TL/DR –
Fiber broadband is playing a critical role in improving healthcare quality and accessibility, particularly in rural areas where services are often limited. The Virtual Health Hub in Saskatchewan is an example of a telemedicine project where high-speed, low-latency broadband enables remote healthcare delivery through advanced technologies such as AI, point of care analyzers, and robotic diagnostic systems. This approach not only reduces the need for patient transportation, but also leads to improved patient engagement and outcomes, thanks to the utilization of wearable devices and AR/VR systems in healthcare practices.
Fiber Broadband Contributing to Healthcare Innovation
The high-speed, low-latency broadband offered by fiber is driving innovation in healthcare, opening up opportunities few could have predicted. One visionary in this field is Dr. Ivar Mendez, Director of the Virtual Health Hub in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, who recently shared his insights at a Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) workshop.
In Saskatchewan, where a third of the population lives in rural areas, access to timely healthcare services is challenging due to limited services, staff shortages, and long travel distances for specialized treatment. Indigenous communities face additional obstacles in obtaining culturally sensitive care.
The Virtual Health Hub (VHH) aims to bridge these gaps by offering healthcare services remotely, using advanced technologies from a bespoke facility at the Whitecap Dakota Nation in Saskatchewan. By partnering with local healthcare providers, the Hub offers various services, enabling patients to receive timely, high-quality care closer to home.
The VHH is also in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) to offer a Virtual Care Assistant certificate program, equipping graduates with skills to support clinicians in delivering virtual healthcare services.
AI, point-of-care analyzers, image diagnostic systems, wearable telepresence devices, and remote patient monitoring sensors are among the technologies utilized by the VHH, all facilitated by high-speed, low-latency fiber provisioned by SaskTel, a pioneering figure in Canada’s fiber industry.
Fiber Broadband’s Role in Improving Healthcare
Adapting innovative healthcare technologies, the Virtual Health Hub has significantly reduced unnecessary child transports and expensive CT scans, offering prenatal and diagnostic imaging to patients more directly. It has also helped in establishing point-of-care systems in communities, providing healthcare faster and at a lower cost outside of urban centers.
The VHH’s use of robotic technology and telehealth consultations has resulted in a 63% reduction in pediatric patient transportation, without compromising the quality of care. The savings in reduced transportation offer a four to five times return on investment compared to the cost of robotic tools used for remote diagnostics.
How Fiber Broadband Bolsters In-Home Care
Fiber broadband is transforming the services healthcare providers offer their patients, leading to improved care quality, better outcomes, and cost reductions. Fiber ensures secure, resilient, and low-latency broadband for in-home care, supporting visiting caregivers, and local medical care at clinics and hospitals.
Enhanced healthcare practices today are leveraging various technologies, including wearables, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) systems. This enables monitoring of short-term and chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and high blood pressure outside of normal office visits, leading to improved patient engagement and reduced costs for healthcare providers.
Upcoming telehealth visits using AR/VR applications will offer at-home vision testing and convenient delivery of mental and physical therapy outside specialized settings, saving time and money. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has already deployed over 3,500 AR/VR headsets across more than 170 clinical sites to teach mindfulness and wellness practices.
Fiber Broadband Supporting Local Rural Medical Care
Fiber broadband currently plays a crucial role in delivering specialized care to rural America. Organizations like UVA Health and OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center are using telemedicine to reduce patient travel and provide crucial care in fields such as neonatal support and stroke intervention.
—
Read More Health & Wellness News ; US News