Digital Healthcare Is Growing in Trust & Optimism | VMware News & Stories

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Multi-Cloud Is Giving &#8220;Holistic&#8221; Healthcare Opportunities to APJ Providers 

Digital Healthcare Is Growing in Trust &#038; Optimism

- VMware News and Stories

Pop Culture Tech Podcast_Mental Health Emotional Health - VMware News and Stories

Heart, Mind, Soul

Pop Culture Tech Podcast_Mental Health Emotional Health

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Close-up of doctor using a digital tablet - VMware News and Stories

VMware Accelerates Healthcare Providers’ Adoption of Cloud Services

Study COVID 19 Digital Technology Investments_VMware RADIUS - VMware News and Stories

Global Survey Ties Digital Investments to Growth, Business Resiliency During Pandemic

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Imagining a New Future for the NHS

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From Hotel to Hospital in 72 Hours

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Special Report: Digital Healthcare Innovation During COVID-19

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British Heart Foundation CTO Says Digital Transformation Is 80% Cultural

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What the Pandemic’s Taught Us About Digital Transformation

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Academy Het Dorp’s Jorrit Ebben Unlocks Possibilities for Patients in Need

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When Every Moment Counts

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Much has been said about the way COVID-19, the biggest global health crisis in a century, has changed business. Not surprisingly, the change in healthcare itself has been profound. 

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Telehealth visits <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare-systems-and-services/our-insights/telehealth-a-quarter-trillion-dollar-post-covid-19-reality" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">have skyrocketed</a> globally since the pandemic began, and patients now want providers to offer more "digital front doors” to monitor their health.

As the most populated region in the world, Asia Pacific is witnessing first-hand this incredible growth in trust and optimism for digital healthcare. <a href="https://news.vmware.com/asean/releases/digital-firstexperiencestopavethewaytothefutureofconnectedhealthcareinsoutheastasia%22%20/h%20%20HYPERLINK%20%22https://www.vmware.com/asean/company/news/releases/2021/Digital-FirstExperiencestoPavetheWaytotheFutureofConnectedHealthcareinSoutheastAsiaMY.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">VMware’s Digital Frontiers 3.0 Healthcare Study</a> showed that in local regions like Southeast Asia, two-thirds (66 percent) of respondents now prefer remote video calls with medical professionals over face-to-face consultations. Because of lockdowns and other restrictions, health providers have finally begun to use digital services to fulfill potential that has been flagged for decades.

“Dr. Google” and Informed Patients

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At VMworld 2021, I enjoyed listening to Armin de Greiff, Head of IT at University Hospital Essen — Germany’s first “smart hospital” — provide insight into what has been driving the big changes in global healthcare (<a href="https://www.vmware.com/vmworld/en/video-library/search.html#text=%22MCL2667%22&year=2021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">on-demand here</a>).

De Greiff says today’s patients are “informed patients,” arriving at their consultations with opinions on symptoms and treatments based on their own research, often conducted with the help of “Dr. Google.”  

This changes expectations. Medical data used to be gathered by clinicians on pieces of paper. But now the patient comes with their own online research and an expectation it will be factored into their care.  

If today’s digital-first patients are turning to online resources for fast and trusted responses to their health problems, there is an opportunity for healthcare providers.  

Malaysia’s Sunway Medical Centre (SMC) is one provider already leaning into this trend. After establishing the country’s first 24-hour <a href="https://www.sunwaymedical.com/press-release-and-statements/cat-like-autonomous-robots-start-work-in-sunway-medical-centre" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Telemedicine</a> Command Centre, patients can now access professional care at all times from the comfort of their homes.

SMC has been on a journey to integrate its IT systems so patients can easily and securely access their own records. Most importantly, it’s ensured patient privacy is kept front and center. 

Medical facilities that want to access patient information must seek the patient’s approval first, giving patients the power to choose what information is shared or withheld. 

Technology also helped healthcare providers in our region manage the heavy demand for health services during COVID-19. With many patients unable to visit hospitals, Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care (RSDH) introduced <a href="https://www.thesundaily.my/business/ramsay-sime-darby-health-care-introduces-digital-healthcare-app-HY2573229" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Telehealth Plus</a> in Malaysia to enable follow-up consultations via video. Patients, who have already had an in-person consultation, could access timely advice through a laptop or mobile device from a variety of health specialists.

The pandemic has also accelerated the adoption of digital tools in delivering public healthcare. For example, Singapore’s technology agency for public healthcare, <a href="https://news.vmware.com/asean/releases/singapore_leads_in_delivering_superior_digital_government_services_and_establishing_trust_with_citizens" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Integrated Health Information Systems (IHiS)</a>, developed new care models during the pandemic by leveraging technology as a “workforce multiplier.” New methods of doctor-patient consultations through digital channels were developed, empowering patients to be actively involved in their healthcare.

With 49 percent of Singaporean respondents in the Frontiers 3.0 study stating the government now delivers better digital experiences, including public healthcare, Singapore has made digitali<s>s</s>zation a core agenda in its pursuit of becoming a Smart Nation.

Healthcare providers that can deliver accessible, trusted and secure care are well positioned to meet the expectations of today’s digital-first patients.

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“Super Diagnostics” and Data-Powered Health Services

The explosion of available patient data has also created an opportunity to deliver more data-driven healthcare.  

Modern hybrid-cloud systems can consolidate patient data held across departments like laboratories, pathology, and genomics which have traditionally been data silos. The multi-cloud approach enables intelligent apps to analyze patient data for “super-diagnostics” and support decisions around the potential effectiveness of therapeutic treatments for cancer and other diseases. 

Increasingly, this is what patients want. According to the Frontiers 3.0 study, more than half (55 percent) of patients in Southeast Asia are comfortable and excited with receiving a diagnosis from a powerful computer — one that can learn to detect anomalies such as cancerous cells, for example — rather than seeing a human doctor. 

Healthcare providers that enable wearables and sensors as an avenue for secure data sharing can provide real-time monitoring, professional advice and more patient freedom — true patient-first care. It is clear patients want this option right now. The Frontiers 3.0 Study found 61 percent of respondents believed digital healthcare services, like sensors and real-time data monitoring wearables, would provide more freedom to patients with chronic and long-term illnesses.  

In Asia-Pacific, healthcare providers are moving fast on this trend. <a href="https://polyclinic.singhealth.com.sg/ptec-shp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SingHealth Polyclinics</a> has installed a Primary Tech-Enhanced Care (PTEC) program to support self-management of conditions through digital services like vital signs monitoring (VSM), chatbot support, Bluetooth enabled blood-pressure devices and more.

Security, Safety and Trust

But if we are going to keep growing patients’ trust in technology-augmented healthcare, then the security of patient information will have to be central to telehealth experiences. 

Despite our region’s embrace of digital healthcare, trust remains a key issue. For example, while the <a href="https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/company/vmware-healthcare-infographic-my-05.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers 3.0 Study</a> revealed Malaysian respondents increasingly preferred digitized healthcare services, only 28 percent said they trusted the healthcare industry to keep their data secure. Across Southeast Asia, only 31 percent of respondents said they thought their data is safe with healthcare providers.

More remote healthcare workers and a boost in telehealth services increase the number of points at which services could potentially be attacked. The humanitarian nature of healthcare no longer rules it out as a target. In Australia, for example, the healthcare sector had the <a href="https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/anz/australia-report-shows-most-data-breaches-first-half-2021-occurred-healthcare-organisations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">highest number</a> of data breaches of any industry in the first six months of 2021.

To maintain security, healthcare providers need to better protect cloud access for a distributed workforce. This is most effectively done through software-defined networks and <a href="https://www.vmware.com/vmworld/en/video-library/search.html#text=%22EDG1965%22&year=2021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Secure Access Service Edge</a> (SASE) models that move data to the cloud and between edge points more securely. Controlling access through constant verification and Zero Trust security models is another way we are helping providers build trust with their patient base. These are the types of features needed if we are to create accessible, trusted, virtual healthcare experiences.

For a healthcare provider, building a robust digital foundation requires transformation investments, but it’s clear to me that technology should be an enabler of care, not a barrier. Whether it’s giving patients secure and easy access to the services they need at a time they want or empowering doctors to work from a remote location, technology can improve the way we deliver care — and is becoming increasingly expected from patients.

As <a href="https://blogs.vmware.com/industry-solutions/2021/10/22/next-in-digital-medicine-moderna/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stéphane Bancel, CEO, Moderna</a>, one of the first drugmakers to produce a COVID-19 vaccine, says, “The biggest revolution we’re going to see in healthcare in the next five to 10 years is a massive increase in the quality of care because we have data, and the ability to act upon data.”

“Smart health services” are leveraging emerging technologies and multi-cloud to deliver data-driven digital healthcare to today’s patients.

Digital Healthcare Is Growing in Trust & Optimism | VMware

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Companies Expand Partnership to Help Meet Customers’ Data Sovereignty and Interoperability Needs, and Align with Gaia-X Principles

PARIS, France and PALO ALTO, Calif., USA (4 May 2022) - Atos and VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW) today announced an extension of the companies’ <a href="https://atos.net/en/about-us/partners-and-alliances/vmware" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">strategic partnership</a> by working to deliver an integrated set of capabilities to help speed up the development of “Data Spaces”. Data Spaces are platforms that allow for greater exchange, collaboration, and monetization of data between organizations or industries, independently of the underlying infrastructure, whilst enabling data sovereignty and interoperability.

With the VMware and Atos collaboration effort on Data Space development, the companies plan to deliver an integrated set of capabilities that help enable data and industry applications to be used and shared more strategically to boost national and regional digital economies. The expanded collaboration will deliver capabilities aligned to the <a href="https://www.gaia-x.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gaia-X</a> architecture and serve as a key enabler and booster of the Gaia-X initiative, which seeks to accelerate the exchange of data through new digital platforms that comply with common rules.

Atos and VMware plan to combine VMware’s multi-cloud and app modernization capabilities with the Atos cloud, as well as cybersecurity expertise and technology integration from Atos. The capabilities are designed to provide businesses and industries with the key building blocks to rapidly design, develop, deploy, better secure, and manage Data Spaces that are compliant with jurisdictional data governance requirements. Organizations can also utilize and monetize existing data to create machine learning and artificial intelligence services, and enable new industry-specific services for:

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“With a comprehensive set of data space capabilities from VMware and Atos, organisations will gain access to a viable and rapid way to more securely share, manage and monetize their data,” said Laurent Allard, Head of Sovereign Cloud EMEA, VMware. “Today’s world is multi-cloud. Aligned to the principles of Gaia-X, the suite of capabilities will be designed to deliver the interoperability, reversibility and security required for European businesses and industries to create value from data and drive their digital ambitions faster.”

“VMware and Atos are long-term partners and share a commitment to helping organisations drive value from data,” said Frédéric Malicki, CTO, Southern Europe, Atos.  “By supporting the acceleration of Data Space development and data sovereignty with the capabilities from VMware and Atos, we expect to give customers the tools to drive value not just from their own data, but also from federated data, collaboratively with partners and peers. Organizations can transform existing data into new services that, for example, could help farmers better predict the weather or human health organizations improve living conditions for the elderly with automated energy management.” 

The capabilities provided by VMware and Atos are expected to include:

These capabilities will be supported by the reversibility, interoperability, and portability VMware’s cloud partners deliver. With data hosted on a common peer-to-peer framework to ensure the compatibility of architecture between cloud providers, organisations can place their data with any of the participating cloud providers to take full advantage of the services they offer, while retaining the ability to move apps or federate data on other cloud provider platforms as required.

For more information on the VMware and Atos Data Space Development Suite please contact <a href="mailto:gaia-x@vmware.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gaia-x@vmware.com</a>

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 111,000 employees and annual revenue of c. € 11 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 71 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is an SE (Societas Europaea), listed on Euronext Paris and included in the CAC 40 ESG and Next 20 indexes. The <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=m1nofXTYD1NcguvRHtee6anbEw7WDHXH-ZnB559sOBGAT3tlWKIWLSlG-asSy-ZgwFpAIIXlyBmiz-UILfwnEkRHHl_moyNl7ZU15IqdMKA=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">purpose of Atos</a> is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

VMware is a leading provider of multi-cloud services for all apps, enabling digital innovation with enterprise control. As a trusted foundation to accelerate innovation, VMware software gives businesses the flexibility and choice they need to build the future. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, VMware is committed to building a better future through the company’s 2030 Agenda. For more information, please visit <a href="http://www.vmware.com/company">www.vmware.com/company</a>.

VMware, Cloud Foundation, and Tanzu are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States, and other jurisdictions. This article may contain hyperlinks to non-VMware websites that are created and maintained by third parties who are solely responsible for the content on such websites.

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VMware and Atos extend strategic partnership to deliver an integrated set of capabilities to help speed up the development of “Data Spaces”.

VMware & Atos extend strategic partnership to deliver an integrated set of capabilities to help speed up the development of “Data Spaces”

Atos and VMware Join Forces to Help Organizations and Industries Derive Value from Data More Easily - VMware News and Stories

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Atos and VMware Join Forces to Help Organizations and Industries Derive Value from Data More Easily

To say we’re going through a “difficult time” is the understatement of the century. Thankfully, digital technologies and innovative service providers are helping us stay grounded during this tumultuous time.

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Shining a Light on Mental Health Struggles & Digital Services

In contrast to localized disasters, the pandemic has impacted nearly everyone in the world. And that collective experience has empowered people to voice feelings that typically go unshared. Emotions ranging from isolation and loneliness to anxiousness and worry.

Today, not only friends and family but increasingly business leaders, politicians and sports champions—of note, former McKinsey senior partner and former chief economic and business advisor to the California governor, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare-systems-and-services/our-insights/mental-health-in-the-workplace-the-coming-revolution" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lenny Mendonca</a>, highly decorated Olympic swimmer <a href="https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-news/pages/shrm21-annual-conference-michael-phelps-mental-health.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michael Phelps</a>, tennis star Naomi Osaka and gymnastic great Simone Biles—speak publicly about mental health.

“There has never been a time in our history where mental health has been so prominent as a part of the collective conversation as it is now,” said Dr. Joe Grasso, clinical psychologist and senior director of Workforce Mental Health at <a href="https://www.lyrahealth.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lyra Health</a>.

“And there is fortunately some silver lining to come from COVID-19 in the form of de-stigmatizing (the) mental health struggle,” Grasso said.

From Empathy to Widely Available Services

Discussion around <a href="https://news.vmware.com/dei/empathy-leadership-trait" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">empathy as a critical leadership skill</a> has risen. So, too, has action by company leaders to promote mental health benefits and get employees who want help, the care they need. When leaders address the subject, it gives others permission to join the conversation.

“The most powerful testimonials come from leaders who speak up and say, ‘I’ve used this benefit. I find it valuable because I also struggle.’ That really shifts a work culture,” said Dr. Grasso.

What successful people coming forward shows, Dr. Grasso found, is that “any of us might struggle, but all of us should consider mental health support from a professional.”

Although attitudes are changing, there are still both financial and physical boundaries employees seeking care must overcome:

“Both of these things can keep people from getting the care they need,” according to Dr. Grasso.

Companies like Lyra work hard to combat both concerns by teaming with organizations to offer mental health benefits to employees. And during COVID-19, this has included becoming even more digitally friendly.

Human-to-human connection is the foundation for quality mental health care. Technology can simplify the process of making connections and facilitating on-going care.

Machine learning in the Lyra platform, for example, complements a self-completed care questionnaire to help match people seeking support to a subset of providers that are a best possible fit. It then goes a step further to offer employees a way to connect with providers—virtually or in person.

“What Lyra is trying to do is enhance the care experience with technology; not replace that human relationship,” according to Dr. Grasso.

Hands-on approaches also are helping people heal and thrive. Husband and wife Joanie and Scott Kriens established the <a href="https://www.1440foundation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1440 Foundation</a> and 1440 Multiversity as a way of creating hope for living well.

Yet the idea’s seed was planted much earlier. During Scott’s tenure as chairman and CEO of Juniper Networks, his father passed away, “bringing to light the question of what really matters,” Kriens said.

Today, the 1440 Foundation helps people connect their passions and life’s work—in real, practical, felt experiences that people can carry back with them into the world.

“There is great beauty in being of service others,” Kriens said. “Yet I’ve learned that in service to others, it will be best done by also doing that which one is passionate about themselves.”

One of those areas for him is technology. During the pandemic, technology—even digital face-to-face communication—has proven critical for basic exchanges of information, he said. “Yet, it has also exposed the difference between that and what it means to share in-person energy. And when we do, don’t waste it,” he continued.

<a href="https://soundcloud.com/pop-culture-tech-podcast/24-heart-mind-soul" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tune into the “Heart, Mind, Soul” episode</a> of the Pop Culture Tech podcast for more insights.

Listen to the Pop Culture Tech wellness episode, featuring insights from Joe Grasso of Lyra Health and Scott Kriens of the 1440 Foundation.

Pop Culture Tech Podcast 2.4: Heart, Mind, Soul

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Pop Culture Tech Podcast 2.4: Heart, Mind, Soul - The Wellness Episode

Blakely Thomas-Aguilar

Pop Culture Tech 2.4: Heart, Mind, Soul

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VMware Accelerates Healthcare Providers’ Adoption of Cloud Services - VMware News and Stories

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aparra@vmware.com

It’s no surprise that COVID-19 changed—and accelerated—most organizations’ IT plans. As a result, technology executives are increasing their investments in digital technologies. They’re also speeding up what were once multi-year technology plans.
Conducted by MIT Technology Review Insights in association with VMware, <a href="https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/microsites/cio-vantage/vmware-global-mit-executive-study.pdf">Digital Acceleration in the Time of Coronavirus</a>1 reveals how technology strategy contributed to business resiliency and growth. The survey showed that companies ahead of the digital curve were best positioned for success at the onset of the pandemic and in the uncertain times ahead.
In one of the first signs of changing priorities resulting from the crisis, companies quickly shifted to accommodate a surge in the remote workforce. Before COVID-19, on average, only 8% of workforces regularly worked remotely. During the pandemic, this shot up to an average of 27%.
Globally, 75% of respondents believe digital transformation efforts were accelerated by the pandemic. One-third anticipate budget increases for digital investments. Now, IT teams plan to address the shortcomings exposed during the pandemic by prioritizing:
<ol>
<li>Cloud.</li>
<li>Modern apps and infrastructure.</li>
<li>Cybersecurity.</li>
</ol>
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23544" src="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Survey_digital-transformation-accelerated-by-pandemic_VMware-RADIUS.png" alt="" width="936" height="152" srcset="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Survey_digital-transformation-accelerated-by-pandemic_VMware-RADIUS.png 936w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Survey_digital-transformation-accelerated-by-pandemic_VMware-RADIUS.png?resize=300,49 300w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Survey_digital-transformation-accelerated-by-pandemic_VMware-RADIUS.png?resize=768,125 768w" sizes="(max-width: 936px) 100vw, 936px" />
For many, COVID-19 challenged existing business continuity plans. Nearly two-thirds (63%) indicate they had business-continuity plans in place prior to the crisis. However, for many, these were oriented toward traditional disaster recovery. Fewer than half (46%) felt their plans were effective when attempting to cope with the shutdowns.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23545" src="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/survey_successful-business-continuity-plans_VMware-RADIUS.png" alt="" width="936" height="167" srcset="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/survey_successful-business-continuity-plans_VMware-RADIUS.png 936w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/survey_successful-business-continuity-plans_VMware-RADIUS.png?resize=300,54 300w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/survey_successful-business-continuity-plans_VMware-RADIUS.png?resize=768,137 768w" sizes="(max-width: 936px) 100vw, 936px" />
<h2>Global Industry Priorities</h2>
Industry-specific themes also emerged across regions. Removing decades-long barriers, healthcare—more than any other industry—is accelerating digital transformation in response to COVID-19. In financial services, there’s evidence that mobile applications are becoming the foremost destination for customer service. Nearly all surveyed financial services leaders (98%) said they’re increasing or maintaining focus on digital-first customer experiences within applications.
<h3>Healthcare</h3>
More than half of healthcare organizations surveyed (51%) are increasing patient experience investments. The most critical is telehealth services worldwide, filling a much-needed gap in serving healthy populations as they care for the sick. Popular solutions include virtual desktops and wearables that can enhance care provider engagement and patient outcomes. To learn more, read the <a href="http://blogs.vmware.com/industry-solutions/2020/12/15/mit-technology-review-8-trends-shaping-health-it/">healthcare insights blog</a>.
<h3>Financial Services</h3>
Almost two-thirds of financial services organizations (65%) said they’ve expanded agile practices and continuous delivery (CD) methods in response to new modern app demands. Securing those apps is also being prioritized. More than half (53%) instituted “secure-by-design” application development. Both initiatives are critical to enabling apps to become the main customer experience destination for banking services. To learn more, read the <a href="https://blogs.vmware.com/industry-solutions/2020/12/15/mit-technology-review-impact-of-digital-investments-on-financial-services-organizations-throughout-pandemic/">financial services insights blog</a>.
<h3>Government</h3>
For government leaders, the number one priority and challenge is protecting against cyberattacks and securing data and information. Close to half of respondents indicate they’re allocating a “significant” share (defined as more than 25%) of their IT budgets to security and threat management.
Many are choosing solutions that build in security, rather than bolt it on, from data centers to multi-cloud and endpoint devices. At the same time, agencies increasingly look to boost agility and efficiency with public cloud and FedRamp Authorized cloud services that power and secure enterprise infrastructure and apps. To learn more, read the <a href="http://blogs.vmware.com/industry-solutions/2020/12/15/mit-technology-review-8-government-it-trends/">government insights blog</a>. 
<h3>Telecommunications Providers</h3>
Services delivered across networks will drive a more fully connected world. Telecommunications providers are enabling customers across all industries to reimagine application development and delivery. To help consumers and enterprises alike realize the potential of 5G, telco providers must first continue to invest in their own digital transformation—from core to edge.
<h3>Retail</h3>
During the pandemic, distributed work capabilities quickly turned into business continuity must-haves. When asked about the greatest employee experience challenge, most retail leaders cited providing employees with the physical equipment necessary to be productive remotely. This includes capabilities provided by the combination of personal devices and secure digital workspaces.
<h3>Manufacturing</h3>
Nearly three-quarters of manufacturing IT and business technology decision makers (73%) placed employee efficiency and workflow automation as the highest priorities. By achieving efficiency gains through modernizing infrastructure, cost-conscious manufacturers can keep improving IT operations.
<h2>Becoming Future Ready</h2>
COVID-19 work-from-home orders and shutdowns provided sudden, dramatic proof of the value of digital technologies. Now facing new business pressures, new enterprise technology priorities are emerging.
Future-ready organizations possess technologies that are highly flexible and capable of supporting remote operations and distributed workforces. And in these uncertain times, these enterprises are best positioned to succeed.
To learn more, download “Digital Acceleration in the Time of Coronavirus”:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/microsites/cio-vantage/vmware-digital-acceleration-in-the-time-of-coronavirus-north-america.pdf">Outlook North America</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/microsites/cio-vantage/vmware-digital-acceleration-in-the-time-of-coronavirus-europe.pdf">Outlook Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/microsites/cio-vantage/vmware-digital-acceleration-in-the-time-of-coronavirus-asia-pacific.pdf">Outlook Asia-Pacific</a></li>
</ul>
And be sure to check out the <a href="https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/microsites/cio-vantage/vmware-global-mit-executive-study.pdf">Top 10 Trends Shaping IT Resilience</a> for a roundup of the most salient global insights from the study.
1. Global survey of 600 C-level and IT executives, as well as in-depth interviews from public- and private-sector organizations in three regions—Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America—conducted between June-August 2020.

Global report shows that IT organizations with an existing digital-first operating model proved to be best-prepared for disruption. Explore the findings.

IT organizations with an existing digital-first operating model proved to be best-prepared for disruption. Explore the findings.

Global Survey Ties Digital Investments to Growth, Business Resiliency

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Survey Ties Digital Investments to COVID-19 Business Resiliency, Growth

Mark Hutchinson knew he was taking on a big challenge when he joined Gloucestershire NHS Trust in 2018. IT infrastructure was in desperate need of modernization. Six-year-old PCs without anti-virus protection and 16-year-old networking equipment were commonplace. At the same time, IT budgets were limited as the Trust addressed significant financial debt.
<div id="attachment_23432" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://news.vmware.com/c/agents-of-change/"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-23432" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-23432 size-full" src="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/AoC-Quote-Card-Gloucestershire-Hospitals-NHS-meme-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1340" srcset="https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/AoC-Quote-Card-Gloucestershire-Hospitals-NHS-meme-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/AoC-Quote-Card-Gloucestershire-Hospitals-NHS-meme-1-scaled.jpg?resize=300,157 300w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/AoC-Quote-Card-Gloucestershire-Hospitals-NHS-meme-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768,402 768w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/AoC-Quote-Card-Gloucestershire-Hospitals-NHS-meme-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024,536 1024w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/AoC-Quote-Card-Gloucestershire-Hospitals-NHS-meme-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536,804 1536w, https://news-editor.vmware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/AoC-Quote-Card-Gloucestershire-Hospitals-NHS-meme-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048,1072 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></a>VMware’s <a href="https://news.vmware.com/c/agents-of-change/">Agents of Change</a> initiative celebrates technology leaders who challenge the status quo. By harnessing the power of digital transformation, they create unlimited possibilities for their businesses. Here’s the next leader in the Agents of Change series: Mark Hutchinson, chief digital and information officer at Gloucestershire NHS Trust.</div>
<h2>Proven Ability to Drive Change</h2>
Appointing Hutchinson as chief digital and information officer was a smart move. With two decades of experience in the NHS, he’s proven his ability to bring about significant transformation. He set up the first telemedicine service in England. Then, he set up Salford Royal NHS Trust’s electronic patient records system in 2013, earning it recognition as the NHS’s most digitally mature hospital.
“When I arrived at Gloucestershire NHS Trust, we had a myriad of problems,” Hutchinson said. “We quickly put in place an ambitious five-year plan to address the digital deficit and bring about improvements for our clinicians and patients.”
<h2>Justifying Digital Investments</h2>
With the Trust under financial strain, technology investments underwent close scrutiny.
“Healthcare is getting more expensive over time, and hospitals need to treat more people. So when it comes to spending, the focus is quite rightly on patient care. Every time we invest in digital solutions, it’s seen in the context of the cost of a doctor or nurse on a ward. So, it’s really important to engage with clinicians and to engage with the board to ensure a shared understanding of how these investments will create tangible improvements in patient care—from both a quality perspective and also the financial benefit it will bring,” he said.
A key part of Hutchinson’s strategy was rolling out an electronic patient records system. Clinicians can now securely access patient records from anywhere and from any device. This innovation gives staff more time to focus on patient care.
“I think this job is the best in the hospital,” he said. “I have powerful digital tools that have the capability to make care better for every patient every day. For so many people working in a hospital, their day is consumed with patient care. To be somebody who can focus on imagining a different future and then make it happen for the clinical teams is really exciting.”
 
COVID-19 Accelerates Change
Like healthcare organizations across the world, the COVID-19 pandemic increased pressure. And hospitals rallied to the cause.
“The pandemic has been a phenomenally, powerful agent for change. In some cases, we did nine months of work in nine days in order to get people working from home, for example, enabling clinicians to be at home providing care to patients, who are also at home,” Hutchinson said. “Digital solutions that would have taken us years to persuade people to use are now commonplace. It’s really brought about change at a much faster pace than ever before.”
The organization also has a culture of constant improvement and innovation. Examples include its Quality Improvement Academy and recruiting talent from outside the industry to bring new perspectives. Hutchinson also believes successful transformation comes down to leadership.
“Constantly encouraging teams to look for ways in which they can improve the service they provide is really important. In an organization of 8,000 people, if everybody just spends a small proportion of their week looking for small improvements, we can make really big changes together,” he said.
When asked about the secret to leading big, successful digital transformation initiatives, Hutchinson points to three factors.
“You need technical solutions that you are really confident in. You need clinicians who are willing to champion change. And you need enthusiastic people in your digital team who will really push and drive the best solutions possible,” he said.

This article is the latest in the Agents of Change series, a look at how technology leaders challenge the status quo to discover new possibilities for their organizations.

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The CD&IO at Gloucestershire NHS Trust on the importance of building a shared vision with clinicians and the board.

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Imagining a New Future for the NHS - VMware News and Stories

How American Hospital Dubai’s agile response to the COVID-19 pandemic helped saved lives—and the innovative healthcare IT that made it all possible.

Tourism fuels much of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) economy. The federation of seven emirates in the Middle East is well known for its <a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/dubai-best-beaches/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ultra-luxury beaches</a> and bustling commerce. Recently, the emirate of Dubai <a href="https://gulfnews.com/business/tourism/dubai-ranked-9th-globally-in-cities-with-highest-hotel-rooms-1.2000521" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ranked ninth globally</a> in a list of cities with the largest number of hotel rooms—more than 100,000 rooms housing more than <a href="https://www.globalmediainsight.com/blog/dubai-tourism-statistics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">16 million</a> international visitors a year.

That was before COVID-19. As the pandemic accelerated around the globe, hospital beds filled, instead.

<a href="https://www.ahdubai.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Hospital Dubai</a> would soon be challenged by shortages of medical staff, personal protective equipment (PPE) and space. Owning both healthcare and hospitality real estate in Dubai, the Mohamed and Obaid Al Mulla Group had an opportunity to improve lives and health outcomes by reimagining its resources.

To support its community during the global health crisis, the group quickly converted a hotel into a hospital. Not in a year or a few months—but in 72 hours.

This decision would prove lifesaving in the care of some of the more than 91,000 people in the UAE that tested positive for COVID-19.

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Like many other countries, the UAE moved as quickly as it could to enforce strict measures on its 10 million residents—nearly three in 10 of whom live in the emirate of Dubai—to curb the spread of COVID-19. Dubai locked down all tourism for a month and established an evening curfew. Still, the outbreak kept coming and continued to infect citizens.

“Every day is an unknown,” explains Ahmad Yahya, chief information officer at American Hospital Dubai in the UAE.

To meet its own high-quality standards and patient expectations, the healthcare organization quickly got to work. They rapidly transformed a hotel into a full-service field hospital to treat COVID-19 patients. A tall order—but achievable—because of its ownership group’s commitment to both corporate social responsibility and modern IT.

Being agile—in mindsets, performance and actions—was critical to the aggressive plan. And digital technology would make all the difference.

Infrastructure security, reliability and performance were top of mind as IT readied the new facility. Yet, hospital staff had to deal with supply-chain interruptions. This challenge proved significant. Peaks in short-term demand for devices and IT hardware revealed international logistics breakdowns.

“We had to source hardware from different suppliers, purchasing channels and reallocate hardware and equipment from our satellite clinics,” explains Yahya.

As resources arrived, American Hospital Dubai quickly worked to “secure the hotel’s network, extend our main campus network to the facility and insure proper remote access was provided to clinical and admin staff,” <a href="https://blogs.vmware.com/emea/en/2020/04/cio-ahmad-yahya-on-how-covid-19-has-changed-it-priorities-at-american-hospital-dubai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yahya says</a>.

The team bolstered IT security measures, too. They needed to quickly minimize the exposure of patient data at a much higher standard than guest room security needs. That included reconfiguring the network, implementing firewalls and securing the computing environment to extend the hospital’s main campus network to the field hospital.

The healthcare organization benefitted from the seamless access and agility enabled by its software-defined digital foundation. “<a href="https://www.vmware.com/products/hyper-converged-infrastructure.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hyper-converged infrastructure</a> is the key to faster time to market and really helps us in our next phase of deployment or transformation,” says Yahya.

At the same time, UAE became an active member of the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/a-live-digital-platform-behind-the-scenes-for-more-effective-and-transparent-country-response" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Health Organization’s (WHO) Partners Platform</a> in response to COVID-19. It was one of the first in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to upload its response plan.

The WHO Partners Platform is a source for all countries to:

The end result is greater transparency than the world had during the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak.

Patients in need keep doctors, nurses and staff persevering through challenges.

One patient, in particular, stands out for Semeh Abu Arqoub, the hospital’s chief nursing officer. The patient spent three months at American Hospital Dubai fighting COVID-19—two months in the ICU, one month on another floor. Now, he’s fully recovered and back home with his family.

“After discharge, he said, ‘First, I have to pass by the ICU team.’ And he gave them a big thank you. And they were so happy to see him again. That makes you feel proud of what your team can accomplish,” Abu Arqoub says.

Beyond the field hospital, American Hospital Dubai strengthened its remote-work capabilities for non-essential employees in the call center, finance and HR. The organization launched new telehealth services months earlier than expected to continue to meet the needs of its healthy populations.

It was all possible because of American Hospital Dubai’s digital transformation journey—with Yahya as a key <a href="https://www.news.vmware.com/hospital-cio-reprioritizing-in-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">change agent and champion</a>.

Setting up a field hospital in 72 hours is no small feat. And Yahya calls the effort “a really good testament to where technology really lends itself for the good of not only the city, but for the country.”

“Across the healthcare industry, the adoption of digital technology has been hugely accelerated as hospitals and healthcare authorities scrambled to deal with COVID-19,” Yahya recently told <a href="https://www.intelligentcio.com/me/2020/05/19/american-hospital-dubai-cio-on-coping-with-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Intelligent CIO</a>. “The pivot to digital that we’re seeing is not going to stop. And these digital investments will support the transformation of medical services in the future.”

Talking about future plans, Yahya describes investing in a private clinical cloud to serve as a care institution for nearby healthcare organizations and engaging with management about revenue opportunities. Specifically, American Hospital Dubai is working with VMware to build a private cloud. The shared IT service platform will serve both the hospital and the Mohammad Obaid Al-Mulla Group.

“Within the hospital, we currently have silos of IT, for example, in bio-medical engineering and facilities management. But, migrating everything to one common platform will bring lots of benefits,” he says.

The vision is to use VMware vRealize to manage the private cloud, so he and his team “can automate a lot of IT infrastructure management, improve the ongoing management of provisioned resources and understand the consumption of resources by end users.” With a complete digital platform in place, new healthcare services will be easier to roll out, faster.

“The current situation should be an eye-opener to executive management, highlighting the need to invest more in technology,” he says. “The fact that hospitals like American Hospital Dubai have been able to adapt right away should really validate some of the business cases for the investments put forward to them.”

American Hospital Dubai rapidly responded to COVID-19 with a field hospital, remote work and telehealth services.

Digital Transformation Readies American Hospital Dubai for COVID-19

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With high transmissibility, COVID-19 indefinitely alters the way we live. Fortunately, hospitals and healthcare systems are using innovative technology to save lives.

Hospitals and healthcare systems across the world stepped up as heroes to support their communities through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hospital workers acted fast to save lives and control the outbreak. Health system leaders deployed rapid response and business continuity plans. Practitioners implemented non-contact methods of patient care during shelter-in-place orders. Radiologists and other hospital personnel transitioned to working at home, enabling first-responders with the support and information they needed in real-time.

Three threads tie all these efforts together: humanitarian commitment, agile mindsets and digital innovation.

When the pandemic reached the United Arab Emirates, American Hospital Dubai had to rapidly switch to three key priorities:

Using Technology to Track a Health Crisis

Digital health technology can facilitate pandemic strategy and response in ways that are difficult to achieve manually. Countries, such as South Korea, integrated digital technology into government-coordinated containment and mitigation processes, including:

These capabilities could help with the early flattening of their incidence curves.

The need to track COVID-19 transmission fueled global digital innovation.

One thing is clear: Patients want greater personalization in their care. During the pandemic, this is more true than ever.

Patients are looking for the same easy, remote and intuitive access to healthcare that they get from their shopping and banking experiences. This “consumerization” of healthcare drives hospitals, clinics and physician practices to find new ways to build processes and procedures around patient needs rather than traditional healthcare delivery methods.

Case Study: Braunschweig Municipal Hospital

“A hospital CIO must always remember that the primary job of the hospital is to improve the health of a patient,” says Norman Lüttgerding, CIO of Braunschweig Municipal Hospital. “Any changes the IT team makes to processes must benefit the clinician and the patient. That means we need to really understand what our clinicians do and ensure we enable them—not hinder them. This is what I mean by less technology and more humanity.”

In a time when the very safety of patients and hospital staff depends on social distancing, digital technologies are vital. One of the major trends in healthcare technology is the “digital clinical workspace.”

Digital clinical workspaces provide secure, simple access to patient information on the right device for the right task at the right time. The technology helps unify user, desktop and mobile access management for higher productivity and lower operational costs. It also helps clinicians improve healthcare outcomes across the care continuum, helping them focus on the patient—not the technology.

Case Study: Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Like others in the healthcare space, Gloucestershire wants to accelerate its digital transformation. The proliferation of mobile devices, Wi-Fi-enabled medical equipment and seamless connectivity across multiple sites has the power to completely transform the way the trust delivers care.

This is not digital transformation for transformation’s sake. There are three business objectives to the program. Gloucestershire wants to improve business continuity, provide services to other healthcare providers in the region and make it faster to deploy or scale-up new digital services. Digital transformation will create a more connected, robust and dynamic healthcare environment. Now, these goals have accelerated due to rapid changes in global health needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

<a href="https://blogs.vmware.com/emea/en/2020/07/accelerating-the-digital-transformation-of-uk-healthcare/">Read the full story</a>.

Telemedicine: Where Health & Digital Technology Meet Face to Face

Changes are needed to reduce staff exposure to ill patients, preserve personal protective equipment (PPE) and minimize the impact of patient surges on facilities. Internet connectivity and mobile devices make home-based services like tele-pharmacy and telemedicine a reality. These are great options if patients feel too sick to leave their homes, worry about contracting COVID-19 or simply want a second opinion.

Remote access to healthcare services may increase participation for those who are medically or socially vulnerable or do not have ready access to providers. Recent policy changes reduced barriers to telehealth access and promoted the use of telehealth to deliver acute, chronic, primary and specialty care.

Healthcare

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