As “connected hospitals” become smarter, a smarter approach to network connectivity is needed

With nearly 96 percent of non-acute care hospitals in the US using Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, patients and caregivers alike have become reliant on these platforms and their online portals to collect, share and manage medical information.

Now, as EHR vendors work to “upskill” these systems to take advantage of innovative next-generation technologies like AI and the Medical Internet of Things, experts say hospital leaders must take a second look at their current network connectivity strategies.

Traditional wired connectivity and Wi-fi is no longer the optimal approach for the evolving “connected hospital,” these experts say -- which is why an increasing number of hospitals are integrating neutral host and private wireless networks into their legacy network design.

“AI is top of mind for healthcare due to the challenges around workforce shortages and burnout that they’re facing,” says Robin Goldsmith, Practice Leader, Health Innovation & Strategy at Verizon Business. “They’re trying to take the load off the nurses and doctors through technology, and you need the right infrastructure to do that.”

“From wearables to med tech devices that are continuously monitoring patients, data is everywhere,” adds Karen Finger, Global Lead, Connected Health Strategy & Innovation at Verizon Business. “Add in robotics, advanced telemedicine, ‘smart’ patient rooms and cloud-based EHR applications, and you can start to see a real strain on Wi-fi.”

Different networks for different use cases

Finger and Goldsmith say that a one-size-fits-all approach to network connectivity is no longer enough and that the right mix of wired and wireless connectivity is necessary to support an ever-expanding ecosystem of mobile devices and applications.

“EHR systems in many ways have become the brain of everything, and data is the lifeblood,” says Goldsmith. “The need for high-performance, secure and customizable connectivity solutions has never been greater. The hospitals that will succeed in this journey are the ones who have a broad view of what they need now but also what kind of capabilities are coming fast in the future.”

Ethernet and Wi-fi still provide value for certain functions within a hospital setting, Finger and Goldsmith say, but dedicated cellular connectivity can enable greater mobility for clinicians, support real-time health data collection and analysis, and contribute to a better patient experience.

For example, automating clinical workflows by integrating AI with an EHR system can help reduce the time spent on administrative tasks, support decision-making, and improve diagnostic accuracy, but large data volumes and low-latency requirements need more robust connectivity, like private wireless built on 4G/LTE or 5G.

A neutral host network, on the other hand, is primarily for enhancing public cellular coverage within the hospital, improving basic connectivity for visitors and staff's personal devices.  A neutral host network helps ensure that patients and their caregivers can connect to patient portals and stay in touch with their child care providers and far-flung family members. Visiting nurses, vendors and other non-employees working on site can use neutral host to remain reliably connected to their offices.

Future proofing the connected hospital

“The ‘smart patient room’ is a big initiative within systems these days,” says Finger. “A lot of AI capabilities are being deployed inside the patient room, like ambient listening, for example.  A doctor walks into the patient’s room and while they're speaking their voice gets translated and loaded natively into a health record. So that's a big use case with low-latency needs. Another potential use case is intelligent video and computer vision inside the patient rooms with AI doing predictive analytics on fall detection. It's becoming part of the care team like an assistant to the nurses.  Private wireless is ideal for these capabilities,” Finger said.

Further, Goldsmith says that private wireless, which provides more direct control over who is allowed to access it, can help improve cybersecurity across a complex ecosystem of interconnected devices. “The adoption of digital technologies has increased exposure to ransomware attacks, data breaches, and other cyber threats,” he says. “That, and the popularity of cloud-based EHRs, necessitates more granular access control.”

In a connected hospital, the patient experience improves as well, Finger adds, because patients can use smart devices at the bedside for voice activation, eliminating the need to call for a nurse and wait. “They can say ‘hey I need a blanket,’ or ‘where's my meds,’ or ‘where's my meal’, and that may trigger a person or a connected mobile device to come deliver a blanket or your meal or your medication. Patients can manage the temperature and lighting and the window blinds by voice command. It’s a really great patient experience. They're trying to move to where it's like a hotel.”

Learn more

For more information please contact your Verizon Account Manager or visit verizon.com/business/solutions/industry/healthcare/.