Month: January 2025

Improving productivity in healthcare brings many well-understood benefits, not least financial.

Conservative estimates suggest that if the healthcare delivery industry targeted labor productivity gains rather than workforce expansion to meet demand growth, healthcare spending in 2028 could be $280 billion to $550 billion less than projected.

But what do we mean by productivity?

It’s important to note it’s about working smarter, not harder.

Technology and automation have vital roles to play in achieving this. By using technology to automate routine activities and streamline repetitive tasks, we can give staff more time to achieve more value-added tasks. In doing so, we improve productivity and enhance patient care and patient outcomes.

It’s why the National Health Service in England has a focus on embracing 21st century technology to improve productivity as part of its drive to see productivity improvements towards 2% a year by 2029/30. It notes the value of investing in IT systems that work well for staff, highlighting benefits that include “less time spent chasing patient data, or waiting for their technology to work.”

In our latest healthcare webinar, Dave Hester, Technical Consultant at Keysight Eggplant, and Chuck Schneider, CEO of healthcare automation company Redpoint Summit, looked at five places where automation can bring productivity gains in the healthcare sector right now. You can check out the webinar 5 Things You Need to be Automating in 2025 – or read on for more insights.

Side-by-Side Testing

There’s a trend in healthcare away from cloud-based electronic medical record (EMR) systems to local client installations.

While there are undoubtedly benefits to this approach, it does raises issues around how testing requirements change. Simply put: how can an organization simultaneously test a locally installed EMR and a Citrix- or Horizon-based system without doubling their testing resource or the time it takes to test?

The answer lies in using automation to test side-by-side.

Keysight Eggplant uses a model-based approach that enables you to test across any device or operating system. It means you can write a test for a local installation and then use it to test the cloud-based system too.

It gives you the coverage you need without increasing the resource or time needed. It also gives you the tool to pick up the smallest change in the user interface and take immediate action, enhancing the user experience.

Want to learn more?

Find out how Dave Hester used Keysight Eggplant to automate the update and management of the Epic Electronic Health Record at UNC Health Care in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

High-Volume, Multi-Step, Repeatable Processes

Any high-volume, high-frequency, and labor-intensive activity that features repeatable processes is a candidate for automation. A perfect example is staff onboarding. It involves multiple steps across multiple systems with multiple hand-offs. Manually, it’s prone to errors and delays. When automated, all these problems are removed.

There are other candidates too. For example, the student information management system at Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust involved a complex manual process of scheduling patient activity alongside student activity. Using Keysight Eggplant, the trust can automatically work across the student information management system, a timetabling system, and its electronic patient records, mapping different activity types to plan the best time for activities to happen. Read the full case study.

At Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Keysight Eggplant is being used to automate activities, including population of training domains, appointment scheduling and adding patient observations. The reliability, predictability, and consistency of automation with Keysight Eggplant helps the trust to increase testing capacity and save significant time. Read the full case study.

Testing at Scale

Validating data such as charge amounts, laboratory reference ranges, and order routing is essential for data integrity. But testing every single transaction isn’t an option using manual testing because of the scale of the resource or the length of time that would be needed.

One solution is to test sample sets. However, these don’t provide the full picture, leaving you exposed to risk. Plus, even sample sets will likely involve hundreds of repetitive testing tasks. This results in dissatisfied analysts, a decreasing attention span, and the increased risk of errors.

Automating this large-scale testing gives you the ability to achieve complete coverage without increasing the time or resource needed or reducing accuracy levels. It can also be run out-of-hours, so analysts can focus on implementing the fixes during working hours, boosting employee engagement and enhancing productivity.

Want to learn more?

Antwerp University Hospital uses Keysight Eggplant to repeatedly test 1,700 medications overnight. It saves invaluable time and resources, freeing up the team to focus on other crucial tasks. Read the case study.

Areas Where Previous Audits Found Issues

Audits provide a vital opportunity to get an insight into how effectively your systems and processes are running. Failure points can open up opportunities to consider where automation could boost compliance.

For example, one organization had an issue with expiring licenses and credentials. To solve the issue, it implemented an automation that looked at license expiration dates and sent a timely automated email to staff to remind them to renew before they became non-compliant.

Automation can also be used to look across multiple systems and pull together reports and dashboards. Leaders get the insights they need when they need it without tying up vital resource to pull the data together. The process boosts visibility and enhances productivity.

Security Testing the Internet of Medical Things

The internet of medical things (IoMT) has provided a huge technological advance. It also opens up significant security vulnerabilities.

Not all IoMT devices use end-to-end encryption, so patient health information could be intercepted. Malicious activity – or simple radio frequency interference – can cause an interruption between the device and the recording system. Malicious actors can also inject false readings such as an incorrect heart rate or rhythm into the data stream.

The solution is a combined software and hardware solution that can test signal vulnerabilities and verify results between the user interface of the device and the external recording system.

Want to learn more?

Explore the role non-invasive artificial intelligence-driven test automation can play in enhancing security in connected devices and elsewhere.

Ready to take your healthcare automation strategies to the next level?

Watch our webinar, 5 Things You Need to Be Automating in 2025, for actionable insights and expert guidance. Learn how automation can transform your workflows, improve outcomes, and future-proof your operations.

Bringing the Value of Healthcare Automation to Your Hospital

As we’ve seen here, automation helps drive productivity. It also enhances precision, scalability, and security. Explore the benefits that intelligent software testing brings. Or, to discuss the role software test automation can play in helping your organization achieve its productivity targets, reach out today.

Originally published on GoDaddy Resource Library

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career journey, here at GoDaddy.

Hi, my name is Maja and I work as a Hosting Sales and Support Messaging Guide here at GoDaddy. I am proud to be a member of the remarkable Messaging team based in Belgrade, Serbia. My journey with GoDaddy began by accident. As an avid reader, I wanted to create a blog to share book reviews and my travel experiences visiting libraries and bookstores. I found myself drawn to building the website on my own using WordPress, and that’s where my passion for web development and technology truly began. Over time, I became more interested in the technical side of website management and hosting, which led me to explore GoDaddy’s services. My experience with GoDaddy helped me expand my skills, and I’ve loved the opportunity to grow within the company ever since.

What’s the most challenging yet rewarding thing that you’ve worked on at GoDaddy?

Every day at GoDaddy presents both challenges and rewards. The Hosting Sales and Support team manages a diverse array of requests, making each day unpredictable and filled with opportunities to learn something new.

For me, the biggest reward is the knowledge and experience we gain firsthand while assisting customers with their needs.

It’s incredibly fulfilling to be part of a team that is always learning and adapting to provide the best possible service.

How do you keep yourself motivated and inspired in your work?

My colleagues are my biggest source of motivation at work. We constantly uplift each other and support one another in achieving goals and expanding knowledge. Each day undoubtedly brings its share of highs and lows, but with their support, maintaining focus becomes considerably easier. Our shared collaborative environment is my greatest source of motivation. On a personal level, I’m inspired by my desire to learn new things and achieve high goals. I stay motivated by focusing on the impact of my work. Every task, no matter how small, contributes to helping someone succeed online. The sense of accomplishment I get from helping others is truly fulfilling. I also appreciate the constant learning opportunities, whether it’s through new technologies, troubleshooting complex issues, or improving customer interactions.

What advice would you give to someone starting on the Care team?

I’d advise them to embrace the learning curve and not be afraid to ask questions. The Care team environment is supportive, and every challenge is an opportunity to grow. Be patient with yourself and others, and take the time to understand the tools and resources available to help you succeed. Over time, you’ll develop the expertise to handle even the toughest situations.

What aspects of GoDaddy’s company culture do you appreciate the most?

I truly appreciate GoDaddy’s commitment to inclusivity, innovation, and continuous improvement. The culture here encourages collaboration and empowers employees to think outside the box. There’s also a strong focus on personal growth and development, which makes it a great place to build a fulfilling career.

What’s your motto or personal mantra?

My personal mantra is: “Today is a fresh start.” To me, this means letting go of what happened yesterday and giving myself a chance to try again. It’s a reminder that every day is a new opportunity to grow, learn, and improve. No matter how tough things might seem, I believe in focusing on the present and starting over with hope and optimism.

Are you enjoying this series and want to know more about life at GoDaddy? Check out our GoDaddy Life social pages! Follow us to meet our team, learn more about our culture (Teams, ERGs, Locations), careers, and so much more. You’re more than just your day job, so come propel your career with us.

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January 27, 2025 /3BL/ – The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Tracy Taszarek as its new Executive Director. Tracy succeeds Peylina Chu, who is retiring from Antea Group after a distinguished career.

Peylina has been an integral leader of HPRC since its early days in 2010. Under her leadership, the organization has grown from a group of seven members to more than 30, successfully bringing together stakeholders from across the healthcare plastics value chain. Peylina’s unique ability to unite competitors and partners has driven significant progress toward a circular economy for healthcare plastics.

In addition to her leadership of HPRC, Peylina has had a distinguished career at Antea Group, a global environmental, health, safety, and sustainability consulting firm. With over 25 years of experience, she has made a lasting impact on the business community, advancing efforts in climate change, occupational health and safety, and resource management. She played a pivotal role in Antea Group’s growth and success, culminating in her position as Senior Vice President.

“It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with and learn from so many HPRC members over the past 14 years. I am so proud of the work that has been completed to date, and I’m excited to see how this group continues to drive change in the industry,” shared Peylina. “I look forward to the great achievements that are yet to come under Tracy’s leadership!”

We are excited to welcome Tracy Taszarek to the role of Executive Director. Tracy brings over 10 years of experience managing Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) programs for diverse teams in office, manufacturing, and field-based environments. Her background in medical equipment manufacturing gives her valuable insight into the healthcare industry, which has been instrumental in her contributions to HPRC.

Tracy has been a trusted member of the HPRC team, leading projects, speaking at industry events, and facilitating council meetings. We are confident that Tracy’s leadership will continue to advance HPRC’s mission and expand the influence of our work within the healthcare plastics sector.

“I am very excited to step into the role of Executive Director for this incredible organization!” shared Tracy. “I’m eager to continue building strong partnerships across the healthcare plastics recycling industry and look forward to working with HPRC members to continue to drive impactful improvements.”

HPRC is currently engaged in multiple initiatives aimed at enabling the recycling and circularity of healthcare plastics, including research into advanced recycling technologies to recycle mixed-stream healthcare plastics; a study of sorting technologies and potential integration with healthcare plastics waste streams; development of streamlined sustainability procurement criteria for plastic medical packaging and devices; and design of a regional recycling pilot program in the Houston market intended to serve as a blueprint for other regions.

Originally published on Reuters

When Japanese engineer Eiji Nakatsu was designing the new 500-series Shinkansen bullet train in the 1990s, he was looking for ways to reduce the explosive boom made by the train when it rocketed out of tunnels travelling at 320km an hour.

As well as being an engineer, Nakatsu was a bird lover. And after observing how kingfisher birds slice through the air and dive into the water while hardly making a splash, his team re-designed the train’s nose, shaping it to mimic the bird’s beak. It was an innovation that not only fixed the problem, but allowed the trains to travel 10% faster, and consume 15% less electricity.

It was an example of biomimicry, a term coined by the American science writer Janine Benyus from the Greek bios, life, and mimesis. Biomimicry describes a practice that learns from the strategies developed by living organisms over 3.8 billion years and applies them to solve modern challenges such as sustainable packaging, transportation, energy production and crop production.

As she wrote in her seminal book, Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, released in 1997: ”Unlike the Industrial Revolution, the Biomimicry Revolution introduces an era based not on what we can extract from nature, but on what we can learn from her.”

Read the full story on the Reuters website.