‘Better communication and care with an efficient IT infrastructure’

Kantonsspital Aarau (KSA) hospital faced a fundamental challenge that involved more than just keeping up with digital developments. The overarching goal was to set a new standard in operational excellence with its own IT infrastructure and to establish and live this standard in day-to-day work. ‘It was important to us that we would continue to benefit from the designed changes to the IT infrastructure in the long term…,’ says Thomas Seiler, Head of Digitalisation and ICT at KSA. 

The pandemic once again highlighted the urgency of being able to communicate easily and effectively and to hold online meetings. The situation brought things to a head for KSA – a solution had to be found, and fast. Microsoft 365 and Teams were chosen. But the project challenges followed just as quickly: those in charge had to contend with numerous security and compliance issues.

There were also further demands in terms of time. The new digital solutions had to be integrated as efficiently and sustainably as possible into the existing technical infrastructure in order to achieve the desired standard of operational excellence. 

The stakeholders understood that the project would now succeed or fail based on the choice of experienced IT partner.

From that point on, Swisscom proved to be an indispensable partner. With a comprehensive range of workshops, the exchange of best practices and close cooperation, Swisscom helped KSA to implement a technologically advanced, user-friendly and secure solution. ‘Thanks to Swisscom’s best practices, we were able to successfully navigate the balancing act between data security and user-friendliness,’ says Raphael Cavegn, Head of IT Service Management at KSA. ‘By sticking with Microsoft’s standard solutions, we maximised usability, while always prioritising data protection and user-friendliness.’ 

One outstanding feature of this project was the specially developed security concept, which was approved by the cantonal authorities. It met the requirement that patient data not be stored on Microsoft 365. Swisscom’s concept, which convinced both technically and organisationally, enabled the hospital to protect its data better and more securely than before – even compared to the previous on-premise solutions.  ‘Swisscom provided valuable support to ensure compliance regulations were met. Best practices played a crucial role in designing contracts that both comply with regulatory requirements and safeguard the interests of our hospital,’ continues Raphael Cavegn.

One significant hurdle in the project was the conversion of group accounts (per department) into individual Microsoft 365 licences. This change required a major redesign of the PC workstations so that every employee could log in individually from then on. Despite the additional and higher costs involved, this investment represented a significant improvement in security and data governance as it is now possible to link logins to specific employees. The higher costs were justified by the significant increase in security and improved compliance.

‘Simply introducing a new tool doesn’t work. Change management requires that those affected are willing to adapt,’ says Barbara Zepf, project manager at KSA, speaking from experience. 

Even better than willingness is enthusiasm. And so it was that the instructors – the so-called digital natives with a natural inclination towards digital innovation – became the first champions in the change project. Little by little, more champions from across all seniority levels were brought into the agile teams for the different departments.

‘One third of the staff affected by the changes were from the nursing area. We are the furthest along in the project with this group.’ And this is in spite – or precisely because – of the fact that the nursing group was seen as a ‘critical mass’ in this change project. This type of targeted categorisation, with intensive support from the most affected groups, has led to a significant increase in uptake and use of the new digital workspaces. ‘Our experience shows that the more intensive the support, the greater the progress.’

Strategic partnership with Swisscom and the courage to think innovatively can enable a digital transformation in healthcare while creating a new quality of working environment with high standards of security and compliance. 

This project shows that investing in technology and expertise pays off in the long run by laying the foundations for a secure and efficient future. 

The KSA Digital Workplace project has not only transformed the digital workspaces in the hospital, but also paved the way for continuous innovation and increased efficiency. This new level of operational excellence reduces the burden on staff and ultimately benefits patient care.