Even before the pandemic occurred, it was estimated that digitised healthcare services such as telehealth – i.e the practice of consultations between patients and medical providers via a remote electronic format – will grow to reach a market size of $10.6billion by 2025.
Hospitals and other organisations in the healthcare ecosystem rely more than ever on network infrastructures to ensure a secure, accurate, and reliable flow of information.
And, while the majority of healthcare data from connected medical devices is stored on the cloud, sensitive patient information must be handled and safeguarded under legal and regulatory standards.
Data security and privacy therefore remain a critical challenge.
Movement of information
Few commercial spaces can even approach the data-processing needs of a modern healthcare institution or hospital given the fast and dependable movement of information is mission critical.
Hence, healthcare data must serve distributed staff and patients requiring far-reaching connectivity.
Additionally, the global value of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) market is estimated to reach $187.60billion by 2028.
The growth of health-focused internet of things (IoT) devices and wearables, the adoption of telemedicine, clinical informatics, and rising healthcare data breaches have led to healthcare institutions investing in modernising their infrastructures.
Few commercial spaces can even approach the data-processing needs of a modern healthcare institution or hospital given the fast and dependable movement of information is mission critical
Numerous local and national hospitals across the globe are deploying services in conjunction with Wi-Fi modules, thereby making significant strides in asset tracking, device management, and patient care systems within the healthcare ecosystem.
And this integration of hospital assets and patient care services using enhanced connectivity is going to provide end-to-end solutions for hospitals.
Here are three crucial factors that public and commercial healthcare organisations should consider as they begin their transformation and innovation journey.
The digital healthcare market will grow to be worth more than 10.6billion dollars by 2025
1. More attention on patient safety, data security, and privacy in modern healthcare
The conventional face-to-face interaction between doctors and patients and healthcare methods are gradually being replaced by remote consultations and care models backed by technology.
For example, hospitals are implementing e-consultation services and health management applications to allow remote patient care and consultation services for improved last-mile accessibility.
And this growing trend has put modern healthcare networks under immense pressure to meet the increasing demand for telemedicine, all while spotlighting patient safety, data security, and privacy.
Today, data collected by wearables and mobile health applications is being transformed into actionable insights to enhance patient care and improve medical best practices.
Apart from data centres hosting confidential patient and medical data, patient care is governed by regulations, and lives rely on the network.
This makes a standards-compliant network – from the server room to the emergency room and from the nursery to the nurse’s station – critical.
Infrastructure security must prevent unauthorised access from an unauthorised person. Additionally, it should detect and repel unauthorised access by authorised personnel by tracking all changes to the physical layer in real-time.
Today, data collected by wearables and mobile health applications is being transformed into actionable insights to enhance patient care and improve medical best practices
2. IT operations technology synergies for smart, efficient healthcare
Modern healthcare organisations rely on the timely flow of information for efficient operations.
Within the hospital, the use of IoT can help the facility speed up healthcare delivery and make services more efficient.
Faced with mounting pressure, healthcare operations are increasingly in need of solutions that help optimise operational expenditure (OpEx) as critical systems become more connected and capable.
To achieve industry success (defined as improved patient outcomes and patient experience) IT and operational technology teams can create joint avenues of efficiency.
For example, a shared physical network can unlock the potential for more-efficient network administration and facilities operations.
Working together on a converged network, IT and operations technology teams globally are leveraging IoT capabilities that have led to exponential growth in the number of wired and wireless network devices.
For example, Wi-Fi 6/6E is connecting smart beds, oxygen monitoring devices, and real-time access to X-rays, among other staff alert and patient monitoring applications.
IoT adoption has also gained traction in lighting, physical security, asset tracking, smart parking, smart locks, and security cameras within healthcare facilities.
These real-world IoT deployments operate on a complex and costly array of network protocols, equipment and disparate management tools.
Faced with mounting pressure, healthcare operations are increasingly in need of solutions that help optimise operational expenditure as critical systems become more connected and capable
3. Patient experience at the heart of tomorrow’s healthcare
The healthcare sector is transforming, with the patient experience at the heart of everything from care delivery to personalised healthcare.
The adoption of digital technologies helps to improve remote patient monitoring and care delivery to achieve the best-possible outcomes.
Meanwhile, simplified and automated processes can significantly enhance the patient experience, staff efficiency, recruitment, and inventory monitoring and control.
According to an Accenture report, 84% of healthcare executives believe AI will fundamentally alter how healthcare providers gain patient information and interact with consumers.
For instance, AI systems that analyse data from IoT solutions, electronic medical records, DNA testing, genome sequencing, and personal health devices can assist clinicians in tailoring care and experiences for each patient.
The bottom line is that while healthcare organisations embrace next-generation services like telemedicine and virtual ICU centres, there must be a careful balance between operational efficiency and patient experience.
The use of IoT devices can help facilities speed up healthcare delivery and make services more efficient
