In the last 10 years the healthcare industry has experienced significant cultural shifts, policy changes and technological advances, which have all contributed to the growth of a more patient-centric approach to care. For us in IT what that means is that pace of technology adoption is increasing in the majority of healthcare organizations. With this rise in the expectations of technology tied to the goal of more safe and efficient patient care, comes an increased patient and physician reliance on reliable wireless networks. Fast forward to today and you are hard pressed to find a hospital that does not view Wi-Fi as mission critical for their efforts to streamline operations, reduce errors and improve the overall patient experience.
To better understand the status and trends of hospital Wi-Fi use in 2016, Extreme polled 101 healthcare IT professionals around the world to learn how they are utilizing wireless in their hospitals. Take a look at some of the high-level takeaways in our infographic below – do any of these data points surprise you?
The world of wireless networking in healthcare is quickly progressing, and there are many discussions about how to best meet the evolving demands for wireless. Based on the collected survey data, we may conclude that wireless in hospitals is primarily being used for clinical applications and guest access, but this is expected to change. One of the most noticeable ways that hospitals have begun leveraging wireless in the workplace is through the use of mobile devices to replace paper records and legacy communications. These technological advances can help improve clinical workflow, allowing staff to operate as a more effective team for patient care.
While survey respondents expressed concerns over increased wireless capabilities and resulting bandwidth inefficiencies, they also showed optimism for increased patient care, mobility and overall hospital efficiency. According to Becker’s Hospital Review, a mobile first strategy and focus on real-time resolutions are key to improving patient satisfaction. Physicians and hospital employees cannot be shy about ensuring that a patient’s experience is as positive as can be while under their care.
