What impact do smart rooms or smart hospitals have on physical network infrastructure? It is the same impact as adding more technology and devices to any physical network, especially one not designed for growth. Since a smart room is a broad concept, calculating an accurate average number of devices and associated infrastructure is difficult. For this discussion, assume 15 to 25 connected devices per patient room, some wired, some wireless. This could mean a 175 percent to 215 percent increase in required cabling. While current standards offer guidance on proper TR sizing with growth factors, this may not be feasible in existing or even newer hospitals where such guidance was ignored. Dr. Jennifer Carpenter, Chief Nursing Informatics Officer of University Hospitals, noted that regarding their recent upgrades, “The biggest expense has been opening up walls to install the wiring.” 4 This suggests more than just simple wall openings; it raises the question of whether existing TRs have the space for the additional cable load. The perception problem is that ICT spaces are often seen as a nuisance by those outside the industry. They are viewed as a "necessary evil" in construction. When technology is squeezed into leftover space, its sustainability clock starts ticking. Phrases like “we’ll just fix it later” or “we will do something when the time comes” are temporary fixes for a growing problem that will become increasingly expensive. So, what happens if growth space is limited or non- existent (Figure 5)? First, decision-makers must understand the ramifications. Document the "lessons learned" from past efforts and present tangible historical costs of improper construction. Nothing, aside from patient care mishaps, grabs attention like monetary waste. Second, ask: “What if we could modify practices to alleviate this?” What if we could leverage other technologies to augment existing ICT infrastructure, adding value and resiliency to American hospitals? After all, expanding or renovating existing technology space can be more expensive than alternatives, both in physical construction and operational costs. What if the healthcare industry began viewing patient care spaces through a similar lens to the
hospitality industry—hotels? After all, the primary difference is that one visits a hotel when well, vacationing, or on business, while one visits a hospital when unwell and needing help. Both offer amenities designed for comfort and convenience, and both face similar challenges in upfitting older facilities.
to advance healthcare technology. The operative question is ‘what if’. What if the industry centralized or decentralized overcrowded TR spaces for flexibility, risk reduction, and granular technology expansion? What if it utilized leaner, more future-resilient technologies already available? What if the technology sector could provide a more robust footprint while minimizing the need for additional program space during growth and renovations? Passive Optical The healthcare sector can learn from the hospitality sector. Many parallels exist between modern hotel rooms and hospital rooms. Comfort and convenience link the two, as do the challenges of upfitting older facilities. The concept of centralized technology infrastructure using passive optical network (PON) or passive optical
local area networking (POL) is not new (Figure 6). It is proven to be resilient and effective. For hotels, a notable deployment was a global first: Marriott hotels in New York City featured PON, delivering voice, TV, and data via optical fiber. This drastically reduced the required rack space, power, and pathways. The Atlanta Marriott Marquis also implemented optical fiber-based POL, meeting evolving guest needs for high-speed Wi-Fi, enhanced Internet Protocol television (IPTV), and cellular distributed antenna systems (DAS). This technology even saved them more than $100,000 in construction budget. 5 The Hotel Marcel in New Haven, CT, is a net-zero hotel utilizing advanced PON infrastructure. Other global hotels, including Crimson Mactan (Philippines), Orizzonte Village Resort (Italy), Perdepera Resort (Italy), Hotel Tura Valencia (Spain), Lotte City Hotel Jeju (South Korea),
FIGURE 5 : An example of an overcrowded TR. Source: Reddit u/Calade_dev EXISTING TECHNOLOGY: TOOLS IN THE TOOL BAG It is important to emphasize that technology cannot exist without the imperative trinity for all technology systems: electricity, space, and pathways. The question then becomes how professionals best leverage these for optimal benefit. Leaders must plan for and utilize what is available now, while also preparing for what comes next. The technology problems many hospitals face today usually stem from a lack of one or more of these trinity components in their existing (or planned) ICT spaces. Creative solutions are therefore necessary
FIGURE 6 : Conceptual difference between POL and copper infrastructure. Source: TechAccess
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