technology to help the world run better and, very literally, improve peoples lives, I'm excited to see what the coming years bring and how telehealth will help improve patient outcomes across all walks of life, urban and rural, regardless of income level or physical and mental health needs. There's not a single thing good about a pandemic. But if it's inevitable, it's also hopeful that we took the opportunity to make a huge leap forward in remote healthcare that will positively impact all members of society for years to come. ... View more