67H - Imagining the Hospitals of the Future Through Digital Twins: A Case Study in Creating a 2050 Virtual Operating Room (OR)

Tuesday, March 21

4:30–5:30 p.m.

Hospitals represent one of the most complex facility types to design, build, commission and operate. The intricate array of facility infrastructure systems that must be precisely configured and managed to ensure a safe and reliable environment of care requires a paradigm shift in traditional design methods. The emergence of new technologies, including IoT and 5G interfaces, further underscores the imperative to effectively integrate increasing digital interfaces in the design and operation of healthcare facilities.

Leveraging digital twins (dynamic digital models) in facility planning approaches enables greater design collaboration, increases stakeholder collaboration, and optimizes facility and clinical space allocations. Automation and machine vision drive data acquisition at 10 times the speed of traditional methods and AI/ML predictive analytics optimize design, create digital records as a single source of truth of current and future facilities, and mitigate risks to planning and construction project delivery.

Leveraging these technology advancements, the Department of Veterans Affairs OHIL and Booz Allen partnered on a pilot project to develop digital twins focused on the planning and design of future hybrid operating rooms. These digital twins will employ automated generative design and scenario simulations to allow the VA to make improved design decisions—including multi-faceted options for facilities, rooms and equipment within specific spaces and simulations, such as clinician and patient workflows and equipment integration.

This session will use an actual case study to demonstrate how using this approach can empower healthcare facilities’ transformation toward a digitally enhanced, collaboration-generative design approach.

Learning Objectives

• Realize how digital twins can add value to OR operational efficiency/scenario planning and design.
• Discuss the interoperability of emerging technology within the OR of the future and how these technologies interact to deliver improved patient outcomes.