An Analysis of Digital Technologies' Role in Health and Safety

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the role of emerging digital technologies in the health and social care (HSC) sector. It delves into the current trends in the UK healthcare industry, highlighting the increasing use of technologies by both patients and healthcare professionals. The report examines various digital tools, including Building Information Modeling (BIM), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagging, augmented reality, and virtual reality, assessing their impact on health and safety within the built environment. It includes a literature review of existing research, a critical discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each technology, and an analysis of their implementation. The findings indicate that while these technologies offer significant benefits in terms of improving healthcare delivery and patient outcomes, challenges such as the need for staff training, data transfer issues, and ethical concerns also exist. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of thoughtful implementation and management to maximize the positive impact of digital technologies in HSC.

Role of new emerging digital technologies
in H&S

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................1
Current trends in UK health and care industry............................................................................1
Technologies used in health and care sector................................................................................3
A critical discussion on technologies in HSC..............................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Hype cycle for digital health technologies.......................................................................2
Figure 2: Patient use technology......................................................................................................2
Figure 3: Views of patient and professionals towards technology..................................................3
Figure 4: Virtual reality application................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
In digital era, most of the health and social care enterprises are concentrating on effective
use of digital technologies to address the health problems and challenges faced by patients. In
addition, healthcare professionals are using computational technologies, smart devices and
computational analysis techniques for the purpose of better diagnose and to treat their patients in
the modern arena. Advancements in medical technology and new innovations encourage
physicians and health care professionals for effective use of different technologies such as
Building Information Modeling (BIM), RFID tagging, augmented reality and Virtual reality to
improve health and safety of patients.
Gilpin (2014) argued that health care industry is undergoing with massive technological
changes and enterprises are concentrating on thoughtful uses of health informatics and digital
diagnosis systems to address the disease and to solve them effectively (Gilpin, 2014). As per the
present case scenario, different digital technologies such as Mobile health apps, Building
Information Modeling (BIM), RFID tagging, augmented reality and Virtual reality along with
their impact on health and safety within built environment have been disclosed. Due to
technology advancement and meeting expectations of health care experts and patients, these
devices have been chosen. By considering this research, investigator will be able to evaluate the
impact of these technologies upon health and safety in both positive and negative aspect within
built environment in a significant manner.
LITERATURE REVIEW
This section of essay deals with the theories and research work which was previously
done by scholars related to similar area. Furthermore, it discloses different technologies and their
impact on health and safety of individuals.
Current trends in UK health and care industry
Current trends and digital technologies used by hospitals and health care professionals
can be described as below:
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Figure 1: Hype cycle for digital health technologies
(Source: Deloitte research report, 2013)
With help of Deloitte report, it is clear that in UK; most of the patients are using
technology to manage their health and for taking expert advices in a flexible manner.
Figure 2: Patient use technology
(Source: Deloitte research report, 2013)
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View of patients and health care practitioners towards use of mobile technologies can be
understood with the help of Deloitte report. The below figure shows that mobile apps and other
digital technologies used by health care professionals can be helpful in terms of improving
outcomes and for promoting patient’s independence (Shade and et.al., 2015). On the other side,
patients have positive attitude towards health care apps in the aspect of overcoming
communication gap and maintaining health records and medical history of people in a systematic
manner.
Figure 3: Views of patient and professionals towards technology
(Source: Deloitte research report, 2013)
Technologies used in health and care sector
New emerging technologies used within health and social care can be enlisted as follows:
Building Information Modeling (BIM) technique greatly influences the workflow, project
delivery methods and improves energy performance in hospitals. For example, if hospital wants
to track air quality and improves ventilation layout or operations along with building healthcare
facilities, in such kind of situation, BIM tool will be helpful for the organization to improve
healthcare facility design and would develop the shared understanding of projects in a significant
manner (Martin and Sutton, 2015). In architecture-engineering-construction (AEC) industry,
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organizations are using this technique for establishing communication between building owners,
designers and constructor and collaborate it in new ways. However, Deloitte research report
(2013) stated that along with several advantages of BIM, some barriers are associated with it
which includes mainly BIM that is used for project rather than operations. In addition, it often
requires learning a new software program and data transfers between programs which are not
seamless (Deloitte research report, 2013).
Baum (2013) stated that hospitals and the healthcare industry are emphasizing on proper
use of RFID technology for the purpose of reducing supply overstock, radiology, injection
safety, infection control and tracking prescription of drugs (Baum, 2013). Nonetheless, Health
Research Institute, 2014 described that ethical and privacy questions and unable to communicate
and manage all medical records of people are the major limitations attached with the use of RFID
in health and social care (Health Research Institute, 2014).
Augmented reality provides opportunity of virtual learning experience and helps health
care professionals to maintain relationship with media and improves the personal experience of
individuals towards services offered by them (Zhu and et.al., 2014). However, privacy and
access of information for unethical purpose are the main disadvantages of this technique in HSC.
Virtual reality encompasses with surgery, simulation, phobia and skills training related
tasks in order to create safe environment. This tool is generally used as diagnosis tool and helps
the health care professionals to interact with others in interactive environment (Advantages of
Virtual reality in medicine, 2015). Besides that, paramedic training, preventative medicine,
counseling and medical training are the other main benefits of using virtual reality technique in
health and social care. Nonetheless, fully replaced use of human cadavers and sometimes, highly
uncertain during surgical procedures are the main drawbacks associated with the implementation
of virtual reality in health and social care industry.
A critical discussion on technologies in HSC
Pikas and their colleagues (2008) studied that, the utilization of BIM enables a holistic
view of project delivery and meets the expectations of hospitals and health care professionals in
a significant manner. However, along with several advantages of BIM, some constraints are also
associated with the use of this tool in health care such as resistance from people to adapt the new
way of working and immaturity of technology selection etc. In addition, previous experience and
necessary knowledge regarding implementation of Building Information Modeling tool can
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create hurdle in the success path of organization. In order to conduct study, thirteen different
healthcare projects were selected by Pikas and their subordinates. At different locations, project
was started which can be enlisted as follow.
Table 1: Overview of the hospital projects
(Source: Pikas and et.al., 2008)
The overall impact of BIM on health care functionalities can be seen as below. From the
findings, it is clear that use of BIM is limited mostly to design and major benefits are yet to
come.
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Table 2: Overall impact of BIM on health care functionalities
(Source: Pikas and et.al., 2008)
On the other side, Leung and their colleagues (2015) stated that RFID technology can be
beneficial for the health care enterprise in terms of bridging the gap between physical world and
digital environment in an appropriate manner. For example, laser scanning technology was used
as a reference for BIM modeling in Las Vegas Hospital & Community Living Center for the
purpose of mapping existing structures and systems in a proper manner (Leung and et.al., 2015).
It can be said that, BIM provides a new way of organizing and managing information related to
HSC in a significant way. However, Chang (2015) argued that skills, resources and experience of
staff-members and their active participation in the project goals are required for successful
implementation of BIM technology in a significant manner. In order to maximize the benefits
provided by BIM, it is essential for enterprises in HSC to consider different facts such as strong
leadership, value maximization and waste reduction in a proper manner (Chang, 2015).
Radio Frequency-Identification technology (RFID) does not need to be positioned and it
allows user to read instructions at a faster rate than barcodes. It contains high levels of security
and it has a feature to remove the data permanently. Apart from this, radiology, injection safety,
infection control and tracking prescription of drugs are the main advantages associated with use
of RFID tags in health and social care. In this technology within hospitals, minimal human
intervention is required. However Reinhold, Tint and Tuulik (2015) explored that unable to
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communicate and manage all medical records of people related information, struggle picking up
information and requirement of two chips are kinds of disadvantages which are associated with
the deployment of this technology in health and social care as well as AES industries (Reinhold,
Tint and Tuulik, 2015). Kaur, Sandhu and Mohan (2011) identified that there are several
advantages of RFID such as no line-of-sight is required, easier to implement, tags can be read
simultaneously and store additional information etc. On the other side, some limitations was also
defined which include cost, collision, optimal choice of frequency and faulty or deficient
detection of tags which can create undesirable affects on individuals and the organizations (Kaur,
Sandhu and Mohan, 2011).
Emiller (2014) argued that geo-location with real time displayed maps and brought a
whole new experience in AES industries, these are the main benefits associated with deployment
of this technique. Besides that, in order to enhance knowledge and manage information, this tool
can be beneficial for the organizations (Emiller, 2014). Nonetheless, Serio, Ibanez and Kloos
(2013) disclosed that spam and security, interoperability and inappropriate in social situations are
the kinds of limitations attached with the use of augmented reality approach. But they described
that isolation; attention and confidence are the other major factors, associated with the
augmented reality system in HSC (Serio, Ibanez and Kloos, 2013).
Remenyi (2009) studied that surgery, simulation, phobia and skills training are the
positive impact of virtual reliability in health and care services which are offered by hospitals in
their daily operations. Health care professionals and hospitals can use this approach for the
purpose of enabling students to know the human body structure and conducts research on a
specific topic. The main benefits of using this approach are to create a realistic world and allow
users to experiment with an artificial environment as well as to make medical study more easy
comfort (Remenyi, 2009). Moreover, effective use of virtual reality applications in medicine can
be seen in the form of computer assisted surgery, radiotherapy, rehabilitation and therapy.
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Figure 4: Virtual reality application
(Source: Solankm, 2011)
On the other side, Hughes, Anund and Falkmer (2015) described negative impact of
virtual reality system in health and social care in term of cost, complexity and not easily movable
in virtual environment. In addition, established communication is a challenging task as well as it
is more personal than electronic mail. In the absence of proper implementation of this approach,
feeling of worthlessness, low self-esteem and fail to maintain interpersonal relationship are the
other limitations associated with the deployment of this system in AES industries (Hughes,
Anund and Falkmer, 2015). Hence, it can be interpreted that new generation of diagnostic
medical imaging technique will be beneficial for entire health and care industry in terms of
delivering quality of health and care services in a significant manner. From the result, it is clear
that both patients and health care practitioners have positive views regarding the use of new
emerging technologies in a significant manner.
CONCLUSION
On the basis of critical comparison between different technologies, it is identified that
digital technologies play an important role in terms of improving and delivering quality of health
and care services to individuals. In addition, researcher has positive point of view regarding use
of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technique in the form of addressing disease and solve
them effectively. However, investigator also identified that skills, resources and experience of
staff-members often requires learning knowledge a new software program to proper run new
emerging technologies and problems arise in data transfers between programs are the major
drawbacks associated with the use of these technologies. In addition, lack of seamless and
improper execution is the other limitations of implementation of these techniques in health and
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social care. Researcher thought is similar with findings of other scholars regarding the
importance of RFID in different areas such as radiology, reducing supply overstock, injection
safety, and infection control as well as tracking prescription of drugs etc.
On the other side, augmented reality technique can be helpful for health care industry
because it provides facilities of virtual learning experiences and helps care professionals to
maintain relationship with media effectively. Furthermore, researcher has mixed view regarding
benefits of virtual reality such as paramedic training, preventative medicine, counseling and
medical training etc. Henceforth, on the basis of previous section, it can be said that digital
technologies and associated processes would be beneficial for the health and care industry within
the built environment. In addition, success of technologies highly depends on adequate
utilization of resources and proper implementation of technologies in a significant manner.
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