Transition Toward Smart Hospitals: A Scoping Review of Features, Technologies, and Challenges

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Informatics
• Digital Health Transformation
• Hospital Management

Background:

• Rising healthcare costs and an aging population necessitate affordable care solutions.
• Smart technologies offer a promising approach to enhance hospital efficiency and patient care.
• The study addresses the need to understand the transition towards digital and smart hospital models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the transaction process toward smart hospitals.
• To explore the defining features of digital and smart hospitals.
• To identify enabling technologies and key challenges in smart hospital integration.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review following the Levac, Colquhoun, and O'Brien approach.
• Extensive database searches (IEEE, PubMed, Web of Science, etc.) without time restrictions.
• Qualitative synthesis and trend analysis of 64 English-language articles.

Main Results:

• Digital maturity assessment is vital, covering structure, governance, and infrastructure.
• Key features include digitalization, interoperability, and electronic medical records (EMRs).
• Advanced technologies (IoT, AI, blockchain) and identified benefits (data management, digital literacy) alongside six major challenges (adoption, security, organizational barriers).

Conclusions:

• Digitalization and smart hospital operations can improve workflows and clinical outcomes.
• Strategic planning, policy development, and interdisciplinary collaboration are crucial for successful adoption.
• Addressing technological complexity and fostering stakeholder partnerships are essential for realizing smart hospital benefits.