Digital transformation of healthcare facility management services

Abstract

The ongoing digital disruption is reshaping the healthcare system, including medical and care services, as well as the non-medical supportservices of which facility management (FM) is part of. Digitalizationpresents significant opportunities for FM services to achieve organiza-tional, sustainability, and financial objectives (Redlein and Höhenberger,2020). The advantages of digital FM are well documented in the literature.These include improved cost performance (Huynh and Nguyen-Ky,2020), enhanced building sustainability (Lavikka et al., 2017), betterbuilding performance (Godager et al., 2021), increased productivity, andservice efficiency (Lok et al., 2023), automation of building systems, real-time building condition information, and predictive maintenance (Hakimiet al., 2024). Digital technologies can also enhance occupant experience,safety and security, and workplace productivity and foster collaborationand skills development. Despite the potential, the FM industry has lagged behind others interms of digital adoption rate, reflected in the low digital maturity levelsas reported by Pedral Sampaio et al. (2023). This situation also applies toFM in healthcare, where significant efforts are required to bridge the cur-rent digital gap. Implementing such digital technologies poses significantchallenges for FM. Especially within healthcare organizations, such ashospitals, a highly complex environment with various stakeholdersrequires careful coordination. Rather than focusing on digital solutionsalone, structural changes and an effective approach to technology adop-tion are essential. This requires a comprehensive understanding of digita-lization and digital transformation that extends beyond the typical scopeof digital FM