Improving the digital infrastructure

Germany has launched a multi-billion investment program called the Hospital Future Act  (“Krankenhauszukunftsgesetz” - KHZG) to improve the digital infrastructure of its hospitals. In order to make targeted and sustainable investments into their digital future, the SLK-Kliniken drew upon UNITY‘s expertise to implement the measures that fulfill the funding requirements of the Hospital Future Act. An interdisciplinary team consisting of experts in medical management, IT management, nursing and executive management worked together to create a digital target vision and a digital roadmap for the SLK-Kliniken. Based on its corporate strategy, the areas of culture, employer, patients, region, finances, quality, the organization and cooperation were defined as the core issues that needed to be implemented within the scope of the Hospital Future Act.  In addition, an ICT Check was conducted to determine the current status of IT and it was analyzed to forecast future challenges. As a result, the SLK-Kliniken are now improving their capabilities in change management and employee empowerment. The SLK-Kliniken successfully applied for more than 17 million euros in funding that will be provided by the Hospital Future Act. This will enable them to improve processes and information systems to reach an even higher level in five focused funding areas – emergency room, patient portal, digital documentation, decision support systems and medication. In preparation for the 3 year-long implementation, UNITY developed a structured plan for the program, identified the necessary resources and anchored them in the program organization, performed detailed scheduling, created a communication plan, and performed risk planning. As a result, the SLK-Kliniken are optimally prepared to implement the measures that fulfill the selected funding requirements of the Hospital Future Act.