As the global healthcare landscape evolves, the ability to innovate and address systemic inefficiencies becomes crucial. Operating room (OR) utilization stands out as one of the most pressing challenges, impacting both public and private hospitals worldwide. At Deepinsight, our journey across international markets has allowed us to identify trends, opportunities, and challenges — and to evaluate how Norway stacks up in this competitive environment.
Gaining Global Insights
To understand the global healthcare ecosystem and its pain points, we’ve engaged with hospitals, stakeholders, and innovators across markets, including the UK, The Netherlands, Sweden, France, Denmark, and the United States, to mention a few.
Deepinsight has prioritized learning and collaboration through international visits and conferences, gaining valuable insights into healthcare systems and innovations across borders. In the United Kingdom, visits to Manchester, Newcastle, and Edinburgh offered an in-depth understanding of the National Health Service’s (NHS) operational challenges and the innovative solutions emerging to address them. At HLTH conferences in Amsterdam and Las Vegas, the spotlight was on global trends in health technology, with a particular focus on the increasing adoption of AI-driven solutions.
From our participation in the Paris Tech Meeting and Sweden’s Vitalis Conference we learned how European stakeholders are tackling pressing issues like capacity management and hospital efficiency. Finally, our presence at the Danish Pitch Day provided an excellent opportunity to explore potential collaborations with hospitals and partners in the Nordic region, further strengthening Deepinsight’s international network.
Conversations with hospitals in several countries revealed a clear commonality in the challenges: Maintaining high utilization across operating rooms.
OR capacity management: A challenge in many countries
Both in Norway and internationally, considerable resources are devoted to surgery scheduling, but even with significant efforts, there is no guarantee of high activity and good utilisation of operating rooms. The challenges we observe in Norway are also found in several other countries, including:
- Frequent disruptions in the schedule
- Absenteeism among critical staff
- Bottlenecks in patient flow
Historically, planning has been based on tacit knowledge, manual processes and fragmented IT systems - limiting the ability to optimise operations with data-driven decision support.
In the wake of COVID-19, many capacity management tools have emerged that offer real-time status updates. However, these tools often address symptoms rather than root causes, leading to a reactive approach rather than systemic improvements.
Deepinsight introduces a new method for planning and running operations, supported by our software, Deepinsight Hero. This tool enables medium-term planning by analysing historical data and predicting the effects of different schedules. By implementing a data-driven approach to planning, we ensure not only one-off improvements, but also lasting value for hospitals. This contributes to increased activity and better utilisation of operating rooms.
By focusing on long-term solutions and integrating them into hospital workflows, we contribute to sustainable improvements in efficiency and patient care.
Norway’s Unique Position
We believe that Norway stands out as a potential leader in healthcare innovation due to several factors:
- Data Quality: With relatively high-quality and well-organized healthcare data, Norway avoids some of the fragmentation seen in other countries.
- Collaborative Culture: Close ties between hospitals, innovators, and policymakers foster an environment where solutions can be rapidly tested and scaled.
- Digital Maturity: Norway’s robust digital infrastructure supports the implementation of advanced AI solutions like Deepinsight Hero.
While the challenges of “garbage in, garbage out” persist globally, we believe Norway’s starting point offers a competitive edge.
The Case for Optimism
Our findings suggest that Norway is not just well-positioned to address its own healthcare challenges but can also contribute solutions on a global scale. The rising demand for OR optimization, combined with economic pressures and AI’s growing potential, creates a fertile landscape for innovation.
Deepinsight’s approach to tackling root causes, supported by Norway’s strengths, positions us to be a key player in this international race.
Conclusion
While challenges remain — particularly around data quality and interoperability — there’s reason to believe that Norway can punch above its weight on the global stage. By leveraging our collaborative culture and digital infrastructure, and by building solutions like Deepinsight Hero, we have the tools to lead in creating a more efficient and patient-focused healthcare system.
As we continue to expand our global footprint, we remain committed to one core belief: that Norway can be a pioneer in healthcare innovation, and Deepinsight is ready to lead the charge.