Digital solutions create long-term, sustainable growth
Using digital solutions, Asker can make it simpler for patients and care professionals to find the right product and thus reduce costs and make the care professional’s work more efficient. Such solutions bring about long-term, sustainable growth for Asker and create societal value.
Wound care improved by digital solutions
Challenge:
European caregivers often lack the knowledge and capacity to treat complex wounds efficiently, which has an adverse effect on healthcare in the form of long treatment times.
Solution:
The WoundCare programme helps healthcare professionals to assess and treat persistent wounds by shortening the healing time and reducing antibiotic usage. A study by the Nordic Health Group shows that the WoundCare programme helped to shorten wound healing time by 75 percent and reduce antibiotic usage by 76 percent, in the cases included in the study.*
Furthermore, the number of wound care treatments can be reduced by 67 per-cent and costs reduced by 80 percent. The programme also has a positive effect on the environment as it leads to a decrease in waste of 67 percent and a decrease in travel of 77 percent, compared to traditional wound care treatment.
The service includes an app built using artificial intelligence based on the knowledge of wound experts. The caregiver takes a photo of the patient’s wound and can then use the app to get advice from wound care specialists on appropriate treatment products. They can also communicate with wound care specialists via the app’s chat function.
Qualityzorg in the Netherlands is another of Asker’s specialist wound care providers. The company offers different patient services, including digital solutions, designed to help patients manage their wound care for themselves at home.
These digital tools allow collection and analysis of wound care data. By sharing analyses and cooperating with other stakeholders, such as hospitals and researchers, new knowledge can be distributed to more parties, thus raising the standard of wound care in society.
*Source: Onemed Finland, Nordic Healthcare Group analysis
Partnering for improved patient service
Challenge:
Rapidly soaring costs in the healthcare sector in the Netherlands are leading insurance companies to request better service for caregivers and patients from their suppliers.
Solution:
Through a strong partnership between Bosman and Apotheekzorg Hulpmiddelen, 800 local pharmacies and 80,000 patients in the Netherlands benefit from improved service and improved logistics. Using Bosman’s expertise and digital solutions, Apotheekzorg Hulpmiddelen can make care more accessible to its patients and let them choose if they would like to receive deliveries via the pharmacy or at home.
The nurses who work at Apotheekzorg Hulpmiddelen have extensive experience of advising and instructing patients who use products in their home environments. This thus helps ensure more efficient use of medicines which also reduces waste. All medicine parcels sent conform with Good Distribution Practice (GDP) and both refrigerated and non- refrigerated products are monitored during transportation using a track & trace system.
This combination of digital solutions, smart logistics and local service maintains a high-level of patient service, in accordance with the insurance company contracts. Customer surveys show that patients appreciate the accessibility to skills and product knowledge, the personal contact and the national coverage.
Smart, digital solutions improve logistics
Challenge:
Inefficient purchasing and warehouse management is time-consuming for caregivers as valuable patient care time is used for finding, ordering and receiving the right products. A lack of time often leads to inadequate control of stock levels and the risk of products being out of stock, leading to the risk of cancelled treatments.
Solution:
Ascan is an automated warehouse management system that simplifies and optimises material ordering for nursing homes, hospitals, home care and emergency departments. Materials management is tailored to the customer’s range and work flows, so that the customer receives the right goods and sizes of packages. This is a time and cost-efficient solution that also reduces the number of deliveries and their impact on the environment. Reduced material consumption and transportation saves cost and time, which can be put into improved care.
Amy is a digital tool that can help trace healthcare equipment. The tool provides information on where the material and equipment is, and for how long and where it has been used before. On average the tool can save 20–30 minutes per employee and work shift. The storage location of the products is searchable via an app, and the feature can also be used to update the status of repairs carried out on medical equipment. The equipment can thus be used more efficiently, which saves time and reduces the risk of more equipment than needed being purchased.
Guide to healthcare personnel regarding prescriptions – It can be difficult for healthcare personnel to navigate the different product categories and various medicines to find the right products for individual patients. Onemed Sweden’s guide for medicine prescribers provides comprehensive information and help to match aids to specific care situations and patients. The guide thereby reduces waste, minimises unnecessary transportation and optimises resource utilisation.
Smart Order – Efficient order management is crucial for avoiding unnecessary transportation and material consumption. Onemed Sweden’s digital ordering service, Smart Order, optimises order management by filling entire boxes, which minimises transportation and thereby reduces costs and environmental impact.
Vårdtagarportal – Onemed Sweden has developed a patient portal to meet the higher demand from the growing number of patients who need care in the home, and the increased use of digital aids by the elderly. The digital platform gives the patient faster and simpler access to prescribed medicines and aids as they can place their orders at any time.
