ResilientIS

The
coronavirus pandemic, floods and cyberattacks have shown how quickly
hospitals can reach their limits. Often, it is not large pieces of equipment
that are lacking, but small yet vital components such as adapters that connect
ventilators to tubes. If such a part fails, a patient cannot be ventilated.
Smaller hospitals are particularly affected, as they have fewer stocks. These
problems affect both Germany and the Netherlands. Differences in procedures
meant that mutual assistance took time, which is something that is in short
supply during crises.
The
ResilientIS project ensures that hospitals in the Germany-Netherlands border
region are reliably supplied even in times of crisis. To this end, a network is
being established in which hospitals, universities, businesses and public
authorities work together. Together, the key components are identified and
standardised templates created so that these can be produced on-site under
location-specific conditions in the event of shortages. Hospitals can thus
produce a tested replacement part themselves within hours, rather than
waiting weeks for deliveries.
Trials are
being conducted in selected clinics to test how the procedures can be applied
in day-to-day operations and in the event of a crisis. Training ensures that
the knowledge is disseminated and does not remain confined to individual
sites. This creates a resilient network. German and Dutch partners jointly
develop and apply rules, share capacities and access the same data, without
replacing each other’s respective responsibilities for production and
application.
This means
that rural facilities can respond as quickly as large centres. Treatments
remain predictable, patients are not transferred unnecessarily, and healthcare
provision becomes more stable across the entire Germany-Netherlands border
region. ResilientIS creates structures that have a lasting impact and make a
direct contribution to a more resilient healthcare system in Germany and the
Netherlands.