Cloud-based Digital Twin Framework and IoT for Smart Emergency Departments in Hospitals
Received: 19 January 2025 | Revised: 15 February 2025 | Accepted: 27 February 2025 | Online: 25 March 2025
Corresponding author: Hiba A. Abu-Alsaad
Abstract
Emergency response time has always been one of the most important factors in saving lives, yet many healthcare systems struggle with delays and resource inefficiencies. This paper proposes the use of cloud-based digital twin technology, integrated with an Internet of Things (IoT) hub, to enhance patient care and optimize emergency department workflows. The system utilizes an Azure IoT virtual hub and an Azure Digital Twins model for real-time data transmission and processing of bed availability and capacity in a hospital emergency department. Azure Digital Twins can create virtual models of any physical environment, such as an emergency department, which is essential for creating an automated decision-making system using advanced and modern technologies. Unlike previous solutions that lack coherence in resource allocation systems or real-time decision-making mechanisms, our system dynamically updates emergency department bed availability in real-time through embedded system devices in hospitals, and makes automated decisions based on both patient location and resource availability. The system is implemented using a mobile application and validated using a case study. The case study includes data from multiple emergency departments in hospitals within a specific area. The system provides the best options for emergency patients based on the hospital location and bed availability.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Haider Q. Mutashar, Sawsan M. Mahmoud, Hiba A. Abu-Alsaad
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