Improving access to care is all about improving access to data, Verizon says
Verizon Business and U.K.-based health technology company Visionable are collaborating on a range of connected healthcare solutions. The partnership, which is an expansion of a 2021 agreement, combines Visionable’s patented technology and Verizon’s U.S. 5G Ultra Wideband network — its mmWave and C-band — and 5G Edge network.
More specifically, the pair are addressing the healthcare industry’s need for better data access and management. “The healthcare industry generates a massive amount of data, but its ability to make good use of that data has long been hampered by network architectures that cannot handle it efficiently, securely, or cost-effectively,” Scott Lawrence, SVP for Verizon Global Solutions, said in a statement.
“Through the combination of 5G and Edge computing, healthcare facilities and professionals will have access to secure near-real-time connectivity creating a new link between doctor and patient,” Lawrence stated. “As a result, illnesses could someday be diagnosed and treated more quickly, and medical costs could potentially decrease.”
In a previous conversation with RCR Wireless News, Verizon’s VP of Business Development for the Public Sector Maggie Hallbach explained that access is a key area of focus for Verizon when it comes to healthcare. “One of the first areas is really around access to care,” she said. “There is a heavy emphasis on healthcare accessibility and that then extends into the immediacy of diagnosis and treatment. Then, there is the ongoing care.”
Achieving this access to care, she said, is “all about” accessing that data data, and then about the rate that the data is aggregated and analyzed, “so that an actionable outcome can be achieved” for the patient.
Therefore, Verizon and Visionable are tapping into 5G and Edge computing to provide a secure digital healthcare collaboration platform that enables healthcare professionals to access data, collaborate and share resources within the APAC and EMEA regions.
With additional support from Capgemini and Juniper Networks, Verizon helped Visionable establish a private-5G enabled Connected Healthcare Center in the U.K. in May. According to the healthcare company, the center demonstrates the benefits of next-generation connectivity and collaboration within various healthcare environments and across a patient’s healthcare journey, including command centers, hospital wards, General Practices (GPs) consultation rooms, care homes/patients’ homes, connected emergency services and rehabilitation centers.
“Our partnership provides real-time connectivity and productivity, when and where it counts and costs,” Alan Lowe, CEO and co-founder of Visionable, said of the company’s latest work with Verizon.
