Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 22 | Page 85

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// INTELLIGENT VERTICAL: HEALTHCARE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION KEY TO NEXT GENERATION HEALTHCARE IN AFRICA The benefits of the digital revolution to the healthcare sector in Africa are enormous, yet many angles must be considered if it is to prove successful. I ndustry experts have told Intelligent CIO that Digital Transformation is viewed as so important because it offers a host of new opportunities to improve healthcare services across the continent. “The acceleration of technological innovation has already prompted the development of the next generation of healthcare buildings, which will be very different from those built in the past,” said Laura Swanepoel, Head of Healthcare, Building Services, WSP in Africa. “This revolution in building design is also being driven by factors such as changing population demographics, shifts in expectations of how healthcare should be provided and environmental considerations.” www.intelligentcio.com What the global trends teach is that when building healthcare facilities, these projects must be viewed more holistically; considering not just design and delivery, but also whether the development is fit-for-purpose, as well as future-ready. To answer this, everything from the design of the building envelope, to the use of low embodied carbon building materials, the natural environment and resources, as well as the socio-economic and environmental impact of the building, must be given due consideration. “Moreover, of course, these facilities need to be geared towards utilising the latest technological developments – from Wi-Fi networks and e-healthcare solutions to more complex technologies like Business Intelligence (BI) and Big Data,” added “ THIS DIGITISATION INCREASINGLY EXPOSES HEALTHCARE ORGANISATIONS TO BOTH GENERIC AND TARGETED TYPE CYBERATTACKS. INTELLIGENTCIO 85