Wireless networking in healthcare

¶ … technology of wireless networking in healthcare applications. Wireless networking allows computers and their users to communicate without "plugging in" to the infrastructure, as traditional computers must do. That means computers equipped with wireless capabilities can communicate with each other just about anywhere, and this is a boon to the healthcare field in any number of ways. Traditionally, wireless networking is used in personal computers, so users can go just about anywhere there is wireless capability and log on to the Internet, and it is used in business applications to give greater mobility and access to users. In the healthcare field, it has numerous possibilities and uses.

Wireless technology can be used to quickly connect all areas of a healthcare facility, including remote clinics and doctors offices, with all the departments of a healthcare facility. Clearly, this speeds up the process of communication, and computer users are not tied to a desk or exam room, they can take their computers with them wherever they go, and quickly and effectively communicate with who ever they need to talk to at once. It can also be used to set up mobile labs or clinics, while still keeping in touch with the main facility.

Wireless technological devices can replace traditional desktop computers in most applications, and the benefits of the technology far outweigh the initial cost. Making healthcare personnel more efficient is cost-effective, and raising the quality of patient care is the ultimate goal of any healthcare organization, and having mobile technology makes care and diagnosis quicker and more effective. The training necessary would be similar to computer training, and if new technologies, such as Blackberries, are used, then training might be necessary for these items, but for the most part, if the person were computer literate, there would be little training necessary. The only cons to using this technology is installing and maintaining the technology - the facilities it staff might have to get new training, and there would be the initial cost of installing the technology throughout the facility.

As one expert notes, "Access to patient information by healthcare professionals at the point of patient care is critical to improving patient safety. Physicians and nurses move between patients reviewing, documenting and delivering care" (Author not Available, 2007, p. 2). Using wireless technology helps improve productivity, because doctors and nurses do not have to return to a fixed computer, and they can use other devices right away. Ultimately, this reduces costs and time spent between patients, and improves the quality and effectiveness of care.

Wireless technology reduces costs because it allows personnel to be more efficient. It also reduces the need for some staff, like medical records, as these records ultimately are input into the computers. Other areas of healthcare, such as asset management, also benefit from wireless technology, as high-cost assets can be monitored electronically to reduce theft and vandalism (Author not Available, 2007, p. 3).