The az groeninge hospital innovates care with 5G
A private 5G network at az groeninge provides the platform for the hospital to roll out innovation. From remote monitoring with biosensors to robotic surgery and training using VR: everything is focused on patient care.
The healthcare sector is facing a major challenge. An ageing population increases the need for care, both in and out of hospital. Hospitals are searching for ways to increase efficiency and keep the costs affordable. “We are strongly committed to innovation,” says Brian Desplinter, project leader innovation at az groeninge.
To start, the hospital looks at specific questions from doctors, staff, and patients. “This way, we can build concrete cases that contribute to the hospital's strategic objectives, such as improving patient care and shortening their stay in the hospital.” For this reason, az groeninge has chosen to collaborate with various partners, including Proximus NXT for all matters concerning 5G.
The challenges
The healthcare sector is facing a lot of challenges, with innovation based on 5G offering possible solutions to:
- improve the quality of care
- reduce the number of days patients spend in the hospital
- remotely monitor patients, even after discharge from the hospital
- better exchange information with other care professionals
- help attract and train staff
The az groeninge hospital is a leading healthcare provider, committed to the highest quality in care and innovation. With a wide range of specialized services and a team of expert healthcare professionals, az groeninge strives to provide excellent and safe care for its patients.
5G as an enabler for innovation
For az groeninge, 5G is an important enabler to deliver on that strategy. The hospital is looking to use 5G as a basic technology for implementing new solutions and processes. “It helps us to monitor patients better,” says Charlotte Van den Storme, head of the Intensive Care department at az groeninge.
For example, the hospital developed an application that uses biosensors to continuously capture various patient measurements. The data traffic is carried over the 5G network. “If a certain threshold is exceeded, the system will trigger an alarm. This allows us to intervene more quickly, even if we are not with the patient at the time.”
Advantages for surgeons and patients
Robotic surgery is perhaps one of the most imaginative applications on the hospital's private 5G network. 5G technology allows the transmission of large volumes of data on the network with minimal latency, and with ultra-quick response times. “In robotic surgery, we work with 3D images,” says Dr Frederiek Nuytens, abdominal surgeon at az groeninge. “They give us a very detailed visualization during the procedure.”
The robot creates less strain on the abdominal wall during surgery, reducing the patient's pain during recovery.
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5G enables the 3D images to be sent in high resolution–they are very large files–and in real time to other locations, inside or outside the hospital. “These can then be accessed remotely by colleagues and trainee doctors, for example as part of robotic surgery training. 5G works so fast–and the images are so detailed–that you could theoretically even perform surgery by controlling the robot remotely through the network.”
The combination of robotic surgery and 5G is a great example of how az groeninge and Proximus NXT arrive at new applications through co-creation. The opportunity for colleagues from other hospitals to observe robotic surgery procedures aligns perfectly with az groeninge’s role as an innovation hub, aimed at sharing knowledge and experience with other institutions.
5G provides us with a platform for specific cases that contribute to the strategic objectives of the hospital, such as improving patient care and shortening their stay in the hospital.
Virtual training
Training is another area where 5G can be used effectively. “We sometimes deal with verbal and physical aggression, both from patients and visitors,” says Charlotte. During a training course, employees can be taught how to handle this situation using VR glasses. “The advantage is that you can choose when and where you would like to do the course. You don't need a classroom or other people to complete the training.” A training course like this is also an asset for attracting new staff, from nurses to doctors.
Training with VR glasses is an asset in attracting new employees, from nurses to doctors.
The use of 5G allows doctors and trainee doctors to watch live surgical procedures online. "Thanks to streaming via 5G, this can be done remotely," says Dr Nuytens. “They no longer have to be physically present in the operating theatre.” And if a surgeon is still learning to use a robot, a specialist can remotely intervene or make adjustments. “The specialist also no longer needs to be present in the hospital."
Data retained by hospital
It is no coincidence that az groeninge opted for a private 5G network as the platform for all these applications. A 5G-PN (Private Network) offers many advantages. “A 5G-PN is separate from the public mobile network,” says Jurgen De Klerck, 5G Business Development Manager at Proximus NXT. “The network core is located on the hospital site, in its own data center. Local antennas are provided for 5G coverage.”
The hospital decides for itself which applications are given priority on the network.
Jurgen De Klerck, 5G Business Development Manager at Proximus NXT
Thanks to the private network, the hospital always retains control, ensuring that ownership of the data transferred over the 5G network remains with az groeninge. What's more, the data is always stored on the hospital site. This is important for security and privacy, as the data contains confidential patient information. Jurgen: “A second important advantage is that the hospital itself monitors the Quality of Service: it determines which applications are given priority on the network.”
Wide range of options
For az groeninge, the 5G-PN opens the door to many new applications. “We’re also thinking of combining it with AI,” Brian says. “We are discovering the potential of 5G step by step.” It turns out that the scope is very broad, ranging from wireless alarm buttons for nurses to monitoring patients recovering at home. There is even the option for emergency doctors to assess patients inside an ambulance, minimizing the time lost during transport.
The implementation of 5G aligns perfectly with the goal of more efficient and high-performance healthcare. Today, the larger hospitals are taking the first steps. “But we see the scope growing rapidly,” says Jurgen. “Residential care centers are just one example.” And it goes even further. For example, az groeninge has a project underway which involves the use of a smart glass for remote monitoring of specific wound care. The project involves GPs and home care professionals. “This is the future,” Brian concludes. “Technology is helping us to meet the increasing needs.”
5G Experience Center
The expansion of the private 5G network on az groeninge's hospital campus is part of the HEALTH (High-speed Enabled Advanced Life-saving 5G Technological Hospital) project. Alongside Proximus NXT and az groeninge, this project also involves other partners including VIVES University College (knowledge exchange), MediAventures (streaming surgical procedures), Televic (smart alarms) and One Bonsai (virtual training environments).
The availability of a private 5G network offers significant advantages to the partners in terms of connectivity, ease of installation, reliability and security. “This is how we are building a 5G Experience Center together,” Brian explains. “We can show all actors in the healthcare sector–as well as organizations from other fields–what can be achieved with 5G today. It is the ideal environment not only to learn about existing solutions, but also to explore and test out new ideas.”
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