Together with Zuyderland, we have taken the first steps toward implementing AI in the ICU.

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Our collaboration began with conducting an AI Readiness Scan, a crucial initial step in implementing sustainable and responsible AI applications that truly enhance the quality and accessibility of healthcare.

Why an AI Readiness Scan?

To successfully implement AI as a medical tool in hospitals, various capabilities must be developed. While AI is a promising technology, there are still relatively few practical examples of successful implementation and scaling. This often makes it unclear which capabilities a hospital needs to establish to deploy medical AI effectively.

At Pacmed, we have gained in-depth experience in responsibly developing and implementing AI in healthcare since our founding in 2015. A notable example is the Santeon program "AI in the ICU," where we took all necessary steps to enable the low-threshold use of AI and became the first to scale AI as a medical device across multiple hospitals successfully. These experiences have given us unique insights into how to efficiently, sustainably, and responsibly scale and implement AI.

What is an AI Readiness Scan?

Based on our extensive experience, we developed the AI Readiness Scan. Over three weeks, we assess a hospital's readiness for medical AI. This includes not just evaluating the current state but identifying future possibilities. We examine aspects such as:

• The level of required knowledge within the organization;
• The availability and applicability of technology;
• Support among healthcare providers and policymakers;
• The strategic and policy frameworks necessary to deploy AI effectively.

Based on this analysis, we provide actionable recommendations and a roadmap for the next steps toward successful and sustainable AI implementation. Our approach ensures minimal time investment from hospital staff.

Results at Zuyderland

The first AI Readiness Scan at Zuyderland Hospital has been successfully completed. We assessed the organization’s AI maturity across multiple dimensions, focusing specifically on deploying AI as a medical device using electronic patient data (EPD). Zuyderland scored exceptionally well in all areas. Key highlights include:

• Enthusiasm and support: There is widespread enthusiasm among healthcare providers for AI's role in enhancing the quality and accessibility of care.
• Data and cloud strategy: The hospital has a mature data, cloud, and AI strategy, providing a solid foundation for further development.

This allowed us to identify the optimal pathway for successfully deploying AI at Zuyderland.

What has the scan delivered?

Thanks to the scan, Zuyderland now has a clear understanding of the steps required to responsibly and sustainably implement AI as a medical tool in the ICU. During the process, all relevant stakeholders were involved, and practical insights were shared to further define the hospital's AI ambitions. This has strengthened Zuyderland's strategic direction and laid the groundwork for the successful implementation of medical AI.

Looking towards the future

We are proud of our collaboration with Zuyderland and look forward to continuing this partnership. We are now offering our AI Readiness Scan to other hospitals as well. Want to know how your organization is positioned and take steps toward the sustainable use of medical AI? Contact us.

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