CURRENT LANDSCAPE: THE HOSPITAL OF NOW Most hospitals use traditional, proven physical network architectures. Whether hierarchical, mesh, or a hybrid variant, end devices typically connect to a serving TR housing ICT equipment. Optical fiber usually links the TR to an intermediary cross-connect room or directly to the telecommunications equipment room (ER). Edge devices are generally connected via category-based twisted pair cabling, offering PoE power and data transmission but with distance limitations. While PoE extenders exist, their widespread adoption remains niche, and they are generally not seen as a reason to reduce TR quantity or ignore proper placement. A traditional hospital patient room appears basic in its ICT presence. The exact number of ICT devices varies widely across hospital systems. Generally, they may contain a phone, television, nurse call
A Smart Room in the Hospital of the Future: Reimagining the Technology Footprint By Justin W. Hobbs
interface, a few data ports for a wall-mounted computer or mobile workstation, and sometimes real-time location systems (RTLS) to track equipment or monitor hand sanitation. In short, a traditional room might need five to eight cables. This is only a rough estimate, as different healthcare systems operate uniquely. To borrow from the aviation industry, one could say, “When you’ve seen one healthcare system, you’ve seen one healthcare system.” According to Definitive Healthcare, "there are more than 7400 hospitals in the United States," with an "average number of total staffed beds of [approximately] 129" 1 (Figure 2). When combined with the multitude of ICT systems outside patient rooms, the overall cabling needed can quickly overwhelm an older or undersized TR. This highlights the necessity for hospital administration to actively involve and attentively listen to their technology divisions during construction project planning.
Modern hospitals are technologically intensive environments, featuring a growing array of sophisticated devices and systems crucial for patient well-being and operational efficiency. Supporting this technological ecosystem demands significant, forward- thinking, and resilient physical infrastructure, leading to increased demand for dedicated technology spaces. The rise of AI, IoT, CBRS (i.e., private LTE/5G), and other emerging connected technologies in healthcare means hospitals face rapidly escalating technology requirements ( Figure 1 ). This strains the available space and cost of centralized telecommunications rooms (TRs). This article explores a fundamental question: how can we optimize the overall technology footprint in hospitals and strategically augment dedicated IT spaces? This article proposes a theoretical "hospital room of the future" design, inspired by space-efficient
technology integrations found in hotels and airports. This concept envisions localized zone enclosures serving individual or small groups of rooms. This architecture could leverage Class 4 (e.g., fault managed power) for safe and efficient power delivery, Power over Ethernet (PoE) for edge device power and connectivity within rooms, and passive optical network (PON) through streamlined micro duct pathways for backbone distribution. While this concept may not fully align with current industry standards, future architectures such as this could significantly reduce overall costs and provide greater flexibility for new technology deployments, especially in older facilities built with outdated or no standards. By distributing more components to the edge, this design could complement existing infrastructure and improve operational efficiency for the ever-evolving healthcare environment.
FIGURE 1 : Representative graphic of new connected technologies emerging in healthcare. Source: Mobius MD
FIGURE 2 : Percentage of hospitals by number of beds in the U.S. Source: Definitive Healthcare
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