Why you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of hospital WiFi

The whole world is more connected than ever and that touches every single sector, including the medical disciplines. So, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of hospital WiFi. It’s a foundational service that powers a range of medical functions. We’ll explore some critical reasons why great, reliable WiFi should be a big focus in your hospital.

Medical internet of things (IoT) devices

IoT is all over our homes, offices, factories, and schools; so, it makes sense that IoT has medical applications too. The first obvious area to exploit the power and functionality of Wi-Fi is with connected medical and non-medical devices. This includes smart beds, monitoring devices, and testing devices like MRI and X-ray equipment. When equipped with Wi-Fi, these devices can connect with a central database or system that automatically updates patients’ electronic medical records. IoT devices allow your medical team to access all the information they need at a glance and respond faster. Think about connected tablets with patient records and smart sensors that alert you to distress indicators. Just these two implementations save a wealth of data sourcing and improve response times which can vastly improve the recovery rates of hospital patients.

 

Keeping families connected

Not only is WiFi important for the doctors, nurses, and support staff in the hospital; families and patients need it too. Of course, it can provide some comfort for those in treatment who want the familiarity of their favourite show, but it also can help keep people connected while waiting for or dealing with a troubling diagnosis. Also, health educational content is something that many people wouldn’t think of when they think of watching TV in hospital. But given the situation, it’s the perfect opportunity to provide patients with educational videos and articles that are tailored to their specific condition. For example, the cardiology ward could have content that focuses on ways of keeping your heart healthy. So, the applications are undoubtedly far-ranging. Overall, good hospital WiFi improves the general quality of life patients experience while in your hospital.

Logistical efficiencies

One advantage you might not think about are the logistical advantages. For instance, wastage because of meal ordering inefficiencies would be a thing of the past if hospitals implemented WiFi and had an effective and easy to use system. In the past, orders are taken 24 hours in advance with a manual meal card that patients have had to fill out. But in that time, a patient could have moved beds, instructed to have nil by mouth, been discharged or simply changed their mind on what they wanted to eat. With a new system, the orders could be taken online and significantly less food would be wasted. That’s not all. Think about the trickle-down effects of up-to-date information. Beds could be cleaned and prepped in less time and rooms wouldn’t stay unused out of confusion on who is occupying them.

But you need to have fast and reliable WiFi to make use of these benefits. Slow just isn’t an option anymore. Need to talk about your hospital WiFi deployment? MLR Networks is here for you.