Preparing for Emerging Technologies in Healthcare
IT in Digital Hospitals | October 6, 2023
It’s no secret that technology is changing at a rapid pace. It seems like every day there is a new software, social media platform, or robot that promises to make all of our lives easier.
Knowing about these technologies is exciting, but to use them, integration must be possible. To integrate new technology into existing facilities, we need to be cognizant of the spaces we are working with.
Considering space for technology that hasn’t been invented yet is typically overlooked during the facility planning process. While a lot of new technology can easily replace existing processes without taking over the space, it is imperative to keep potential progressions in mind when planning new facilities.
Considering space for technology that hasn’t been invented yet is typically overlooked during the facility planning process.
Let’s look at hospitals as a starting point. When you enter any medical facility it’s easy to tell that it has been planned down to the inch. So, what can the owners of these spaces do to work in cutting edge tech?
When designing for IT & telecom specifically, there are many standards that must be kept in mind – whether it is a new system that is taking shape or more “traditional” designs for a new facility.
BrightTree Studios’ IT and Telecom designer, Jacob Barcenas, RCDD, says, “In order to maintain compatibility with how everything’s going digital, we’re having to ensure that we’re using the newest technology as far a cable types, in order to maintain the necessary speeds—pushing the standards of the time.”
Going digital will be monumental for healthcare facilities, giving patients the opportunity to easily access the best care wherever they may be located.
“Although telecom tends to get overlooked, it’s the heart of the hospital,” mentioned Barcenas. “Technology in hospitals can only advance as far as our telecom solutions advance and it can only be as good as the cable or fiber feeding it.”
Connectivity starts with a great network system; all technology is connected through the cloud & the facility’s internet server. Implementing mobile nurse stations and having patient information available from anywhere, allows doctors and nurses to receive real-time data across their healthcare network — which could be matter of life and death.
“Putting your information into a larger system that acts as a library, allows all doctors and nurses on the network to see the analytics leading them to discover the best solution—helping doctors cure you.”
The future of great telecom design doesn’t stop at network connectivity, upgrading current nurse call systems to better serve both patients and healthcare staff has taken the forefront of the discussion. Integrating technology that allows for video calls to pair with existing nurse call systems can reshape the hospital as a whole.
According to Barcenas, “Technology can increase productivity and conserve medical supplies like masks, gloves, and gowns, because every time a patient is pushing the nurse call button, [nurses] don’t have to gown up to check on the patient. They will just speak and jump on camera with you.”
Telecom systems can lend a hand to other technologies as well. For specialized hospitals who often deal with high-risk patients, there are cleaning robots that can take over the task of sterilizing rooms that have been contaminated with airborne pathogens and highly contagious diseases. They can even be trained to disinfect and decontaminate operating rooms after surgical procedures.
Technology is a game changer; it’s changing everything in healthcare. These spaces have the opportunity to transform in real time and give the public access to more information than ever before.
Barcenas mentions, “Technology is a game changer; it’s changing everything in healthcare.” These spaces have the opportunity to transform in real time and give the public access to more information than ever before.
Integrating groundbreaking technology will give patients and families the confidence and surety that they are receiving the best possible care available to them.
Interested in learning more about our health design considerations? Check out our previous blog about acoustics in the digital hospital environment.
