From Dead Zones to Infusion Pumps

Carilion purchased a system from InnerWireless of Richardson, TX, that requires little maintenance. Only two major things can go wrong, White says. A wireless access point in the network closet goes bad and you need to replace it, or a major cable is cut. "It was the right solution for us because it gave us the uptime and availability that we needed," he says.

Currently, Carilion has a host of wireless applications in play. Its electronic medical record is run both wired and wireless throughout its major medical centers. It also has more than 600 mobile carts, wireless infusion pumps, and myriad operating room, laboratory, and pharmaceutical components that run wirelessly.

Planning ahead
As organizations start building out their wireless networks, here are four best practices that may help curtail some common pitfalls.

1. Invest as much as possible in infrastructure. "Every time you think you have set a priority on infrastructure you have undershot your priority," says Frantz. Three years from now you will want to run applications on your wireless network or use it in a way that you haven't considered yet, he says. "The best thing you can do for your company is make sure your infrastructure is flexible." For example, a significant portion of the variable costs of installing networks is labor. "The cost of running four fibers versus buying a different fiber-optic cable with 12 fibers is not negligible, but it is a relatively small percentage," he says. "We are willing to place that bet and spend a little bit more money up front, so that later when something happens, the upgrade will be that much less money," Frantz says.

2. Wire the whole facility. Some healthcare systems hope to save money by installing the network only on those five or six floors with the wireless application. The problem is you may have a physician who wants to work from the cafeteria, and that is a dead zone now because the system is only offered on those six floors, says White. "It generates a ton of complaints and issues and nightmares for support staff," he says. "What always happens with my peers who have gone and done this is they have to go back later and add to it and generate coverage for whole facility."

3. Include the right players in strategic discussions. Part of the challenge for CIOs is knowing who the right stakeholders are, says White. These discussions should include representatives from clinical service lines, as well as areas like property management, clinical engineering, risk management, the board of directors, and executive leadership. For example, one group that was not included in the implementation planning was risk management. There are certain security and safety protocols that have to be followed during the installation, says White, so "that delayed us because we missed it on the front end."