Adopting the Internet of Things (IoT) Technology Paradigm in a State Hospital

(a) Situation faced: We are here reporting on a project from a small state hospital in the Rhine Valley (Central Europe). The hospital is currently in the preplanning phase for its main building and is aiming to systematically elaborate on and analyze the needs and requirements of its entire information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. Adopting the Internet of Things (IoT), they expect to generate innovative solutions for their patients and internal stakeholders by transforming their internal processes. (b) Action taken: Based on an IT management workshop and several exchanges with the practitioners, we co-developed the IoT implementation framework. Grounded in research and motivated by practical use cases, the practitioners applied the framework to guide the implementation process in the healthcare context. In the course of numerous evaluation cycles and after considering social and technical elements, we were able to achieve a holistic understanding of IoT in the state hospital. (c) Results achieved: Our results show that the framework is suitable for systematically managing and guiding the adoption of IoT at the organizational and process levels. Furthermore, the framework helps understand the interplay between the social elements (people, structure) and technical elements (technology, task) and better align the needs of the various employees adopting and using IoT. (d) Lessons learned: The IoT technology paradigm is a multilayered and complex concept, requiring an integrated multi-view perspective during the adoption process. It should be implemented and used within carefully selected and suitable processes. A systematic and coordinated introduction is necessary in view of the high financial and operational risks. The IoT implementation framework raises awareness of the impact and sharpens the identification and evaluation of use cases by internal stakeholders. Finally, the framework triggered and guided the discussions and, ultimately, contributed to improved communication and collaboration at the project level.