The digital transformation in the health sector has accelerated this year. Technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), big data and quantum computing are beginning to show their true power, and to be considered necessary investments in the medium term. It is essential to have a technological infrastructure capable of supporting these deployments, and networks with the particularities necessary for environments that need special care.

Smart hospitals have many benefits, but ultimately there is one that prevails over all of them, and that is the increase in the quality of medical care. This new concept has the philosophy of creating modern hospitals built on an ICT environment and interconnected tools. New functionalities to facilitate the work of doctors, reduce healthcare costs and improve the patient experience.

Furukawa Electric, manufacturer of solutions for communication network infrastructure and data centers, then develops the concepts of Hospitals, Patients and Health 4.0. 

Hospitals 4.0, an infrastructure for everyone

This is a new concept that refers to the infrastructure found within a hospital, clinic, laboratory, among others. According to the different regulatory entities, these new infrastructures must have a long useful life that sets the standard for the longevity of technologies in relation to systems. 

Therefore, for health sector organizations, it is necessary to evaluate and discuss the investment in modern technology and especially in a structured cabling infrastructure that allows it to last over time. For example, the PON LAN architecture in hospitals and clinics has been a great solution worldwide, since it allows the convergence between multiple services, such as data, VoIP, video surveillance, electronic equipment, mobile devices, management services and electronic medical record (EMR), among others.

It is also possible to implement an integrated health care system where the clinical history of all patients attending these medical centers can be tracked, and in this way, a doctor at any care center, clinic or hospital can see the medical history, formulas, X-ray plates, CT scans, or ultrasound scans, thus avoiding repeated studies and examinations as one goes to one or another health center.

Patients 4.0, the most important resource

Now, keep in mind that the patient is also 4.0. Previously, human beings were passive, that is, they had no information, no health statistics, no idea about the warning symptoms of a possible disease, only the confidence of their family doctor.

Today, thanks to technological advances, if patients have any symptoms they can search the Internet and find out about them, they have gadgets that allow them to monitor their health status, review their clinical background online and access the comments they receive from their doctors. 

Likewise, this new trend means that patients are always hyperconnected, that is, they are used to receiving information and even making consultations from any place and any device, without having to resort to the tiring visit to their doctor's office. 

Health 4.0, everything at the click of a button

Health 4.0 refers to all the services that are within the hospital, everything that is related to functionality. For example, thanks to IoT and automation, in the case of health professionals, the dynamics of the work is much more effective and optimized, since thanks to easy access to software and databases they can update the medical history of patients through smartphones, tablets and computers.

Without a doubt, this technological evolution collaborates directly with doctors located in internal hospital locations, thanks to the support of high-speed data transfer, remote monitoring of patients or precision equipment, integration of telemetry, IoT technologies for intelligent applications, online consultation of medical records; or allowing remote monitoring of highly complex surgeries. 

Technology always brings about disruptive changes in those areas where it can offer new possibilities and its accessibility to as many people as possible. The application of the latest technological innovations in the world of health in general offers us a series of possibilities that we are obliged to explore. Not only because it helps us to be more successful but also because it allows us to continue advancing in a common objective of all the professionals in this industry: to improve people's health and quality of life.

A secure, robust and reliable network and data center infrastructure system is essential in this digital journey. Furukawa has specific solutions for this vertical, ensuring the necessary performance, so that hospitals and clinics are focused on lives.