“Surveillance has played a pivotal role in the healthcare sector”

By Sudhindra Holla

Percolating to a catastrophic level, the pandemic continues to disrupt multiple facets of the healthcare sector. Technological innovation can change the dynamics of the healthcare industry to fight the pandemic and make the system more efficient.

The shift towards IP-based network video solutions with integrated solutions like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), infrared LED (IR LED), wide dynamic range (WDR), and analytics in CCTV cameras is a primary technology driver to support the healthcare industry. This hugely contributes to the digital transformation of the industry and supports frontline workers.

Another technology trend in the healthcare sector will be the demand for more cybersecurity solutions. The pandemic has put a lot of pressure on the healthcare industry in terms of data storage, thus increasing the risk of potential cyber-attacks that might lead to the leakage of sensitive patient information and lead to system downtime in hospitals. A strong cybersecurity solution will not only help in countering cyber threats but also provide critical care.

Remote monitoring technology can help healthcare workers reduce patient contact which will help in mitigating disease transmission and limit the use of PPE kits.

The healthcare industry is additionally looking at workforce management with the help of smart technology that can monitor patients and act as the eyes and ears for the administration. It is also looking to embrace cloud-based solutions to improve accessibility through telemedicine and teleconsultation while meeting the challenges of reduced staff in a cost-effective way.

New-age challenges

Surveillance has played a pivotal role in the healthcare sector, owing to the inherent vulnerabilities faced by doctors and healthcare workers. In India, it has hit this segment with tremendous pressure to efficiently run its operations while monitoring patients and reinforce hygiene management.

With the task of establishing COVID care units to give special care to the virus-affected patients with a limited workforce, hospitals are currently facing a challenge in effectively ensuring proper adherence to government-issued norms including social distancing, and crowd gathering in the premises. Acute pressure on the hospitals increases the chance of human errors or patient neglect. The lack of automated solutions for attendance and mask violations are other obstacles faced by hospitals. Additionally, perimeter security has also posed a major challenge with 24*7 services provided by them.

Cybersecurity is another major threat to the healthcare sector as hospitals grapple to protect their databases, especially at this moment. With increasing cases this year too, it is highly critical to maintain an error-free and a secured database as it contains a lot of sensitive information making it a hotspot for hackers leading to severe reputation loss.

Opportunities and drivers

Technology-driven innovation has secured a wide pool of opportunities across industries including healthcare. The healthcare system around the world has struggled to keep pace with the increasing number of patients since the onset of the pandemic. It is now time to tap into these opportunities and explore them for better care of the patients. Remote monitoring technology can help healthcare workers reduce patient contact which will help in mitigating disease transmission and limit the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits.

Cameras enabled with audio and video analytics can be used to monitor a patient and detect early signs of distress in real-time and accordingly alert the staff, while healthcare facilities with the help of intelligent video surveillance technology and remote monitoring solutions can function better and provide faster patient care.

With the subsequent waves of the pandemic affecting the country, mitigating infections is the need of the hour. This can be ensured by remote monitoring of hand hygiene, PPE compliance, and sterilization processes. Cameras can automatically notify cleaning teams on high visitor traffic to sanitize a particular area. Such use of connected technologies will be able to ensure compliance to the highest levels of quality in the healthcare facility. Real-time location technology can also help officials find patients, beds, staff, family members, or equipment even in the most difficult situation.

Cameras enabled with audio and video analytics can be used to monitor a patient and detect early signs of distress in real-time and accordingly alert the staff.

The separation with a newborn baby for neonatal care can be extremely stressful for a parent. Virtual connection round the clock with the baby can comfort worried parents. High-definition video solutions with two-way audio features can also help parents bond with their children especially when it is needed the most. This helps in contagion mitigation and also in making sure that the doctors and nurses are providing the best care to the children.

Holla is Director at Axis Communications, India & SAARC