Networking redefined for the hyperconnected hospital

Note: This is the first of three articles, sponsored by Spectrum Enterprise, examining how healthcare organizations can leverage software-defined networking to enhance operational efficiency, improve agility and flexibility, and fortify security in the increasingly hyperconnected healthcare environment. The series will also explore how to weave security into the infrastructure fabric and build an AI-ready infrastructure.

Healthcare is undergoing a profound digital transformation. Rapid adoption of telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and AI-powered diagnostics is placing immense pressure on traditional networks. To thrive in this data-driven ecosystem, healthcare organizations require a new approach to connectivity—one that is robust, hyperconnected, and intelligent

Enter a new era of software-defined networking (SDN), a transformative technology poised to revolutionize how hospitals operate and deliver care. Building on the fundamentals of traditional SD-WAN, SDN offers the agility, scalability, and security required for modern healthcare organizations to thrive.

Network requirements in modern connected healthcare

Healthcare organizations face a surge in connected devices, from patient wearables to AI-powered surgical robots, straining existing infrastructure. The 2024 Digital Health Most Wired survey confirms this trend, with increased use of employer-issued and personal devices for care delivery.

Patient wearable EHR integration is increasing, especially among medium (66% integration rate) and large (70%) providers. As healthcare organizations continue to invest in robust network infrastructure, they are better positioned to support these patient engagement initiatives and achieve higher levels of digital health maturity overall.

The survey also found that prioritizing infrastructure improvements enhances workforce experience and resource management by enabling seamless access to EHR systems. Larger organizations often have the resources to prioritize advanced infrastructure, which may explain their higher adoption rates for EHR-integrated wearables. However, infrastructure investment clearly correlates with successful integration, suggesting network upgrades benefit organizations of all sizes.

This “swarm-ilization” of devices, coupled with the rise of data-intensive applications, creates a perfect storm for traditional networks. Bottlenecks, security vulnerabilities, and management headaches become commonplace. Healthcare organizations need agile, scalable, and secure infrastructure to support connectivity and enable next-generation patient care.

While SD-WAN represented a significant advancement in network management, offering improved bandwidth utilization and application performance, today’s hyperconnected hospitals require additional network sophistication.

To support these demands and enable the next generation of patient care, healthcare networks need to be:

• Agile – The network must be able to adapt to changing needs in real-time, such as scaling bandwidth for telehealth consultations or prioritizing critical applications during peak usage. This agility ensures timely and effective care delivery, regardless of location or technology.
• Secure – Protecting sensitive patient data is paramount. Modern healthcare networks must be equipped with granular access controls and advanced security features to safeguard data across a distributed and hybrid environment. This includes the ability to segment the network, implement zero-trust architectures, and proactively defend against cyberattacks.
• Scalable – As healthcare organizations continue to grow and adopt new technologies, their network infrastructure must be able to scale seamlessly without compromising performance or cost. This scalability will ensure that the network can handle the increasing demands of data-intensive applications, connected devices, and emerging technologies such as 5G and edge computing.

These requirements highlight the pressing need for a more advanced solution, a network architecture that aligns with the hybrid, multi-cloud infrastructures characterizing healthcare operations today.

The new era of SDN for hyperconnected healthcare

SDN, including SD-WAN, offers a compelling solution to these challenges. Unlike traditional networks where hardware dictates functionality, SDN separates the control plane from the data plane, introducing a centralized, programmable approach to managing network resources. This separation provides unprecedented flexibility, programmability, and control.

SDN’s core components — including SD-WAN, SD-Branch, and Network function virtualization (NFV) — further illustrate its transformative potential. While SDN goes further, SD-WAN remains a crucial building block, optimizing connectivity between different locations and enabling efficient traffic routing. SD-Branch extends the benefits of SDN to branch locations like clinics, labs, and pharmacies. SD-Branch consolidates and simplifies network functions at remote sites, reducing costs while maintaining high performance across clinics, labs, and imaging centers. And, with NFV, Network functions like firewalls and routers are virtualized, allowing for greater scalability and resource utilization. Further, advanced tools like Stratum and μONOS provide unified control and programmable network forwarding, enabling seamless multi-cloud support and container networking.

SDN unlocks a host of benefits for healthcare organizations, including optimized network performance, reduced operational costs, and streamlined network management through automation and centralized control. SDN leverages open application programming interfaces (APIs) to dynamically adjust network configurations in real-time, ensuring optimal performance for mission-critical applications, such as prioritizing bandwidth for telehealth platforms during peak hours.  Features like micro-segmentation and zero-trust architectures allow for granular access controls, protecting sensitive patient data across distributed environments. SDN’s open APIs seamlessly integrate with existing systems and embrace new technologies, including 5G, edge computing, multi-cloud environments, and cloud-based applications and services.

SDN in Action: Supporting the Shift to Patient-Centered Care

Perhaps the most significant trend reshaping healthcare infrastructure is the shift from hospital-based care to hyperconnected patient-centered models. This “delivery of care” transformation—encompassing hospital-at-home programs, telehealth services, and mobile health solutions—demands a network that can keep pace with these distributed environments. SDN is uniquely positioned to meet these demands.

SDN provides the connectivity and security necessary to support hospital at home, including remote patient monitoring, telehealth consultations, and the delivery of hospital-level care within patients’ homes.

SDN can dynamically route traffic to ensure low latency and high reliability, even during periods of peak demand. By allocating bandwidth and prioritizing video streams, SDN ensures optimal virtual consultations that drive telehealth. This includes high-quality video conferencing and reliable data transfer for virtual appointments, remote consultations, and remote patient monitoring.

The move towards mobile health is marked by the growing use of mobile devices and wearables for patient engagement, data collection, and chronic disease management. SDN enables seamless integration of satellite facilities and mobile health units into the primary network, maintaining consistent performance and security. It supports edge computing, enabling real-time data processing closer to the patient, reducing latency, and enhancing decision-making.

In short, SDN’s flexibility and scalability are essential for managing the complex networks inherent in these distributed care models. By ensuring reliable connectivity, robust security, and efficient data transfer, SDN empowers healthcare organizations to deliver high-quality care beyond the traditional hospital walls.

Charting the Path Forward

As hyperconnected healthcare organizations embrace cloud-first strategies and increasingly rely on smart devices for the delivery of care, the network must evolve from a supporting role to a strategic enabler.

Providers are increasingly recognizing the need to invest in modernizing infrastructure. Most Wired found 88% of surveyed providers identified infrastructure as a top priority, and those who have prioritized infrastructure are better positioned to do more in patient engagement through devices, telehealth, etc.

SDN offers a compelling solution, addressing the limitations of traditional approaches while unlocking new opportunities for innovation. By moving beyond the limitations of traditional networks and embracing the capabilities of SDN — reliable, secure, and dynamic connectivity — healthcare leaders can optimize resource utilization, accelerate innovation, and enhance patient experience and outcomes via shifting and diverse approaches to delivery of care.

The hyperconnected hospital is no longer a vision for the future but a pressing reality. With SDN, healthcare organizations have the tools to redefine networking and deliver on the promise of truly patient-centered care. For decision-makers seeking to stay ahead of the curve, embracing SDN is not just an option — it’s an imperative.

About Spectrum Enterprise

Spectrum Enterprise, a part of Charter Communications, Inc., is a national provider of scalable, fiber technology solutions serving many of America’s largest businesses and communications service providers. The broad Spectrum Enterprise portfolio includes networking and managed services solutions: Internet access, Ethernet access and networks, Voice and TV solutions. The Spectrum Enterprise team of experts works closely with clients to achieve greater business success by providing solutions designed to meet their evolving needs. For more information, visit enterprise.spectrum.com.