Moxa: Three Considerations for Developing Reliable Hospital Information Systems

COVID-19 has sped up the demand for EHRs so that medical staff can receive patient information in real time, helping them to work more efficiently.

Moxa NPort W2150A-W4 and W2250A-W4 device servers are an ideal choice for connecting serial and Ethernet equipment such as PLCs, meters, and sensors to a wireless LAN. In Infrastructure Mode, they can connect to Wi-Fi networks at offices and factories to allow users to move, or roam, between several APs.

Thanks to evolving technology, medical industries are now quickly moving toward full digitalization. The need to reduce manual errors and increase operational efficiency is spurring this digitalization drive that prioritizes the development of Electrical Health Records.

Developing EHRs, however, requires collecting large amounts of data from many medical machines scattered throughout multiple facilities. Therefore, many hospital operators are now developing Hospital Information Systems (HIS) to collect data from these widely distributed machines to turn valuable data into EHRs.

As the majority of medical machines come with serial interfaces, they rely on serial-to-Ethernet communication to accommodate a modern HIS. These machines range from dialysis machines and monitoring systems for blood glucose to medical carts, diagnostic mobile workstations, ventilators, anesthesia machines, ECGs, and more. Developing a reliable communication system between an HIS and medical machines is therefore crucial. Without reliable connections, an HIS cannot receive accurate data on time to conduct a qualified EHR. Such situations lead to poor diagnostics and a slower treatment process, defeating the purpose of developing EHRs.

Serial device servers play a critical role in data transfer between serial-based medical machines and an Ethernet-based HIS, therefore choosing a reliable serial device server is important to enable reliable connectivity. Below we discuss three considerations that deserve attention when choosing connectivity solutions to develop an HIS.

Consideration 1: Difficult to Connect With Constantly Moving Medical Machines
Many medical machines require constant moving from one room to another to serve different patients. Wireless communications can solve connectivity issues for these mobile medical machines. Thus, using a serial device server that supports wireless connections can help connect mobile medical machines to an HIS through wireless networks. Despite its convenience, it is challenging to keep wireless connections stable.




If you choose to develop wireless networks, you need to have sufficient APs in the hospital so that medical machines can stay connected while mobile. When medical machines move between different APs, serial-to-wireless device servers require fast roaming between them to reduce switching time and minimize the chances of being disconnected. Once a wireless disconnection and instability occur, the port buffering function can be a bonus for serial-to-wireless communication, because it allows the storage of the serial data and the ability to resend it when the wireless connection resumes. So when choosing a serial-to-wireless device server, check if it has this function as it can be a great help in collecting complete serial data from medical machines.

Consideration 2: Protect Sensitive Patient Information From Unauthorized Access
Enabling communication enhances efficiency, but it also comes with increasing security concerns. Serial data in hospitals includes sensitive patient information that requires proper protection. So, when selecting serial-to-wireless device servers, ensure they can protect data during wireless transmissions. A feature to look out for is support of the WPA2 protocol to build a secured wireless connection that encrypts serial data over wireless networks. In addition, serial-to-wireless device servers should support secure boots that only allow authorized firmware to run on devices, minimizing the chances of getting hacked.

Consideration 3: Protect Communication Systems From Interruptions
Medical machines have a low tolerance for system downtime. Thus, the serial-to-wireless device servers you choose should be reliable enough to minimize system downtime. Providing a locking screw for stable power input against constant shocks to and vibrations of moving medical carts should be a key feature. In addition, surge protection for serial ports, power inputs, and LAN ports will enhance reliability and reduce system downtime.

Secure and Reliable Serial-to-wireless Device Servers
Moxa NPort W2150A-W4/W2250A-W4 Series serial-to-wireless device server provides secure and reliable serial-to-wireless communications for an HIS. The devices provide 802.11 a/b/g/n dual band network connections that easily enable serial-based medical machines to connect with a modern HIS. To reduce packet loss over wireless networks, these serial-to-wireless device servers support a fast roaming function, enabling seamless connectivity for the constantly moving medical carts between different wireless APs.

In addition, an offline port buffering function provides up to 20 MB to store data when the wireless connection is unstable. To protect sensitive patient information, the serial-to-wireless device servers support secure boots and WPA2 protocol to enhance both device security and wireless transmission security.

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