Architecting Healthcare-Capable Networks that are Prepared for Anything
As an industry, healthcare is now standing years out from the complete shake-up that was the global pandemic — but the foundation of medical care is not only still permanently changed, but continuing to be reshaped by new applications. Yes, virtual clinics, at-distance healthcare monitoring, virtual physician visits, IoT wearables and even over-the-internet prescriptions have changed the way both patients and providers support medical needs.
The global digital health market size was estimated at nearly $241 billion in 2023, and research firms estimate that it will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 22% from 2024 to 2030. New apps, devices and e-prescription services are certainly redefining this sector — but the core component that powers this ongoing change is the underlying networks.
Delivering prompt, accessible and safe telehealth and digital medical services (not to mention storing, sharing and managing a growing amount of patient data between healthcare locations and teams) demands advanced connectivity. For forward-thinking organizations that want to deliver the very best experiences and maintain trust from users, it’s time to think about how to reinvest in the very best network foundations.
What’s New in Telehealth?
Due to the status of various waivers and provisions (and their potential expiry at the end of 2024), some in the healthcare space are calling this year the Telehealth Super Bowl. On the whole, however, demand for accessible digital services remains strong. More than 40 states have permanently changed and updated their telehealth laws over the past few years, and every state Medicaid program covers a degree of telehealth.
With digital services now central to patient experiences and outcomes — and crucial for institutions’ operational and financial models — expanding capabilities to make way for new technology is key.
In practice, new degrees and applications of data, analytics and digital services come in many forms. In some cases, 3D modeling or augmented reality could become the new normal for optimizing surgeries with greater visibility. For patients at home, wearable devices that monitor key vital signs could be used to keep doctors in the loop even from afar or give patients more autonomy in their care for greater freedom. Artificial Intelligence — when applied to Big Data — could be used to enhance preventative care, reduce the instances of human error, or even help with staffing and occupancy rates for more effective hospital operations.
Notably, telehealth applications play a vital role in covering widespread staffing issues that often leave rural and underserved communities in the lurch. Online services help bridge physical distances and expand service areas to give more equal health opportunities to larger populations (and reduce provider burnout too). With this in mind, some say that in the next few years, a growing number of providers will become virtual care experts, improving both their “web-side” manner and seeking out more advanced care platforms.
The opportunities are seemingly endless — but before this value can be leveraged and offered to the masses, healthcare organizations likely have some work to do.
What Healthcare IT Leaders Must Consider
Healthcare data is some of the most private and sensitive information out there, and as the amount being generated grows (and the number of places it needs to go expands), protecting that data is becoming a bigger challenge. The patient’s trust is paramount, and once it’s lost, it’s lost for good. Data breaches and unsecured IT strategies can be devastating to any organization, but the healthcare industry is most vulnerable. Building the right solution can be a daunting task to undertake (unless you have the right ally — more on that later), but network evolution can’t wait.
The first step in building the right network solution is ensuring the backbone is totally secure and private. Information should avoid the public internet wherever possible to limit points of failure and give the organization control over the sensitive information that flows through the network. In this case, E-Line, EP-LAN and EVP-LAN Fiber Ethernet can help. This solution can offer point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, or multipoint-to-multipoint architectures — all with private Ethernet that offers high levels of redundancy, diversity and speed. Dark fiber also delivers security through private transfer, with added scalability that caters to growing data volumes.
Furthermore, when creating a fully empowered network architecture, getting the best of the best means getting flexible, customized solutions that cater to individual needs and geographical requirements. In this way, managed services or SD-WAN foundations are particularly impactful.
However, when incorporating managed services or advanced network use cases, here’s what brings a network transformation together and aligns organizations with long-term success — the right fiber partner. A trusted network ally is the secret sauce for keeping pace with new technologies because they’ll work closely with organizations to give them exactly what they need.
The Key to Building Tomorrow’s Service Success
Keep this in mind: The right infrastructure partner won’t try to fit healthcare institutions onto a legacy network — they’ll build it new for the customer in a fully optimized way. This is what Glo Fiber Business does best. For decades, our team has partnered with healthcare organizations, helping medical teams and providers achieve the highest quality connections with the fastest speeds and security possible to support evolving telehealth and data management demands.
No matter what innovations come or how the world of healthcare continues to change, institutions need to be ready to capture any and all value that emerges. At the core of this agility is networking — and at the core of networking is a partnership that truly delivers.