Canadian Healthcare Technology Logo
  • Issues
    • Current Print Issue
    • Print Archive
  • Advertise
    • Publishing Schedule
    • Circulation
    • Unit Sizes and Rates
    • Mechanical Requirements
    • Electronic Advertising
    • White Papers
  • Subscribe
    • Print Edition
    • e-Messenger
    • White Papers
  • Events
  • Vendors
  • About Us

GE [April2023]

GE [April2023]

Enovacom – Nova Hospital

Enovacom - Nova Hospital

Analytics

Cloud helps improve occupancy planning

By Neil Zeidenberg

January 27, 2022


MISSISSAUGA, ONT. – Since the start of the pandemic, it’s not uncommon for Ontario hospitals to operate at occupancy rates above 100-percent. That’s why finding a way to match bed supply with patient demand is key to improving overall patient care, safety, and operational costs. The solution to this challenge may lie with ‘bed occupancy forecasting’, a process that involves analysis of admission and discharge data – often done manually.

At Mississauga-based Trillium Health Partners (THP), Canada’s largest community-based hospital system, their research and innovation arm, the Institute for Better Health (IBH), is using cloud technology to improve the hospital’s two-to-seven-day capacity forecasting by analyzing bed-use data to identify patterns and anticipate capacity requirements more accurately.

“Our analytics lab developed a prediction algorithm to help improve hospital capacity forecasting and better match bed supply with patient demand,” said Jonathan Ranisau, project lead, Data Discovery, The Institute for Better Health (IBH).

THP created a data lake – a solution that imports data from multiple sources into a centralized repository, then automatically extracts the data and identifies its schema to create a data catalog. From there, the data team can identify any gaps in the data. Centralizing the data in the data lake helps simplify collaboration between researchers, data scientists and any other members of the team.

THP is one of the first healthcare organizations in Canada to apply cloud computing and analytics to develop a predictive occupancy planning model. The model will help hospital administrators predict demand for hospital beds and plan for potential instances where surge capacity is required.

The model was developed in collaboration with the University of British Columbia (UBC) Community Health and Wellbeing Cloud Innovation Centre (CIC), a public-private partnership between UBC and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

The UBC CIC, powered by AWS, supports student teams tackling real-world issues and challenges, where application of novel and emerging technology or computing approaches are essential.

“This is the type of project that the UBC CIC set out to do when we launched in 2020 and it’s always exciting to see our students and staff build solutions that have societal impact,” said Coral Kennett, Head of Education & Digital Innovation Lead, AWS Canada. “While this solution is purpose-built for THP, it can be adopted by other organizations to solve similar challenges.”

Funded by a donation through the Trillium Health Partners Foundation, the project represents a major step forward for THP’s technological and data capabilities. Moving forward, the goal is to enable the algorithm to accurately predict bed occupancy ‘daily’ rather than the traditional 2-7-day cycle. Once refined and fully rolled out, THP will make the model available to other hospitals, to continue to help increase operational efficiency and patient care across Ontario’s healthcare system.

Launched in January 2020, UBC CIC’s mission is to solve real-world challenges that benefit British Columbia, Canada and communities beyond, by engaging and collaborating with stakeholders in community health and wellbeing innovation challenges.

The UBC CIC is a first-in-Canada public-private partnership between UBC and Amazon Web Services (AWS), and one of only twelve currently in operation in the world. For more about UBC CIC, visit cic.ubc.ca.

PreviousNext

WP [900×150]

WP [900x150]

News and Trends

  • Breakthrough in data-sharing leads to better practices
  • Ottawa Heart Institute expands remote monitoring to surgical patients
  • Grandfather’s death inspires next generation of wound care technology
  • New Virtual Cockpit software gives technologists remote access to CT scanner
  • Apollo enterprise imaging solution moves to AWS cloud
More from the Print Edition

Subscribe

Subscribe

Free of charge to Canadian hospital managers and executives in nursing homes and home-care organizations. Learn More

Follow us on Social Media!

Follow us on Social Media!

Nihi Fall 2023

Nihi Fall 2023

Advertise with us

Advertise with us

Sectra SaaS

Sectra SaaS

Change Healthcare [2]

Change Healthcare [2]

Zebra

Zebra

Medica 2023 [2]

Medica 2023

WP [900×150]

WP [900x150]

Advertise with us

Advertise with us

Sectra SaaS

Sectra SaaS

Change Healthcare [2]

Change Healthcare [2]

Zebra

Zebra

Medica 2023 [2]

Medica 2023

Contact Us

Canadian Healthcare Technology
1118 Centre Street, Suite 207
Thornhill, Ontario, Canada L4J 7R9
Tel: 905-709-2330
Fax: 905-709-2258
info2@canhealth.com

  • Quick Links
    • Current Print Issue
    • Print Archive
    • Events
    • Vendors
    • About Us
  • Advertise
    • Publishing Schedule
    • Circulation
    • Unit Sizes and Rates
    • Mechanical Requirements
    • Electronic Advertising
    • White Papers
  • Subscribe
    • Print Edition
    • e-Messenger
    • White Papers
  • Resources
    • White Papers
    • Writers’ Guidelines
    • Privacy Policy
  • Topics
    • Administrative Solutions
    • Clinical Solutions
    • Companies
    • Continuing Care
    • Diagnostics
    • Education & Training
  •  
    • Electronic Records
    • Government & Policy
    • Infrastructure
    • Innovation
    • People
    • Privacy and Security

© 2023 Canadian Healthcare Technology

The content of Canadian Healthcare Technology is subject to copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. Send all requests for permission to Jerry Zeidenberg, Publisher.

Search Site

Error: Enter a search term

  • Issues
    • Current Print Issue
    • Print Archive
  • Advertise
    • Publishing Schedule
    • Circulation
    • Unit Sizes and Rates
    • Mechanical Requirements
    • Electronic Advertising
    • White Papers
  • Subscribe
    • Print Edition
    • e-Messenger
    • White Papers
  • Events
  • Vendors
  • About Us