Networking technologies

Open communications — enabling the next generation for healthcare

David Leighton, Sales Director for Public Sector, Siemens Enterprise Communications.

July 2007

Even more so than in the business world, the ability for hospitals to deliver fast and effective patient care within tight budgets is critical to success. It’s no wonder therefore that, like businesses, hospitals are increasingly looking to the capabilities and benefits offered by the latest communications technology.

Communications, whether in a local surgery between GP and patient or between consultants and their teams in the operating theatre, are critical to the speed and efficacy of patient care. The standard of the physical communications network can make an enormous difference. It can confuse, irritate, enrage and even entirely fail its users — or it can deliver increased efficiencies and significant cost reductions, optimising the quality of service provided by healthcare organisations, and maximising productivity by enabling staff to work smarter, not harder.

Until very recently, communications inside hospitals have been dependent on face-to-face meetings, pagers, and the fixed telephone-line system. Hospitals are, however, beginning to realise the efficiency and cost benefits of investing in the new world of virtual communications – and increasingly looking to internet protocol (IP) networks to deliver those benefits.

Like businesses, hospitals are not looking simply for better voice communications. Hospitals are, or should be, data-driven environments, and an efficient communications network needs to enable the transfer of vital information — staff availability, patient records and xrays for example — around the hospital quickly. IP networks have multi-service capability, ie they can do more than one job at a time. An IP network handles voice, data, telemetry and video applications side by side, with quality-of-service parameters that ensure priority to time-critical content. An IP network is the ideal transport — it will deliver to any terminal with Internet access, as well as enabling access to information on the move via mobile device.

A converged voice and data IP network also has the potential to provide an effective and efficient link between primary and secondary healthcare by providing the capability to involve GPs in the consultation process during patients’ hospitalisation. The obvious benefit of virtual collaboration is that GPs do not need to leave their local practices in order to add value. By speeding up consultation, the NHS will take enormous strides to improving productivity and reducing waiting lists.

Two NHS trusts are already seeing the benefits that IP networking can have on the day-to-day operation of their hospitals. The Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, for example, has employed IP networking to enable virtual, real-time collaboration between its multi-disciplinary medical teams. Using presence-aware software, the Trust can synchronise teams of medical staff quickly and easily, meaning faster reaction to patient needs.

By implementing an IP system based on the open-standards session initiation protocol (SIP), the Trust has been able to integrate its existing applications, and currently has 12,000 users on the converged voice and data network.

Managing and scheduling the range of medical expertise required by patients throughout the hospitals was previously achieved through time-consuming internal meetings. Now, the IP network enables the hospital to conduct ‘virtual’ meetings, with instant access to electronic patient records and xray systems planned for the near future. Each doctor will have seamless online access to historical and current patient records, ensuring the delivery of quality, personal care. Ease of access to crucial information also increases the speed of decision making — critical in procedures such as organ transplants. The Trust runs a specialist transplantation unit that requires actions to be taken as fast as possible when organs become available. The ability to assemble teams containing the appropriate expertise is vital in ensuring the delivery of successful operations.

The Airedale NHS Trust has implemented a full WiFi network across all acute service wards in its Airedale General Hospital, speeding up doctor contact and critical data access.

The voice and data wireless network enables seamless access to essential data applications including patient records. Airedale NHS Trust selected the converged IP solution as a cost effective and futureproof way to improve existing internal mobile communications such as paging and DECT systems.

The new communications environment gives staff access to critical information immediately, speeding up decision making and delivering even faster responses to emergencies. The network also gives the hospital the potential to implement new technological advancements, such as enabling doctors to receive streamed video content, including xrays, to their wireless devices.

The new WiFi network installation will also help Airedale NHS Trust to meet the objectives of the Department of Health’s Hospital at Night scheme. This scheme aims to maximise the operational efficiency and productivity of hospital staff working during the night. An IP network makes it easier for specialists in multidisciplinary teams to share workload, improving the quality of patient care, which is the overarching goal of the scheme. The Airedale Trust is also looking at the possibility of installing personal location software on handheld wireless devices as a security measure, improving the safety of lone workers at night.

Every organisation wants the most efficient communications available, but not at any price. The chosen system must meet the standards of reliability, accessibility and economy dictated by an NHS constrained by ever-increasing pressure to cut costs. Competition too is a new challenge for the NHS. Patients are now empowered to choose where they receive their care. Performance league tables shine an unforgiving spotlight on the skills and services of hospitals around the country.

By choosing an IP network that streamlines the communications process and provides securely managed access any time within a virtual private network, hospital management teams can make far more effective use of the resources and skills of their staff. By opening up rapid and uncomplicated methods of communication between patients and doctors, response times are improved and missed appointments are less likely – both outcomes delivering benefits in productivity and budget and, most importantly, enabling hospitals to provide better healthcare for their patients.