Background and purpose Integrating artificial intelligence (AI), with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles remains a key challenge for digitalized hospital advancement. This study aims to systematically elaborate on the practical pathway, technological architecture, and preliminary outcomes of establishing smart TCM-characterized, caregiver-free wards at the Guangming New Campus of Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, thereby providing an exemplar for the industry. Methods We adopted a two-pronged strategy encompassing top-level design and phased implementation. Centered on the localized deployment of a domestic AI large language model (DeepSeek), we constructed an open-architecture smart ward platform that integrates Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, and 5G technology. This platform comprises six core modules: intelligent admission-discharge-transfer, TCM-informed smart education, patient safety monitoring, smart logistics, continuous care, and intelligent operation maintenance. Crucially, these modules are deeply embedded with distinctive TCM elements, including the midnight-noon ebb-flow doctrine, five-element music therapy, and constitution-based health preservation. Results Following the implementation, significant improvements were observed across key metrics. Patient satisfaction with the healthcare experience rose to 98.53%. Health literacy regarding TCM among patients increased from a baseline of 70% to 92.00%. The bedside discharge settlement rate reached 99.2%, accompanied by a notable reduction in associated healthcare costs. AI-enabled automation reduced direct caregiver tasks including vital signs collection (saving 20.8 min/patient/day), documentation (saving 28.7 min/patient/day), and patient education, contributing to the feasibility of the caregiver-free model. The paperless inpatient ward utilizes smart terminals and IoT technologies to achieve fully digitalized management of medical orders, nursing, medication, and testing, thereby reducing paper waste, lowering costs, and improving healthcare quality, efficiency, and safety. Conclusion This study demonstrates that the establishment of an AI-enabled, TCM-characterized smart caregiver-free ward effectively enhances healthcare quality, patient experience, and operational efficiency. It represents a successful and innovative fusion of traditional TCM wisdom with modern information technology, providing a solid empirical foundation for the modernization and service model transformation of TCM hospitals.
Peng et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
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