If you’re a healthcare provider in the Pacific Northwest, you know how important it is to have reliable, fast internet. But did you know that fiber internet could be the key to taking your healthcare practice to the next level?
Fiber internet is the backbone of the healthcare industry. The need for stable and reliable connectivity is a necessity to keep our hospitals and healthcare facilities running.
How the Internet Is Changing Healthcare in the Pacific Northwest
In recent years, digital transformation has been a key topic in the healthcare industry. The way healthcare is using technology to improve the interactions between institutions and patients is a driving force behind the rapid growth. In a recent study, Deloitte shared insights that stated 92% of healthcare professionals and institutes achieved better performance from digital transformation.
The internet is reshaping healthcare all over the world, not only in the Pacific Northwest. In our communities and beyond, people have adopted an independent role when it comes to their health and healthcare. The high-speed reliability of fiber optic connectivity supports them when accessing tools for self-assessment, home-based monitoring, and even care delivery. As technology advances, the importance of stable, reliable internet becomes even more apparent. Hospitals and healthcare facilities need to keep up to keep running.
In many parts of the world, healthcare practices use electronic medical and health record systems. Today, 89% of office-based physicians use electronic record systems for patient care. Health record systems rely on being connected to the internet; without connectivity, they’d be unable to input or access patient information.
Advantages of Fiber Connectivity for Healthcare Practitioners in the Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is an area of incredible beauty and opportunity, but it also comes with unique challenges. Healthcare providers in the region are no exception. From an Oregon hospital to a Washington hospital, across the area there is a need for facilities to access reliable, high-speed internet to ensure they can provide the best possible care to their patients.
Fiber connectivity is the best solution for healthcare providers in the Pacific Northwest, providing them with the speed and reliability they need to keep up with the demands of their industry.
6 Advantages of Fiber Optics for Healthcare
Here are the top benefits of fiber internet connectivity for healthcare.
1. Protect patient data
Minimize HIPAA compliance issues and safeguard against data loss by using fiber optic internet. Fiber is more reliable and less susceptible to being hacked for two primary reasons.
First, fiber cables are buried underground and are resistant to electromagnetic or corrosive damage, which means your medical facility stays online even through rough storms or power outages.
Fiber optic internet offers greater security because it transmits data via pulses of light, which are harder for cybercriminals to intercept than the electrical signals used by cable Internet or the wireless signals used by satellite internet. For those reasons, your patient data is protected two-fold.
2. Scale with ease
The medical business continues to grow, and with it, digital transformation. These days, it’s very common for mergers and acquisitions to take place in the healthcare industry. This means growing teams and tools.
Healthcare practitioners are adopting new tech and are using an entire Internet of Things (IoT) across many of their locations and partner locations. These include phones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers, office phones, and more.
With so many things tied into the internet, your connection must be robust. Fiber internet delivers scalability as business operations grow, allowing increased capacity and quick adaptation to changing needs, all thanks to scalable bandwidth — up to 100 Gbps or more — without installing extra equipment.
3. Enhance healthcare staff experiences
Fiber enhances healthcare staff experiences and increases productivity by enabling rapid, cloud-based unified communications. Unified Communications compiles everything staff needs to share information, send messages, and collaborate on a streamlined platform.
Staff can use this communications platform, connected via fiber internet, to quickly switch between devices and communication mediums at the ready. On a similar note, fiber enables staff to manage medical records (EHR) with high-bandwidth connections to the cloud. Rapid EHR access means staff can obtain the information they need with minimal friction and provide better, quicker patient care.
4. Real-time results, better patient care
Collaborate easily with off-site healthcare partners. As an example, consider the use of fiber internet to communicate with an Oregon hospital. With fiber internet, healthcare professionals are able to quickly connect from their clinics across the region to communicate with doctors or nurses in the hospital.
Similarly, fiber enhances the patient experience. Medical personnel can share patient data in real-time, transmitting critical video and voice messages via telehealth applications with guaranteed uptime.
Patients benefit from coordinated efforts when teams can share information easily without waiting for a response.
5. Fast support to save lives
First responders need to act fast. When an incident happens, they are on the scene and use technology to gather life-saving information. Paramedics are connected to the internet, and their telemedicine backpacks support them in doing their jobs.
Fiber internet makes it possible for teams to act fast and access or send data within seconds. In life-saving situations, every second counts.
6. Monitoring for better patient care
A big part of providing healthcare is monitoring. Patients may have chronic health conditions that need constant attention. Healthcare professionals provide better care for patients with real-time, fast-acting fiber internet.
Fiber internet in the Pacific Northwest means healthcare providers can access accurate and up-to-date patient information. This isn’t a choice when it comes to healthcare these days. It’s a necessity. Patients rely on their healthcare professionals for health, well-being, and, in many cases, for their lives.
Fiber Internet Is the Backbone of the Healthcare Industry
Fiber internet is the most reliable and fastest type of internet connection available, and it’s the perfect solution for healthcare providers in the Pacific Northwest. Hospitals and clinics must access patient records, medical images, and other data quickly and securely.
Fiber internet can provide the speed and reliability needed for this. It also offers the highest level of security for patient data, ensuring confidential information remains safe and secure.
LS Networks provides rural communities in the Pacific Northwest with fiber internet connectivity. We understand that having a robust, secure network with powerful communication tools is a must in healthcare. We help you experience all the benefits of fiber internet so you continue to provide the best care for your clients.
Want to know more? We’re here to talk with you about how fiber internet can help your healthcare facility.