What is a truly connected healthcare ecosystem?
In Australia, we are moving toward a more connected and digitally driven healthcare system, which promises to enhance patient experiences and improve health outcomes. We have seen significant advances have been made in establishing a digital health infrastructure, with initiatives like My Health Record facilitating the sharing of digital information.
The pandemic accelerated the adoption of technologies like telehealth and virtual appointments. The next generation of initiatives will be more holistic, combining cybersecurity, digital health literacy, and increased collaboration between institutions.
Recently, Connected Health caught up with leading healthcare technology thought leaders to discuss current and emerging trends that will shape the industry in the coming years. Below is a summary of the enlightening conversation between Andrew Duncan, VP of product management at Spectralink; Brad Gwyther, principal consultant & customer success manager at Imprivata; and Michael Dyson, VP of sales and marketing APAC at SOTI. The discussion was facilitated by Wavelink’s GM for mobility, Mark McDonald.
To access the full recording of the virtual panel discussion, click here:
What is the role of your company in the connected healthcare system?
Brad from Imprivata: “We primarily focus on the customer experience and how the current workflows affect patients. Our work incorporates security and ensuring streamlined access to data, quicker password access with verified credentials, faster clinical outcomes, reduced costs, and better decision-making from a strategic perspective. The key trends I see emerging are around data security and precise access management. The next challenge is to unlock the power of the data generated within healthcare settings”.
Andrew from Spectralink: “ At Spectralink we focus on bringing people together and the communication between nurses and nurses, nurses and doctors, clinicians and patients—and the data that they require. We have 30 years of experience in the field of providing access to the right info at the right time to minimise mistakes, reduce fatigue, and deliver better outcomes.
The trends I’m focused on concern risk reduction and access to data via solutions that are proven to work together. We are also focused on security across the networks, protecting endpoints in the hospital so information is connected but protected.”
Michael from SOTI: “We focus on security and the customer experience. Across a hospital, there are workstations on wheels, handheld devices, printers, and kiosks that are all connected to the network and are therefore exposed and require security management. Using our solutions you have a bank of connected devices, but the IT team looks at a single pane of glass, which is a huge advantage.
The emerging trends I’m seeing are around healthcare that is not only provided inside a hospital, but also in the home, and remotely. Using the right solutions a team of clinicians can share a device with each person able to access only what they need to complete their role. We then track how the device is being used, from where, and the effects on productivity. We still see clinicians sharing private health data on unsecured devices, which is not only unacceptable but unnecessary.”
What are some of the innovations you see on the horizon?
Brad from Imprivata: “We are presently constructing a roadmap of current product features and what is coming. There is increasing regulatory pressure on the healthcare sector and pressure to improve cost-effectiveness with measurable. We are also focused on cloud and hybrid data storage and access to patient data via smart devices.”
Andrew from Spectralink: “I see more healthcare growing outside of the four walls of hospitals, keeping patients connected after they leave with access to data in the home for visits, making devices easier to use and deploy across settings. Spectralink is constantly testing devices to ensure enablement such as location data to streamline alerts and alarms to staff members in the correct vicinity.”
Michael from SOTI: “There is a need for the information needed to treat patients to be personal with no need to step away from the patient to use external workstations. Australia and New Zealand are still lagging much of the world in adopting new technologies. SOTI works across various industries, and we bring lessons to healthcare to improve ROI and overall outcomes.”
The role of AI in healthcare
The discussion also touched on the growing impact of AI on the healthcare industry, including harnessing the potential of the vast amounts of data collected and applications like predictive device maintenance to minimise downtime.
Spectralink uses AI to cancel out ambient noise and enhance voice clarity, improving communication. Imprivata employs AI to monitor trends and send alerts for activities that deviate from the norm. SOTI is developing AI capabilities to intelligently provide insights into healthcare device usage.
Conclusion
The webinar session concluded with the agreement that data is beautiful. The challenge is protecting that data from malicious activity such as cyber-attacks. All speakers spoke of empowering frontline staff with tech that works when and where it is needed without compromising security. Hospitals are complex environments. They are interconnected and are best served by simple, consistent, and reliable solutions.