Automating HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS Automating healthcare operations Name of the student University name

AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS 13 AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS Automating healthcare operations Name of the student University name Author’s note Project title 2 Overview 2 Research aim 3 Research questions 3 Literature review 3 Limitations 6 Methodology: 8 Research philosophy 8 Design of the research 8 Research type 8 Research approach 9 Data collection method 9 Sampling size 9 Research strategy 9 Technique of the research 10 Outcomes 10 Timescale (spread over 3 years) 11 References 13 Project title Enhanced customer service satisfaction

Running head: AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
Automating healthcare operations
Name of the student
University name
Author’s note

1AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
Table of Contents
Project title...................................................................................................................................2
Overview......................................................................................................................................2
Research aim....................................................................................................................................3
Research questions...........................................................................................................................3
Literature review..........................................................................................................................3
Limitations.......................................................................................................................................6
Methodology:...............................................................................................................................8
Research philosophy........................................................................................................................8
Design of the research.....................................................................................................................8
Research type...................................................................................................................................8
Research approach...........................................................................................................................9
Data collection method....................................................................................................................9
Sampling size...................................................................................................................................9
Research strategy.............................................................................................................................9
Technique of the research..............................................................................................................10
Outcomes...................................................................................................................................10
Timescale (spread over 3 years).................................................................................................11
References..................................................................................................................................13

2AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
Project title
Enhanced customer service satisfaction in SEHA hospitals through automatic health care
operations
Overview
Automation in healthcare services has helped in improving clinical experiences and lessening
the grievances faced by the patients in an acute hospital set up. The automation of the health care
services can make the services to be delivered in much more real time. In this respect, some of
the innovative technologies such as wearable technologies, IoT for tracking real-time data from
the patients have brought revolution within the clinical setup. The automation of medical devices
has made health care an enjoyable experience for the service users (Koornneef et al. 2017). With
the advent of technology, the patients are able to avail of the health care services as per their time
and convenience. As commented by Abdulla et al. (2016), there has been an upsurge in the use
of mobile phones and tablets for seeking healthcare services. The inclusion of automation within
the medical scenario helps in reducing the rate of clinical redundancies. The automation of health
care services comes along with a number of perks and benefits which had been listed below such
as:
 Establishment of connected healthcare systems
 Remote patient monitoring
 Efficiently storing medical records
 Setting up for better healthcare analytics
 Bringing about improvement in the clinical experience of the patient

3AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
Research aim
To examine the potential of automation in healthcare operations for enhancing diagnostic
assessment in providing enhanced patient care
Research questions
Determining how automation in healthcare operations for diagnostic assessment can
provide enhanced customer satisfaction under SEHA authority
Literature review
The Abu Dhabi Health services company (SEHA) has been promoting the automation of
medical record system for patients. The programme known as the Malaffi program aims to
reduce errors during the documentation and clinical data recording process (Mohd Nawawi,
2013). The implementation of automation within the health care services provides better access
to clinical records to the physicians. The same also helps in reducing the time spent on repetitive
tests and data collection. SEHA has implemented the program in six of its hospitals which have
enabled them to receive the level six certification in the Electronic Medical Records (EMR)
Adoption model of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMMS).
The certification ranks SEHA hospitals amongst the highest ranked hospitals as
compared to the United States of America and Asia Pacific Region (thenational, 2017). Some of
the best ranked UAE hospitals are namely the CornicheHospital, MadinaZayed hospital, Tawam
hospital, Al Ain hospital, Al Rahba hospital. Thus, owing to its constant efforts and endeavour in
reaching perfection SEHA has received a number of awards including Cerner Achievement and
innovation awards (thenational, 2017). In an interview given to the press and media SEHA has
emphasized the importance of Electronic medical records in providing much transparent and

4AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
value-based care services. The statements provided by the healthcare officials of SEHA have
stressed upon enhanced safety and security standards. As commented by White (2016),
automation in healthcare operations helps in the establishment of reliable standards of medical
records management. The vision propagated by the institution is –“one patient, one record”,
which aims at the provision of the electronic system with wide reporting capabilities. On rolling
out of a personal healthcare record, the Malaffi system allows the stakeholders to communicate
with the physicians, schedule appointments and updating data in a quick and easy manner (Dietz
et al., 2015).
In this respect, SEHA has further joined hands with Health Authority of Abu Dhabi
(HAAD) for reporting sick leave on a much real-time basis. Initially, the process would take 20
minutes or longer, however, integration with HAAD has reduced the time to a minute. The
integration of the healthcare services ensures that any additional data entered will be
automatically submitted to HAAD (thenational, 2017).The automation was aimed at designing
comprehensive health records for each and every patient visiting the SEHA health care centres.
The Malaffi made the healthcare services much more convenient and easier to deliver compared
to carrying around hard copies such as prescriptions and health reports of patients every time on
visiting a doctor.
The automation in healthcare operations also ensures that important health details of the
patients are preserved and would be easily shared on a single touch. The automation of health
care services helps in entering orders and medication management in large care setup. As
commented by Szabo and Sidor (2014), the healthcare services are not limited to a single
hospital but a chain of hospitals. In this respect, a greater amount of collaboration is needed
within the chain of hospitals and clinical setups. The automation services also ensure authentic

5AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
data recording and transmission across the healthcare channels (Jung et al. 2013). The manual
recording of healthcare data can result in false data being recorded, which may affect standards
and quality of the care services.
The automation of the healthcare operations plays a crucial role in improving the data
recording and assessment standards. The backbone of automation in healthcare operations is
formed of two active components which are -product innovation and process innovation (Wu et
al. 2014). The innovation of the product here refers to the innovation brought about by the recent
trends and technologies. Some of the innovative technologies which deserve special mention for
bringing about a significant amount of change within the healthcare setup are E-health recording
(EHR). The E-health recording system preserves the crucial health details of the patients along
with providing high definition imaging results. The EHR ensures that the patients would have
immediate access to their health records, which they would use for further referral and visits to
other healthcare professionals (Baig et al. 2015). With respect to data assessment using EHR a
number of limitations are offered to owe to software encryptions. This further restricts the easy
and convenient exchange of information across health channels. The EHR database can also be
used to keep track of the allergies or other health hazards suffered by the patients in the past
(Pang et al. 2015). This can enable the doctors to provide clinically correct treatment.
In this respect, automatic tracking software programs will bebeneficial in recording gaps
within the surgical and administrative processes within an acute hospital and clinical setup. Some
of the innovative technologies which would be mentioned in this respect are digital signage
software. It is an interactive one way or two ways communication process incorporated within a
hospital to provide necessary cues to the patients, staffs and the respective family members of the
patients visiting the hospital. The incorporation of such facilities has been found to reduce the

6AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
waiting times in the hospital lobbies. In this respect, mention needs to be made of the
introduction of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags in hospitals. The technology had
been additionally used by the US healthcare systems to prevent any kind of tampering with the
medical devices. The healthcare information platform enables all healthcare data to be stored
and accessed via the eCHR and ePHR solutions (Groves et al. 2016). In this context, the SEHA
medical community and group have taken a fast foot forward by introducing technologies to help
homebound patients with chronic medical problems or issues such as hypertension or diabetes.
The aim of the implementation of the same is to monitor and manage the conditions of the
elderly patients at home (Belle et al. 2015). The implementation of the program can enhance the
productivity and quality of care provided within the acute care set up. The implementation of the
program helps in reducing chances of losing important health details of the patients.
Additionally, the establishment of automation in healthcare operations helps in collating large
data across the lab to the clinics. In addition, the method also helps in providing a larger picture
of the present health condition of the patient to the attending physician.
Limitations
A number of basic hindrances and limitations are faced in the implementation of
automation in health care operations. Some of these are infrastructural issues, lack of sufficient
funds or inadequate support from the stakeholders. In this respect, the current problem situation
with respect to UAE would be described. The UAE had been known to be one of the most
expensive countries in the world. The medical facilities and care services in UAE are bit costly;
making it difficult for average income holders to avail of the services (thenational, 2017). In this
respect, a group of tourists along with the local residents of Dubai and surrounding regions will

7AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
be interviewed regarding the present health statistics within the country including the cost and
benefits. The migrants have often complained about the high cost of the basic amenities and
services. There are a number of limitations in the establishment of automation in health care
operations. The limitations could be attributed to the restricted physical environment which does
not allow for the proper establishment and utilization of the sophisticated technologies (Ventola,
2014). The difficulty is mainly faced in the handling and management of fluids, sample
preparation, DNA sequencing. As commented by Nair and Ibrahim (2015), the restrictions or
the limitations would also be attributed to the inherent system design. Therefore the old
operating system interface does not allow for incorporation of new automation designs.
The implementation of the automation in health care service often requires greater cost of
maintenance. Therefore, a sufficient amount of funds are vested in the implementation of
sophisticated technologies within the acute healthcare set up. However, as asserted by Belle et
al. (2015), changes in government policies such relaxation on the insurance norms can impact
the cost of healthcare. The Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) recently revised its insurance
cover as per which the Emiratis and the expatriates have to pay more while availing health care
services in private hospitals (Pang et al. 2015). The changes in the policy apply to the Thiqa
plan for Emiratis and for the expatriates and their families who were previously covered by the
Daman insurance’s Abu Dhabi basic plan. Under the new rules, the thiqa card holders have to
pay 20 % of the treatment charges at the private hospitals. Initially, the treatment process was
fully covered under the Thiqa plan where the health support users did not have to pay any extra
charges. However, under the new revision, the cardholders are entitled to use only 80% of the
insurance cover. Thus, they are required to pay the extra from their pockets which accounts for
almost 20 % of the hospital charges. However, the rules and regulations guiding health cover

8AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
remain same for the government hospices. Therefore, summing up the scenario in a nutshell one
can say that the increasing healthcare cost in UAE may not be suitable enough for the
implementation of automation in healthcare operations.
Methodology:
For the current research primary, mixed methods –quantitative and qualitative will be
used for the purpose of data collection. The data collected through the mixed methods will be
used for a comparative analysis.
Research philosophy
In the current study, the researcher will adopt positivism research philosophy which is
based upon factual data gained through detailed observations. In positivism, the role of the
researcher is limited to data collection and interpretation (Creswell, 2013). In this respect, an
objective approach will be followed as the findings of the research are quantifiable in nature.
Design of the research
The design of the research methodology chosen over here is descriptive research designs.
The descriptive research design will justify the positivist research philosophy by providing
sufficient areas for elaborating the research findings (Marshall and Rossman, 2014).
Research type
In the current assignment, the researcher will follow mixed research methods, where both
qualitative and quantitative research methods will be followed (Mertens, 2014). In this respect, a
small sample size of respondents will be selected which includes mixed population of patients

9AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
and hospital staffs. In this respect, a survey will be conducted in order to highlight the
improvements brought within the medical infrastructure upon incorporation of automation in
healthcare operations.
Research approach
In the current study, the researcher will be adopting a deductive approach where the
collected data is used to evaluate already established facts or hypothesis.
Data collection method
For the purpose of data collection, mixed methods will be taken into consideration such
as interview and survey analysis. In this respect, the management of the SEHA hospitals will be
interviewed regarding the automation procedures and the barriers encountered in implementation
of the same. Additionally, the inpatients in different SEHA hospitals will be surveyed regarding
the convenience of the process
Sampling size
The survey will be conducted with sample sizes of 105 respondents (inpatients in
different SEHA hospitals) who will be asked questions pertaining to various benefits of
automation in health care services.
Research strategy
The strategy of the research used over here will be survey analysis along with interview
methods.

10AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
Technique of the research
For the survey analysis, close-ended questionnaire will be provided to the respondents.
The responses gathered will be used to design statistically significant results. In the interview
process, open-ended questions will be forwarded to the management. The summation of the
responses will help in designing a larger picture about the infrastructural support for the
implementation of automation within the UAE specific medical scenario.
Outcomes
The current assignment will focus on the concept of automation in healthcare operations
for diagnostic assessment. The perspectives of automation will be described with respect to the
introduction of a number of new or sophisticated technologies. In this respect, the benefits of the
e-health record would be mentioned which helps in safe handling and storage of essential data
pertaining to the patient's health. Additionally, implementation of new age systems and software
such as the digital signage software will help in reducing the chaotic situations within an acute
hospital set up. The implementation of e-health record would also help in the provision of health
information and details to the patients in much real time.
In this context, implementation of automatic tracking software and healthcare
information platform would be used to provide extra information to the patients and their
respective families. Therefore, such digital interfaces would be a mode of educating the patients
about their present health condition and respective measures, which would be implemented for
assessment of the same. However, a number of challenges are faced by the SEHA hospitals in
the implementation and incorporation of modern technologies within the clinical setup. The
challenges mainly arise with respect to the implementation of systems and software of high value

11AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
and cost. This puts much pressure on the hospital resources for generation of extra funds.
However, with reforms brought about within the medical insurance coverage of private
hospitals, the patients have to bear 20 % of additional expenses for hospital admissions and
availing of care services (thenational, 2017).Additionally, the lack of skills or knowledge in the
hospital staffs regarding the handling and management of new and sophisticated technologies
would also affect the quality of services delivered within the hospital setup.
Timescale (spread over 3 years)
Activity 1-3
months
4-8
months
9-13
months
14-18
months
19-24
months
25-29
months
30-36
months
Preparation
of research
objectives

Collection of
quantitative
data

Collection of
qualitative
data

Data analysis 
Report
preparation
 

12AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
Presentation
of results


13AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
References
Abdulla, A.E., Ahmed, S.Y., Alnoaimi, M.A. and Ali, H., (2016). Users' Satisfaction with the
Electronic Health Record (EHR) in the Kingdom of Bahrain. International Journal of E-Health
and Medical Communications (IJEHMC), 7(3), pp.29-51.
Baig, M.M., GholamHosseini, H. and Connolly, M.J., (2015). Mobile healthcare applications:
system design review, critical issues and challenges. Australasian physical & engineering
sciences in medicine, 38(1), pp.23-38.
Belle, A., Thiagarajan, R., Soroushmehr, S.M., Navidi, F., Beard, D.A. and Najarian, K., (2015).
Big data analytics in healthcare, p.15-37.
Creswell, J.W., (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods
approaches. London: Sage publications, p.45.
Dietz, W.H., Baur, L.A., Hall, K., Puhl, R.M., Taveras, E.M., Uauy, R. and Kopelman, P.,
(2015). Management of obesity: improvement of health-care training and systems for prevention
and care. The Lancet, 385(9986), pp.2521-2533.
Groves, P., Kayyali, B., Knott, D. and Kuiken, S.V., (2016). The'big data'revolution in
healthcare: Accelerating value and innovation, p.25.
Jung, S.J., Myllylä, R. and Chung, W.Y., (2013). Wireless machine-to-machine healthcare
solution using android mobile devices in global networks. IEEE Sensors Journal, 13(5),
pp.1419-1424.

14AUTOMATING HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
Koornneef, E., Robben, P. and Blair, I., (2017). Progress and outcomes of health systems reform
in the United Arab Emirates: a systematic review. BMC Health Services Research, 17(1), p.672.
Marshall, C. and Rossman, G.B., (2014). Designing qualitative research. Sage publications.
Mertens, D.M., (2014). Research and evaluation in education and psychology: Integrating
diversity with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. London: Sage publications, p.56.
Mohd Nawawi, N., (2013). Defining optimum quality of healthcare spaces through usability:
case study on labour delivery room designs in Malaysian public hospitals, pp.15-25.
Nair, S.C. and Ibrahim, H., (2015). Assessing subject privacy and data confidentiality in an
emerging region for clinical trials: United Arab Emirates. Accountability in research, 22(4),
pp.205-221.
Pang, Z., Zheng, L., Tian, J., Kao-Walter, S., Dubrova, E. and Chen, Q., (2015). Design of a
terminal solution for integration of in-home health care devices and services towards the
Internet-of-Things. Enterprise Information Systems, 9(1), pp.86-116.
Szabo, S. and Sidor, J., (2014). The performance measurement system–potentials and barriers for
its implementation in healthcare facilities. Journal of Applied Economic Sciences, 9(4), pp.728-
735.
thenational (2017), thenational , Available at : https://www.thenational.ae/uae/emiratis-and-
expats-to-pay-more-for-health-care-as-cover-is-reduced-1.224811 [Accessed on 7 Nov. 2017]
Ventola, C.L., (2014). Mobile devices and apps for health care professionals: uses and
benefits. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 39(5), p.356.