Oslo University Hospital (OUS) is Norway’s largest surgical hospital, performing approximately 54,000 planned and urgent surgeries annually. To address logistical and staffing challenges that lead to canceled surgeries, OUS has partnered with KPMG in an innovation collaboration. Together, they are developing a digital tool that enhances oversight and significantly reduces the number of cancellations. The tool, inspired by aviation practices, is named the “Control Tower.”
Simplify everyday life for patients and staff
3,000 surgeries canceled each year
Operations at OUS are both complex and resource intensive. Historically, planning and resource management relied on manual processes and limited access to effective planning and logistics tools. This has resulted in significant challenges for patients, staff, and hospital operations, with 3,000 surgeries canceled annually—most within 16 hours of the scheduled procedure. OUS urgently needs efficient tools and solutions that enable employees to work smarter, not harder.
The solution: Control Tower – a tailored, user-friendly digital tool
The solution is custom-designed for hospitals, aiming to enhance patient safety, streamline care, and create a more predictable work environment for staff. The Control Tower provides real-time visibility of available operating rooms, personnel, and equipment, automating the planning process based on current capacity and availability. The ServiceNow technology platform enables seamless digital integration with existing systems while allowing for the addition of new features, which can be quickly tested with users. This user-centric approach ensures the solution delivers tangible benefits.
Improved efficiency and predictability in daily operations
The Control Tower provides staff with the information they need to effectively plan their workday. Improved prioritization leads to fewer canceled surgeries, better quality outcomes, increased productivity and fewer complications. The goal is to facilitate seamless communication between patients, coordinators, and planners, enabling immediate assistance. Continuous monitoring reduces the risk of cancellations and ensures the operational plan is reliable. This ensures patients receive the right care at the right time.
User involvement is key to development
Close collaboration and active user engagement are critical to developing a functional solution. Designers, developers, security teams, OUS representatives, and hospital staff all contribute to shaping and implementing the Control Tower. From OUS, surgeons and patient coordinators actively participate in the tool’s development, ensuring it is user-friendly, prioritizes patient safety, and meets the needs of clinical environments. KPMG brings leading expertise in consulting, security practices, digital innovation, and ServiceNow platform development to the project.
More about the project
This innovation partnership fosters creative thinking and practical innovation. Through the ServiceNow platform, a new, integrated support tool is being developed specifically for the healthcare sector. The Control Tower facilitates seamless communication between healthcare systems, automatically updates itself, and alerts staff of potential cancellations. Ultimately, the Control Tower simplifies work processes for those involved in planning and executing surgical procedures at OUS, optimizing resource utilization. It provides better predictability for clinicians by improving coordination and organization in daily operations. With the Control Tower, OUS will experience significantly fewer canceled surgeries and an improved hospital experience for both patients and staff.
