Setting up a smart clinic

The automated future is already here, and although it may not be everything that was depicted in the Matrix, today’s smart technology can automate a lot of our everyday tasks, improving productivity, decreasing costs and enhancing the patient experience.

What is a smart clinic?

In the simplest of terms, it is a clinic that uses technology to automate and link our everyday and specialised appliances/ electronic tools to make tasks easier.

This can be as simple as using a digital assistant to play music, turn on your security or keep track of your upcoming appointments. Or it could be as advanced as automating your consultations

by dimming lights as you enter your consulting room, turning on a spotlight and ensuring that your equipment is ready to use and in stand-by mode, so as not to compromise a sterile environment. With digital assistants all being hands- free, these can be set up to only require a single voice command, set on a timer or automated depending on a condition such as your current location.

Why a smart clinic?

For most people, there are multiple driving forces behind creating a smart clinic. These include simplifying tasks, improving security and to save energy and money.

Smart thermostats can quickly and precisely automate the heating, cooling and use of blinds/window coverings in premises. Other products such as connected lights and appliances can be programmed to use less energy by powering down when not in use or to be operating when power is cheapest.

Additionally, smart devices make it very easy to improve your security. Connected lights, cameras and doorbells can help make premises much safer.

Finally, tedious, repetitive or easy to forget tasks can be taken out of your hands with connected and automated devices. Vacuum cleaners and other cleaning devices like washing machines, autoclaves and dishwashers can be programmed to start automatically, or a fridge that orders supplies online when it senses that they’re low are available now. These kinds of products should be high on anyone’s smart clinic checklist.

Where do you start?

Google Assistant, Siri (Apple) and Alexa (Amazon) are the most common assistants in use. There is a range of technologies available across all of these platforms, with many of them capable of working on all three and to suit almost every environment.

With most hardware required able to be retrofitted into existing infrastructure, you don’t need to rebuild or renovate existing premises to start on your smart clinic update.

While it’s entirely possible to have lights and other smart accessories controlled by your phone without using one of the digital assistants on offer, it can make for a cumbersome experience. To make the most of your smart experience, it is easier to have a hub that easily allows you to see and operate controls from one central location and to use your phone as an adjunct to this. Google, Amazon and a host of hardware manufacturers offer devices specifically designed for this.

When setting up smart premises, it’s best to start small and have a plan for expansion. This may initially include automating your lights and security. Once this is set up, you can include automating music, air-conditioning/ heating, your treatment rooms and the equipment in them.

So, which assistant is the best?

Currently Apple is playing catch-up in this area with their HomeKit. Siri offers fewer (but ever-growing) compatible automation products than the others. However, if you’re in an Apple environment, both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa offer apps for iOS and MacOS. If you’re in a Windows/Android environment, you’re restricted to Google Assistant and Alexa as Siri is strictly Apple only.

However, a new, universal smart home standard, the product of a multi-year joint effort amongst industry giants, including Apple, Google and Samsung, ‘Matter’ aims to help your smart home devices play a little nicer together and a lot of devices already in people’s homes will be easier to sync up with the standard after a software update.

The core functionality for all three assistants works in the same way. You require an account on whichever platform you choose, and apps either from the platform provider or from the hardware provider are installed and utilised to operate the equipment. The ‘Assistant’ app then integrates the functionality of all of your devices into a single voice operated location.

So, as an example, with lighting you can buy some Philips Hue light bulbs and install them in your fittings. Add a Philips Hue Bridge to your wireless router so that the light bulbs can talk to the internet and each other. Install the Philips Hue app onto your smart phone, and authorise Google Assistant to control the app. This whole process will take approximately 10 minutes, depending on the number of light bulbs being installed. But once completed, you then have complete control over those lights from anywhere in the world where you have a mobile phone service.

The easiest equipment to retrofit is any standard light fitting, or any device that can be left on and switched off and on with a smart power board.

What are the best smart devices available now?

Here are some recommendations for the best smart devices to bring your clinic into the future and give it a much- needed upgrade.

Smart speaker options

One part speaker and one part virtual assistant, smart speakers from Amazon (Echo, powered by Alexa), Google (Nest, powered by Assistant) and Apple (HomePod, powered by Siri) make it easy to link up a variety of different smart home/office accessories that

you can then easily control with your voice. Depending on how complicated your setup is, you may even get away with using just your phone and a smart

speaker to control your entire smart clinic experience. These little sound boxes give you the ability to quickly look up information, schedule calendar invitations, play music, control your smart clinic, shop online and so much more. All with the power of your voice.

Smart speakers are also being made by some of the best hifi creators in the industry, including Bose, Sonos and JBL. So you don’t have to skimp on the quality (or volume) of the sound and multiple speakers can be programmed to play the same stream or unique sound in different rooms or areas.

Smart hub options

These usually combine a less acoustically desirable speaker with a screen so that you can not only hear Alexa/Siri/Google Assistant respond to your request but you can see the information as well. Google and Amazon both offer a branded hub, where the Apple option will see you relying on your iPad.

Using Google’s offering as a simple case, Google Nest Hub is your hardware while Google Assistant is the voice that responds to your queries.

Smart doorbell

Ring Video Doorbells work wirelessly and have battery-operated options to allow you to put a doorbell anywhere to see and respond to all visitors on your phone or hub, whether you’re at the clinic or not.

Smart locks

Do you need to let a cleaner in after hours? A smart lock with a smart doorbell will let you allow access to visitors remotely. The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock fits into a standard deadbolt and has an optional keypad, allowing you to set up access for different regular visitors, and to keep track of when they arrive. The app allows you to lock and unlock the door with a single tap or voice command. You can also set up automation, to set the lock to automatically lock/unlock when you leave a 60 metre radius or lock after a certain period of time.

Last but not least, you can set “smart alerts” to tell you when the door is locked or unlocked, when the door is left ajar, when the door is automatically locked or unlocked, and so on. This allows you to keep tabs on the status of your lock, if that’s something you want to do.

Smart security camera

The Arlo Pro 4 security cameras connect directly to your wi-fi, and you can set up as many cameras as you need, both indoor and out, to secure your whole premises.

You can stay connected to your clinic from anywhere with live video and audio and receive instant alerts on your phone when motion is detected with video stored on the cloud.

The cameras can be automated to activate at particular hours (eg, outside of business hours) or when the users’ devices are all outside of a determined radius from the premises. No more forgetting to switch on or off your security system.

Smart plug

Smart plugs like the Belkin WeMo WiFi not only allow you to turn any appliance into a smart one but also allow you to track and optimise the power that you’re using. Handy for any device that you need to control remotely!

Smart smoke detector

The Nest Protect detects both smoke and carbon monoxide, and when it does pick up something, it will not only sound an alarm but will also tell you which room the alert is coming from, and the nature of the alert. An LED ring on the bottom of the alarm also changes coloru, giving you a visual cue.

If you have more than one in your clinic, and one goes off, the others will too, alerting you to the location of the fire.

The Nest Protect also works with a wide range of smart home devices. For example, in the event of an emergency, the Nest can automatically turn on your lights, making it easier for you to get out of your clinic.

Use your smart security camera to check on your clinic when your Nest Protect has been activated. If it’s a false alarm, they can be turned off using the app, saving you having to drive back to reset.

Smart clinic automation

While each of these devices in isolation can improve how you operate your clinic, it’s in your Assistant’s ability to automate processes that can make your clinic very smart.

As you approach in the morning, your security device will recognise your phone approaching. This can trigger lights, air-conditioning and music to switch on (and maybe your coffee machine could start warming up also). If you need to close urgently during the day, you can be safe in the knowledge that critical equipment will switch off, that your security system will be armed and your doors locked. When you’re on holidays, you can be assured that your premises are secure and that should disaster strike, you’re able to call the emergency services before jumping in the car to be on site.

With new devices being released on what seems like a daily basis, and the maturity of the current technology available, there is no time like the present to take the plunge and make your clinic smarter. AMP