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Technology driving the healthcare industry

When it comes to providing patient care, there is a direct relationship between technology evolution and quality breakthroughs. Technology advancements in IT hardware and hospital equipment have a direct impact on soft technologies, which include service improvements, more efficient processes and a tight bond between patients and their family members.

Consequently, medical institutions that pioneer and adopt new technologies are well positioned to provide better care and more valuable service to patients and their families. More than that, new technologies may help diminish loss, identify potential risks, and improve operational efficiency.

Top among technology trends in healthcare is ‘remote patient monitoring’ to establish a remote connection between physicians and patients. This includes teleconsultation as well as communication between various healthcare providers.

Another strong trend is ‘clinical intelligence’ to make comprehensive and long-term use of clinical data.

This monthly series of articles will discuss how network-based technologies are driving these trends and making hospital management smarter. “The solutions presented here are already adopted by pioneering institutions around the world, who dared to use technology to answer the challenges they faced on a daily basis. By embracing future technology, these institutions create a positive impact on patient care today,” says Clifton Greeff, national surveillance business manager at Duxbury Networking, distributor of Axis surveillance technology.

The image as a source of information

In the healthcare industry, images are predominantly used in two very different ways: either for medical diagnostic purposes, as in computed tomography and ultrasound equipment, or for physical security. Gradually, though, these possibilities are expanding.

Nowadays, images are one of the most comprehensive application tools at the disposal of healthcare establishments. Video surveillance cameras, which used to be only part of the hospital CCTV system, are becoming communication and data capturing devices on the network. This can enhance patient satisfaction, patient care and, above all, enable automatic, efficient and safe processes. Seeing cameras as sensors opens up new possibilities, and each one of them responds to typical demands inside a hospital, clinic or nursing home.

Hospitals that have already embraced the versatility of network-based video surveillance are leading the technology transition by combining cameras with access control and audio systems on their IT networks. In the future, hospitals will have video surveillance cameras that will capture data continuously to assess risks, generate automatic alerts, streamline processes, and analyse large volumes of data, with surgical precision.

Next month we look at the how surveillance technology is improving patient care.

For more information contact Duxbury Networking, +27 11 351 9800, info@duxnet.co.za, www.duxbury.co.za

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