Healthcare IT and network infrastructure challenges in the midst of a pandemic

Hospitals cannot afford downtime; scaling their network capacity shouldn't be complicated

For the past decade, countries like the United States and Great Britain have invested billions in network infrastructure to modernize data interoperability in the healthcare sector.

In the U.S. the implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) is now ubiquitous, used in over 85% of hospitals nationwide. EHRs have the advantage of providing accurate and complete information about patients, enabling physicians access to a patient's current medication, allergies, and laboratory results in real-time.

EHRs reside in the provider's network servers, resuling in massive data transmission and storage needs

Now network operators race to expand processing power to withstand the astounding surge in patients and medical data, further exacerbated by the shift of care from offline to online using telehealth services to deliver care virtually during the COVID-19 crisis.

Telehealth relies on both the connection to high-speed reliable internet from service providers such as Verizon and the ability to process the bandwidth and data application in the core network. Clinics and hospitals face network bottlenecks as routine patient visits are replaced with online video calls.

Regardless, hospitals are critical to societal health and their IT must kept running

As medical emergencies occur at all hours, hospital data centers and network equipment too must be accessible around the clock. Downtime results at best in reduced care quality or an inaccessible EHR, but at worse can have life and death consequences.

Hospitals accelerating their network capabilities can close the gaps from the added load of EHRs and remote video consultations by optimizing infrastructure that is already in place.

4 excellent network/IT upgrades from Proline to ensure 24/7 network accessibility:

1. Easy server memory upgrades – Not to be overlooked, upgrading server memory is a quick and cost-effective solution to handle increased data and application response times. View all Proline’s Cisco® UCS server memory options.
2. Simple 10G access network upgrades– Despite years of investment, many health access network elements are still connected by 1G or lower connections. Going from 1G to 10G increases speed and efficiency. We offer a wide range of SFP+ transceivers including CWDM and DWDM fixed and tunable wavelengths.
3. Upgrades from edge to core – Telehealth and other health-related applications are driving upgrades at both the edge and network core. Proline's broad portfolio of 25G SFP28, 100G, and even 400G transceivers are popular upgrades to keep up with rapidly increasing demands while limiting cost exposure.
4. Fiber patch cables to future-proof hospital networks– Maximize fiber infrastructure with the right cabling that can support high-speed bandwidth network applications. Proline offers a wide assortment of single-mode, multi-mode, and MPO cables. Our test certified fiber patch cables are robustly constructed, ensuring circuit integrity and seamless connectivity. A wide assortment of single-mode, multi-mode, and MPO cables are available. View all fiber patch cable options.

Proline is the preferred partner to empower medical IT

Our network solutions help take the concerns away from the network and enable medical professionals to focus on what's important - the health and well being of their patients.

Contact the Proline team today to upgrade your healthcare network – we are here to help!