Healthcare Critical Infrastructure Solutions
The Power to Heal through Critical Infrastructure Solutions
Healthcare providers face many challenges in today’s rapidly changing
landscape. Moore’s Law states that technology tends to double every two years
while simultaneously becoming more accessible and affordable.
This is certainly true in the healthcare industry as the “Medical Internet of
Things” has become a norm and the Edge of the healthcare technology network is
in the hands of doctors, nurses, administrators, and patients. This rapidly
changing landscape provides significant challenges for the industry.
Healthcare facilities require continuous, clean, and reliable power to support
critical IT infrastructure and ensure 24/7 continuity. Loss of power can
result in data loss (HIPAA violations) and worse yet, patient death.
The keys to ensuring patient safety, protecting your organization’s
reputation, and boosting financial stability start with building your
healthcare organization’s immunity through optimized critical infrastructure
along with flexible services and support for your team.
Factors such as aging physical infrastructure, rising energy costs, natural
disasters, ever-changing regulatory requirements, and a shortage of skilled
workers also contribute to technology risks for healthcare.
How Technology Is Changing the Healthcare Landscape
Internet of Medical Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the idea that the internet will expand to many items in the world besides phones and computers. These items will be accessible via the internet wherein you can pull data and/or affect them. Here are four ways the IoMT can change your work today:
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Remote Monitoring
- Doctors can view patient data from anywhere in the hospital or anywhere in the world if they can connect to the hospital’s servers. Doctors can also ensure patients are complying with prescribed measures even when patients aren’t under direct supervision.
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Precision Recording and Reporting
- One of the major benefits of using machines is their objectiveness. If the machine is functioning properly, it can’t lie to you. Patients, however, might not understand their symptoms or might be unreliable in reporting them for any number of reasons. Hospital staff can also be a source of error when recording patient data. It’s easy to imagine making a small error on data entry at the end of a long or stressful shift. With the IoMT, you can ensure only accurate data is being recorded and uploaded.
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Use of “Smart Medicines”
- Smart Medicines are an exciting advancement wherein a pill or tablet is injected with microsensors that record data through the ingestion process. These smart medicines will be an invaluable tool in the future, but only if you have enough infrastructure to support them. The data needs to be recorded quickly and accurately as the pill dissolves. The IoMT is a perfect solution for the requirements of this new technology.
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Cost and Time Savings
- Like any major upgrade, the initial investment of both money and time into the IoMT will be high. You might need to completely revamp your technology base and retrain your staff. The returns, however, are unbelievable. No more faulty data recording, no more inaccurate reports, no more wasted time and money on inaccurate diagnoses or data records. Overall, the IoMT is the next big step toward hospital efficiency and accuracy.
Interoperability & Secure Data Transfers
The idea of interoperability is multiple medical organizations working together and exchanging data, test results, and patient info to provide the best outcome for their patients.
To do this, the healthcare organizations obviously must communicate with each other and send very sensitive documents through the internet or faxes. Here are a few perks of interoperability:
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Fast Access to Patient Data
- Collaborating with other organizations allows you to get key, lifesaving, patient data you need at faster speeds than ever before.
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Expanded Knowledge
- Sharing information allows everyone to develop a complete knowledge base, expanding the care possibilities for every organization.
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Better Decisions
- With more patient information, any diagnosis a doctor makes will be better informed.
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Improved Care for Patients
- The goal of interoperability is to improve care for your patients. Sharing data empowers your staff to make the best decisions and build the best outcomes possible.
Despite these benefits, interoperability and regular data transfer has some drawbacks.
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Risk of Hacks
- As more and more documents are sent over the web, secure connections must be ensured to protect from hackers. If your tech isn’t up to security standards, Interoperability isn’t going to be safe for your patients until you upgrade.
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HIPAA Compliance
- HIPAA takes patient data security as seriously as you do. Any breach can result in incredibly large fines, loss of patient trust, and even a loss of license. Your tech needs to be able to protect your patients and your reputation before Interoperability can begin.
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Data Security
- The biggest source of data breaches at any company isn’t hackers or faulty tech, it’s the staff in the workplace. Your staff will need to be trained on proper usage of the new technology and procedures to ensure data isn’t compromised due to operator error.
Regulatory Environment
Healthcare is an incredibly stressful industry. Not only do you need to supply quality life-saving services, you have to maintain your facility and ensure your staff have the necessary technology in place to do their work.
The last thing you should need to worry about are malicious attacks on your systems or the effects of local natural disasters, but these events are all too common and growing ever more frequent. Improving the physical and virtual security of your environment is essential to preserving your operation and patient privacy.
The result of a noncompliance suit or inspection can be incredibly detrimental to your facility and operations. Fines often stretch into the millions after a data breach and this is considered a generally good outcome. You need a partner who understands the stringent requirements you face and can build elegant code-minimum solutions.
Healthcare Infrastructure Challenges
Network Security & Infrastructure Protection
- Technology is an incredibly important part of healthcare. Without a strong
IT backbone, you won’t be able to rely on the lifesaving technology you need
to help patients. Your facilities need reliable power all day, every day. As
Interoperability and the Internet of Medical Things expand, so, too, will
your needs for greater security and power.
Enable the Healthcare Technology Edge
- As our population ages and healthcare costs rise, innovation must take place
to ensure efficiency and drive rising costs back down. - Telemedicine, wearable technologies, and remote patient monitoring enable
patients to live safe and healthy lives independent of traditional
healthcare facilities. These solutions generate incredible amounts of data
which needs to be collected safely. - Deploying small branch center locations with connections to your data center
expands your reach without compromising security, efficiency, or operational
ability.
Distributed Technology Infrastructure
- Your facility must meet the challenge of not only using legacy applications
but applying them over outdated infrastructure. Some of these networks are
comprised of hundreds of facilities all trying to use these programs at
once. - Without strong IT management resources, it can be impossible to know what’s
happening on your own network. - Through a strong, connected network, you can simplify your IT management and
empower your decision makers.
Healthcare Operations Efficiency
- Healthcare is one of the most complex industries in existence. You need all
the power you can get out of your IT systems to meet requirements and
prepare for modern technology adoption. - The pressure is rising to reduce your costs, F staff productivity and
efficiency. - As the IoMT grows, your systems will be increasingly taxed by the volume of
incoming data and connected devices. Your infrastructure needs to keep up
with growing requirements and your infrastructure efficiency needs to
increase with each addition.
Enable “Green” Solutions & Sustainability in Healthcare
- Hospitals use more energy than any other building type, typically
representing half of the facility’s budget. Getting the most efficient tech
possible is a huge priority to drive down skyrocketing power costs. - Energy-efficient equipment upgrades, and replacements help decrease costs
and the environmental footprint. - Optimizing your infrastructure can be a simple but powerful way to lower
costs. - Using renewable energy in your hospital can prevent future patients whose
health might be impacted by climate change.
Power Quality Concerns
- Imaging systems comprise the core of diagnostic services for nearly all
healthcare facilities, requiring massive storage facilities. - Low power quality, poor installation, or problems in your electrical grid
can severely impact power sensitive equipment. - Poor image quality and unplanned equipment downtime due to power problems
can severely impact patient outcomes and put them at unnecessary risk. - Clean, reliable, and efficient power starts with proper design, equipment
selection, and installation. Regular system testing can also help ensure
efficient, safe, and continuous operation
Healthcare Critical Infrastructure Services
As you look to optimize your healthcare operations, we provide a variety of solutions to keep your infrastructure secure and online. Connect with us to schedule a call with one of our engineers to determine the best solution for your healthcare facilities.How Innovative Support Systems Inc Can Help
- Simplify the management and design of your IT infrastructure.
- Build your facility’s power system into a reliable, efficient, and eco-friendly system.
- Aid your facility in the transition to IoMT.
- Create HIPAA compliant energy and data storage solutions.
- Empower you and your team to do the best work.
Invest in Your Healthcare Infrastructure with a Partner You Can Trust
Healthcare is an ever-expanding industry, growing quickly in complexity and cost. You need a partner who understands the stringent requirements and incredible complexities of healthcare. You need a partner with industry experience, dedication to safety and efficiency, and expertise in IT fields.
We can help lower your power costs, increase your security, create an efficient network, establish strong infrastructure, and empower your team to provide the best possible care for patients. Contact us today to start moving toward tomorrow!