Engineering Innovation in
E-Health
We optimized the management of SARS-CoV-2 swab results for the South Tyrolean Health Authority, reducing errors and processing times using RPA technology.
Approach & Solution
Approach
In the most critical period of the Covid emergency, the South Tyrolean Health Authority performed on average about 1000 SARS-CoV-2 swabs per day. The tests were performed in service at Austrian laboratories which returned the relative report in PDF format. Having received the result from the Austrian laboratory, the healthcare staff of the South Tyrolean Health Authority connected to the LIS application to update the patient's file by manually entering the swab result and attaching the received PDF report.
Azienda Sanitaria dell'Alto Adige involved our team to make the management of the results of the swabs more efficient, to reduce the number of errors and time consumed by healthcare personnel.
Solution
The project was divided into three phases:
- In the first phase, a prototype NICE solution was created on a physical standalone machine capable of managing only the Merano district. This solution verifies the presence of PDF files in a folder shared with the medical staff, reads the content and autonomously updates the results on the LIS. Once uploaded, the PDF document is moved to a sub-folder to indicate that the swab has been managed.
- In the second phase the NICE infrastructure was installed, two robot machines were activated and the prototype solution was migrated to a shared enterprise infrastructure.
- In the third phase, the management of the other three districts was implemented: Bolzano, Bressanone and Brunico.
Results
Reduced errors in loading results
Reduced labor hours spent on data upload
Project value
Cost cutting
Innovation
Process performance
Visibility
Enabling Technologies
RPA
Project Team
Robotic Process Automation Competence Center
Healthcare
Engineering D.HUB