Healthcare IT Consulting
@Germano de Sousa

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Germano de Sousa

Germano de Sousa is a leading Portuguese healthcare company with extensive experience in laboratory medicine. The group employs 1,600 professionals and operates more than 550 collection centers and 22 laboratories specializing in clinical pathology, anatomical pathology, and genetics. Additionally, it collaborates with various clinics and hospitals, including institutions in countries such as Spain, Angola, and Kenya.

As an example of the services Germano de Sousa provides, a patient may visit one of the company's collection sites or affiliated hospitals to have blood drawn for cholesterol, triglycerides, and iron level analysis. The samples are processed in the laboratory, the results are provided to the patient, and either the patient or their insurance company is billed accordingly.

This Project, Explained

I was initially approached by one of the company owners due to my academic and startup experience in AI. They were interested in exploring ways to integrate recent advancements in the field into their business. However, during our discussions, I became aware of broader challenges that the company wanted to address. Consequently, I proposed expanding the scope of our collaboration. Ultimately, the company entrusted me with conducting an independent evaluation to diagnose operational and technological limitations and recommend solutions.

This project was holistic, combining technical analysis with interpersonal engagement. The first step was to gain a good understanding of the business. To achieve this, I visited relevant departments—from laboratories to collection sites—and conducted interviews with staff and top management. During this phase, I focused on the following aspects:

  • Understanding essential components of the company's workflow, from patient-staff interaction to sample transportation, lab analysis, and billing with insurance companies.
  • Becoming familiar with the technological infrastructure, such as the front-office and back-office software systems.
  • Analyzing data acquisition and processing workflows, while being aware of healthcare data privacy requirements.
  • Reviewing the company's communication workflows.
  • Assessing user experience and support mechanisms.
  • Evaluating error-correction processes.
  • Understanding disaster recovery scenarios.

During the evaluation phase, the company's team and I:

  • Identified inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and other challenges in the operational and informatics systems.
  • Explored opportunities for digital transformation and automation of manual processes, including leveraging innovative solutions like AI.
  • Highlighted missed opportunities for data acquisition and value extraction from existing datasets, recommending increased use of data analytics and visualization tools to inform strategic decision-making.
  • Proposed system triggers derived from collected data to enhance problem prevention and resolution.
  • Suggested improvements to workflow standardization and code documentation.
  • Recommended enhacements to user experience and support mechanisms.
  • Identified ways to improve route management (transportation) and digitization, emphasizing cost-effectiveness and sustainability.
  • Suggested improvements to communication workflows and project management practices, aligning with industry best standards.

Throughout the project, I delivered monthly presentations to top management, sharing findings and providing actionable recommendations to guide strategic decision-making.

The project concluded with the preparation of a comprehensive Request for Proposal based on the our findings.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Professor Germano de Sousa, Dr. Maria José Germano de Sousa, and Dr. José Germano de Sousa, for entrusting me with this evaluation and for their openness to my suggestions. I also extend my thanks to Dr. Luís Queirós (CFO) and Rui Ramalho (Head of IT) for their invaluable support throughout the project.