Digitalisation and Sustainability in Hospital Supply Chain Management

Abstract

Purpose Hospital supply chains are known to be complex entities dealing with a diversity of products, patient needs and expectations from surroundings. They remain fragmented and manual and have struggled to find an optimal structure to perform excellent patient service. Stakeholders demand rapid information, high efficiency and increased environmental awareness. There is a great potential for digitalised improvements to develop hospitals to secure both present and future needs. The purpose of this research has been to describe digitalisation and sustainability in a hospital supply chain. Our goal is to explore how digitalised unmanned aerial vehicles in hospital supply chain management can affect the three pillars of the triple bottom line principle. Methodology We will use the reviewed literature to design a theoretical framework which will be used as a base through this study. This theoretical framework will be applied to a case study design for Oslo University Hospital. In this case study we will use a mix of quantitative- and qualitative data, where latter is mainly obtained by semistructured interviews. Subject Digitalised unmanned aerial vehicles used in a hospital supply chain to map the sustainable effects. We are comparing the differences from a current and future situation. Based on this, we have chosen our research question: “How can digitalisation affect sustainability in a hospital supply chain management?”. Key findings The main finding was how digitalised unmanned aerial vehicles is a source to predictability, which currently is absent in the hospital supply chain. Additionally, abilities of digitalisation can enhance interaction and information sharing in the hospital supply chain management. As a consequence, the flow of goods is improved causing sustainable effects in all three pillars of the triple bottom line principle. Definitions Throughout the research we will use Oslo University Hospital (OUH) as the designation of the hospital network of Oslo, including Rikshospitalet, Ullevål, Aker Hospital, and all laboratories, clinics and facilities related to the hospital network in Oslo. We will also refer to Rikshospitalet several times in this research. When we refer to Rikshospitalet we mean the specific hospital located at Gaustad in Oslo. Furthermore, Ullevål Hospital (Ullevål) will be the specific hospital located in Kirkeveien. “Biological material” refers to several types of samples; blood samples, urine, saliva, excrement, human tissue, semen, vaginal secretions, etc. “Radioactive Isotopes (RI)” is a radioactive tracer used in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans.