How ‘Health in a virtual environment’ (HIVE) is transforming health and work outcomes

Flagship Program: Enabling information discovery and application

Project Description

The East Metropolitan Health Service (EMHS) vision is to implement remote monitoring over four key horizons, with horizon 1 being the establishment and implementation of remote monitoring solutions to monitor medical and surgical patients located in existing hospital ward beds. Horizons 2-4 will involve expansion to additional sites and pilots of other remote monitoring solutions outlined in the EMHS Project Brief document. The Health Economics and Data Analytics (HEDA) Group and the Future of Work Institute (FOWI) are partnering together on an internship for East Metropolitan Health Service concerning the implementation of HIVE (Health In a Virtual Environment).

Project Objectives

The aim of this research is twofold. First, we aim to evaluate the implementation of the EMHS HIVE. Specifically, the focus is on evaluating the cost efficiency of the HIVE and its capacity in data analytics. Second, we aim to evaluate the implementation process of HIVE. Specifically, its impact of work design on staff (e.g., ward nurses, control centre operators) and on relevant outcomes such as the quality of patient care, staff engagement, community learning, and decision making and communication. More specific aims are outlined next.

HEDA is seeking to understand the effective implementation of the HIVE from a health economics perspective. The interest here will be in evaluating the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of the HIVE with a focus on:
• Determining the efficiency of the HIVE in relation to hospital operations and patient flow;
• Modelling the impact of the HIVE on safety and quality of patient care;
• Developing an ongoing capacity in data analytics operating across Curtin University and EMHS to support better informed organisational decisions.

FOWI is seeking to better understand the transformative impact of HIVE on the workforce and work design of staff. Our analyses will seek to understand how HIVE relates to effective work redesign under the SMART work framework. More specifically, we seek to understand and explore:
• The effective implementation of the HIVE across EMHS;
• The impact of digital transformation and remote monitoring on employee experience and the associated risks of these effects;
• The ways in which work can be redesigned to mitigate potential harmful effects.

 

Industry Participant

 

East Metropolitan Health Service

 

Research Participants

Curtin University
Bram Chai (Student)
Professor Suzanne Robinson (Supervisor)
Professor Mark Griffin (Supervisor)

 

La Trobe University
Dr Urooj Kahn (Academic mentor)
Professor James Boyd (Supervisor)


Project Value:

$17,500