In health systems, the fast approaching and overwhelming Covid-19 has highlighted the need for information to flow simply and quickly with maximum efficiency.
Health providers, with these new demands and challenges, are widely benefited from technological advances in connectivity and infrastructure, which can be achieved through fiber optics.
Digital transformation has brought great advances and trends for hospitals: new ways to deliver services, model the predictive future (preventive and personalised), closer collaboration across the ecosystem, and the adoption of cheaper, more accurate, and less invasive treatments and therapies.
Technologies such as cloud computing, 5G technology, AI, Big Data, 3D printing, neurolinguistic programming (NLP), Data as a Platform (DaaP) and the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) ensure the vital functions of the hospital itself and the well-being of patients.
Smart hospitals have many benefits, but certainly there is one that is over all of them, which is the increase in quality of the health care service provided. This new concept has as its philosophy to create modern hospitals built on an ICT environment and interconnected tools.
According to the study “Deloitte Insights 2020 Global Health Care Outlook”, which investigated trends driving change across the global health ecosystem, some of the key issues that industry leaders need to consider to establish a solid foundation for the future are:
But while this is happening, hospitals still face many challenges in terms of costs and complexity in adopting disruptive technologies. New trends and market opportunities demand a differentiated network infrastructure, where modern hospitals are built on an ICT environment, interconnected tools, and new features to facilitate the work of physicians, reduce health costs and improve the patient experience.
For this reason, taking into account the transformation of the sector, PONLAN offers a complete and robust solution in terms of connectivity, which provides total efficiency in network performance and protection for all data traffic.
First, smart hospital data centres require high performance and flexibility to meet different demands for increased speed (and different distances).
The concept involves offering a set of products, solutions, and services designed to support current and future 400G applications.
Likewise, the hospital solution centralises network infrastructure management, significantly reducing efforts in IT operation.
This ensures the security of this data through inventory and fault management (HIMSS) practices and alarm of unauthorised service occurrences, providing greater visibility through management reports and greater agility in fault recovery.
In addition, it is more sustainable: documentation is all digital (paperless hospital), so it collaborates with the environment.
Finally, the quality of the products is certified by international organisations, which guarantees connectivity even in the most aggressive environments: moisture, dust, fluids, etc.
Providing assured performance, whether in the surgical center, laundry or cleaning and disposal areas, with full adherence to all hospital standards.
by Furukawa Electric LatAm March 2021
The pandemic struck all sectors in a surprising manner and each with different consequences.In health care systems, Covid-19 highlighted the need for information to flow simply and quickly with maximum efficiency, so the need for investment in information technology, especially in connectivity networks, is clear.
The point now is to be able to streamline, optimize health care services in order to provide 360o care, in other words, from physicians to the patients.
In the Colombian market, several health care centers, both public and private, showed their interest in betting on the expansion and modernization of their connection networks.
At Furukawa, the projects in this segment had a significant increase during 2020, reaching simultaneous deployments of several health care centers. There is no escaping digitization in this area, and it is here to stay.
During a pandemic, with isolation and social distancing measures, having infrastructure that allows virtual service is key.
The digitisation of information and quick and simple access by professionals and patients simplified all processes in many cases.
Furthermore, this modality, not within a pandemic context, becomes useful for patients with reduced mobility or those who live far away.
International standard ANSI/TIA1179 includes a series of recommendations for health care cabling, which are the basis for good deployment that can ensure good investment and avoid future restrictions, so a key point is the use of optical fiber.
It should be taken into account that network infrastructure projects in the health care area must have a long-term perspective.
Thus, when there is a solid foundation, good results can be achieved with the possibility of updating and growing with respect to the bandwidth and latency needs of hospitals, which increase with telemedicine and diagnostic imaging applications.
It should be remembered that medicine is a dynamic area in constant evolution and you must be prepared for that.
As with a Data Center, data security and speed of access are fundamental issues in the health care area, all the information on the network is sensitive, confidential and requires great precision for decision-making by physicians and should be considered a “Mission Critical” environment.
In other words, to apply good security practices in the data center, it is recommended to have fiber optic-based systems for high availability and low latency.
For the health care area, adding an infrastructure application is complex, since these must be considered in the initial design or have spaces for future extensions of cables or active equipment.
Having a vision for the future in the health care area means not having to break walls or make noise.
So the key points are: foresee extensions in the departments, such as, for example, diagnostic imaging, remote care, integration of information from other Health Care Centers of the same hospital in a different location or in another city, among others.
Health care systems, with these new demands and challenges, are widely benefited by technological advances in connectivity and infrastructure, which can be achieved thanks to opticalization, in other words, the transition of the fiber optic infrastructure, which allows the medical practice and patient experience to be completely modified.
Hence, fiber optics is the ideal physical medium for the characteristics required for data transmission in a mission critical health care context.
Opticalization of the hospital infrastructure has resulted in a great global revolution, ensuring superior quality in every way, compared to other technologies.
Luiz Henrique Zimmermann Felchner 2021