Elevating technology to solve healthcare’s biggest problems

The healthcare system is under significant stress and demand. Australia’s National Skills Commission anticipates a shortage of around 211,430 full time workers in the sector by 2050. This comes amid the wider context of a global shortage, with the World Health Organisation projecting a global shortfall of 10 million healthcare workers by 2030.

This is a problem that will not be solved by additional workers alone. It reflects a broader need to re-examine the way in which the industry operates and how technology may transform it.

With the heightened ability for automation and smarter technology that 5G networks will enable, Optus is helping to provide hospitals with the tools to address the sector’s challenges. Emerging digital technologies are creating ‘smart hospitals’ by allowing for the tracking of assets and equipment, real-time patient monitoring and reporting, and harnessing the opportunities for mass connectivity across IT and Analytics for improved utilisation of space. These functions are making robust digital networks a vital component of hospitals, with access to 5G and IoT devices key to improving the efficiency of Australia’s healthcare systems.

New opportunities for comprehensive solutions

When building hospitals, the focus has traditionally been on the physical facility. This ignores a major opportunity to design for outfit far more efficient spaces, incorporating digital solutions in the architecture and design.

This year’s Federal Budget included an $824.4 million investment in digital health. As well as bolstering existing initiatives such as My Health Record, it reflects the key role that new technologies will play in advancing health outcomes.

The ability for devices to achieve the complete connection and seamless communication that 5G and soon 6G will bring, provides enormous opportunities to improve patient outcomes. Optus is working to integrate IoT devices and smart connectivity into hospitals from day one, helping to deliver hyper-connected smart hospitals that can reduce the strain on healthcare workers and improve monitoring of patients.   

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Real care in virtual settings

The increased capability of 5G technology means healthcare becomes broader than just treatment at a physical location such as a hospital. Greater ability to monitor not just patients’ vitals but the physical environment in which they are being treated means this care can take place in more familiar environments such as their homes.

Already, virtual triage for emergency rooms is beginning to be adopted by over 15% of hospitals, with a further 40% of hospitals intending to implement the technology. A study in the US found these technologies have already reduced unnecessary emergency room visits by up to 22.2%.

Producing better outcomes often means preventing patients from unnecessary hospital visits, which is why Optus recently partnered with Cisco and La Trobe University to research and promote the opportunities of virtual care.  As well as giving patients the ability to receive treatment in a comfortable environment, the decentralisation of care frees up beds and healthcare workers in hospitals.

Already we have seen a willingness to move towards virtual healthcare. In a study by HealthEngine, 27.6% of patients surveyed said they preferred a virtual appointment over a face-to-face as a matter of convenience. As 5G bolsters the capabilities of VR and AR, it allows for agile, personalised care. These technologies present particular opportunities for physiotherapy and rehabilitation, while XRHealth’s Amelia platform is employing VR for mental health care.
 

Constantly striving for better outcomes

Continuing to stay up to date with technological advancements is crucial to improving patient outcomes. A lack of access to coherent digital health record keeping across the sector is currently wasting precious time and resources across the country. According to a government study, 14% of pathology tests are ordered due to a lack of access to patients’ prior medical records. That represents an immediate saving that can be made with wider access to Electronic Medical Records.

For Australia’s existing hospitals, minor upgrades can make major improvements. Research from McKinsey found that in most OECD countries, further investment in digital technologies could allow for cost savings of more than 10% of overall healthcare expenditure. Key to addressing this is the heightened ability for analysis of space and resource utilisation in hospitals that greater connectivity brings. That’s why Optus is putting IoT-connected equipment in the hands of healthcare professionals, helping to create a more data-driven, cost-effective healthcare system.

By confronting the ever-growing demand for healthcare services with technology and innovation instead of simply looking to increase personnel, the Australian healthcare system is able to future-proof itself. Decentralising care through 5G-enabled technology not only allows for strengthened responses in patients’ homes or in the back of ambulances, it also removes the burden from hospitals that are already facing staff shortage stress. With strengthened technology networks, care becomes not only more efficient but more comprehensive.

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Further information

If you would like to continue this conversation further, please reach out to your Optus Account Manager, fill in the form below for a call back or phone 1300 665 017.