Digital twin a foundational asset for Auckland DHB

eHealthNews.nz: Infrastructure

Digital twin a foundational asset for Auckland DHB

Tuesday, 3 August 2021

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NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

ADHB Digital Twin Auckland Hospital’s digital twin is a “foundational data and digital asset” to enable a more integrated health system, says chief digital officer Shayne Tong.

The DHB partnered with asBuilt and Microsoft to create a 3D virtual digital twin of the entire hospital using drone 3D imaging, LiDAR/ laser scanning and 360 degree photography technology.

It was primarily developed to support ADHB’s $300m facilities upgrade, but Tong says it is also a core enabler for data and digital initiatives, such as way finding for patients and tracking assets throughout the hospital.

“It provides endless opportunities to improve health outcomes and the experience of our patients, clinicians and staff,” he says.

The twin also allows the DHB to better understand and automate some workflow through the hospital as it can identify inefficiencies in the system.

“By understanding your current data points and assets you can more effectively manage your operations,” says Tong.

“We know what we’ve got because it is in the cloud and it’s a digital asset so we can now start to leverage that.”

ADHB digital design and delivery manager Matt Meredith said during an eHealth TV Webinar on July 7, 2021 that a number of IoT sensors will collect environmental data such as noise and vibrations during the DHB’s lengthy construction project that is due to begin next year.

The data from these will help reduce the impact of the work on patients and staff and improve health and safety on site.

By layering real-time clinical data over the geospatial database, the facilities team can also better understand clinical workflows and optimise the use of space in the hospital.

“New Zealand healthcare facilities are always under constraint and so better usage of space makes for a more sustainable facility,” Meredith said.