The Role of Internet Technology In Patient Care

For healthcare organizations like Michigan's Henry Ford Health System the goal, above everything else, is to provide the highest quality patient care. Highly-trained professionals; advancements in medicine; world-class facilities and personal touch are just a few ways that hospitals can transform lives. One particular area where healthcare has been making innovative strides is in the application of Internet of Things (IoT) technology to optimize operations and improve patient care.

As a society, people often take for granted just how transformative the internet is in their daily lives. With just a few swipes, we have the power to find nearly any piece of information available. We can control our home thermostat from the office as well as see how our furry companion is doing at doggy daycare via webcam. The internet is nearly everywhere and in healthcare, it can mean improving patient comfort, care and saving lives.

Mobility Is Moving The Healthcare IndustryIn healthcare, mobility is much more than just a secure Wi-Fi connection. Mobility also encompasses in-building cellular systems, the management of licensed and unlicensed spectrums, and the organization of Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS). In particular, the implementation of RTLS has helped to optimize the management and operational efficiency of healthcare devices.

"We have tens, to hundreds of thousands of devices in our facilities," says Doug McDonald, Manager of Mobility & Network

Infrastructure at Henry Ford Health System. "So how do we locate, optimize and secure those devices?"

By equipping devices with a small antenna chip known as a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), healthcare professionals can use beaconing similar to an "indoor GPS" system to find the location of a device in real time. While these small chips can help reduce the risk of loss or theft of valuable medical equipment, they can also mitigate unnecessary delays to patient care by tracking the status of those devices.

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“For example, if a nurse needs to locate an IV cart that is ready for service, the RFID chip will make it easier for them to find the nearest one,” McDonald explained.

RFID isn’t just limited to response time. According to McDonald, the team at Henry Ford Health System is also working to overlay the location platform for other uses, including duress notification and hand hygiene.

"Now that same tag they’re wearing also allows clinicians to track hitting the dispenser for hand hygiene."

By aggressively targeting compliance with hygiene standards, Henry Ford Health System is using mobile technology to lower the risk of patient readmittance due to infection.

Connectivity Is Streamlining The Patient ExperienceIn recent years, IoT has been gaining notoriety worldwide and particularly in the healthcare industry for its accessibility and widespread applications. Nearly any object has the potential to ‘connect’, including everything from beds to pacemakers.

In a recent report by Zebra, a healthcare retailer specializing in mobile healthcare solutions, 97 percent of bedside nurses will be utilizing mobile devices to access patient data by 2022. Nurses utilize these devices to access Electronic Health Records (EHRs), lab diagnostic results, medical drug and database references based on their location and proximity to a patient bed, resulting in faster, more efficient responses.

97% Of Bedside Nurses Will Be Utilizing Mobile Devices To Access Patient Data By 2022

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Apart from healthcare-related applications, connectivity is also a significant aspect of the patient experience. These days, connectivity is more than just being able to connect to Wi-Fi. Connectivity includes other engagement aspects of patient care, such as replacing TVs with the ability to stream directly using personal devices or utilizing patient-facing applications to update guests regarding appointment scheduling. And now, for Henry Ford Health System, it also means entering into the world of telemedicine.

Telemedicine isn't a new concept. According to the American Hospital Association, as many as 76 percent of hospitals had fully or partially implemented computerized telehealth systems by 2017.

Henry Ford Health System is using this innovative technology to deliver patient care more unbiquitous than ever before. As a practice, telemedicine grants patients the ability to consult with clinicians over the internet, allowing patients to get doctor referrals or prescriptions without ever having to step inside a healthcare facility. For families with children, or for those with physical limitations or limited access to transportation, telemedicine has great potential to provide patients with health services that won't impede on their day-to-day lives while making it more accessible to the masses.

This technology, as is often the case, does raise concerns for some patients regarding their perceived quality of care. To quell concerns Henry Ford Health System is going to great lengths to ensure that patients using telemedicine receive the same familiar and quality care experience.

"In telemedicine, your care comes first," says McDonald. "You're going to get a Henry Ford Health System clinician who knows you and your family so that you can get continuity of care."

Calculating The Cost Of Security And Bandwidth On Patient CareConnectivity and mobility allow the healthcare industry to streamline operations, providing patients with the highest possible care. Delivering network capabilities to support these rapidly advancing technologies is no small task.

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Alongside the 800 IT professionals within Henry Ford Health System the focus is always on security, bandwidth and maintenance to ensure maximum uptime and reliability to Henry Ford Hospital Systems. Concurrently, Doug McDonald is consistently challenged to work among moving targets. McDonald jokingly compares his job to "painting the Golden Gate Bridge." Meaning, as soon as one new technology is implemented, the team is busy preparing for what new innovations will come next in the healthcare industry.

Thousands of connected devices used daily throughout the health system calls for unrivaled attention and focus with regard to security. McDonald and his team keep themselves busy by utilizing a zero-trust model against connected devices – meaning that any device, whether a Henry Ford Health System device or not, is assumed to not be trusted. By using this model, cybersecurity personnel can ensure that the

network is equipped to both minimize as well as be resilient if faced with the possibility of a cybersecurity breach.

"Our biggest challenge is how to bring devices on, how to secure them, and how to make sure that they're hospital grade," McDonald shares. "When we look at security, we use a construct called IEC80001, drafted by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), which is a documented protocol for minimizing risk to connected devices."

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Currently, few government regulatory bodies exist that monitor device security. However, with the help of the AAMI, IT professionals working in the healthcare industry can be more vigilant about protecting devices that can be compromised.

"The protocol shares bulletins regarding how certain devices can be exploited," says McDonald. "So that facilities can 'lock down' devices and reduce risks of security breaches."

Beyond device security, perhaps the most significant challenge regarding connectivity is bandwidth. In healthcare facilities, bandwidth is an absolute necessity. New government regulations that require cloud storage of patient data – including the storage of three and four-dimensional digital images – are creating a greater need for higher perfoming networks with faster transfer speeds and lower latency.

But just because the demand for bandwidth exists doesn't mean that it's always possible to get a network 'on tap'. Designing new networks, laying cable, and obtaining regulatory approval for permits are all necessary steps in establishing higher bandwidth at a healthcare facility. For hospitals like Henry Ford Health System, it's essential to work with connectivity solutions partners like Rocket Fiber that are the leading edge of technology while remaining agile and responsive as operational needs evolve.

“ ”“Rocket Fiber and Henry Ford Health System work well together because one, we both have a mission of serving our local communities,” McDonald shares, “And two, Rocket Fiber truly cares about giving us what we need so we can achieve our mission.”

In Healthcare, Technology Can Enable A Better Patient ExperienceFor the next generation of healthcare, mobility and connectivity will continue to play an increasing role in day-to-day patient care. As McDonald jokes, “Connectivity is like air. If you don’t have it, you’re going to choke.” However, when it comes to technology in healthcare, business – and patient experience – come first.

Before any technology can be implemented, there first has to be an operational system in place for providing patient care.

“We’re not driving the technology, we’re enabling the technology,” McDonald tells Rocket Fiber regarding IT’s role in patient care.

“If you don’t have the people and process for the technology (including the adoption and training to operationalize it), then it doesn’t matter how much you spend on technology,” he says, “It’s not going to do anything.”

IoT devices and telemedicine are just a couple examples of how Henry Ford Health System relies on networking technologies in the delivery of patient care. “There’s so much riding on technology and connectivity,” says McDonald. “Imagine a provider in a clinic needs to beam an x-ray to a specialist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, so the best care can be provided for say, your grandparent or your child - helping to enable that capability - that’s the great part of what we do.”

Rocket Fiber is a Michigan-based company that delivers multi-gigabit internet and connectivity solutions for businesses and residences. The company’s core mission is to transform the way clients create, collaborate and communicate. Rocket Fiber’s portfolio of services includes managed network services, data and cloud, voice and dedicated internet, all of which are backed by award winning, white-glove client service and a state-of-the-art, 24/7/365 Network Operations Center.

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