It’s hard to imagine, but it’s true: Wi-Fi-enabled devices didn’t go mainstream until 2004, when the first devices (cellphones, personal data assistants, and TVs) hit the market.
Fast forward two decades, and can you imagine work or home life without Wi-Fi access, well, everywhere? Just like electricity, water, and natural gas, internet access has moved well beyond a nice-to-have to a necessity. We just expect it to be there and to work.
But unlike other utilities that have direct pipes and wires that make monitoring a breeze (and who wouldn’t know that the power was out?), Wi-Fi performance can be tricky to assess.
In a medical setting such as a federally qualified health center (FQHC), internet access throughout buildings is expected, especially by busy clinicians who move among exam rooms, surgical suites, and outpatient areas. They need to check email, engage with a translator, order a prescription, or look up patient information in areas where ethernet access to EHR terminals doesn’t exist. When caregivers are more pressed for time than ever, lack of internet availability can harm clinician productivity.
What is the Wi-Fi coverage at your facilities like? How would you know, unless clinicians are complaining?
Periodic wireless site surveys performed by certified experts can help ensure that your clinicians and other employees have ready access to the information they need.
What a Wireless Site Survey Entails
If every building were an empty shell, determining the number and placement of wireless access points would be a snap and anyone with minimal training could do it. But Wi-Fi coverage can be affected by many factors, including the type of building materials used, large columns, elevators and staircases, microwaves, electrical interference, and, in clinical settings, diagnostic equipment such as MRI machines and the necessary shielding around the rooms where they are housed. The goal is to provide adequate coverage in vital areas, with enough overlap to cover should a node fail. Increasingly, people are using Wi-Fi to make phone calls, which places increased importance on a maintaining signal strength.
Prior to any site survey, an engineer will examine the floor plan for the space, noting any potential interference and identifying the best locations for access points. Floor plans are also useful for creating heat maps that indicate signal strength, coverage, and any problem areas.
While site surveys can be performed remotely, an on-site visit is highly recommended, especially for medical facilities. In medical terms, it’s the difference between using a telehealth visit to diagnose a condition versus an in-person visit that includes a physical exam.
Engineers have special Wi-Fi spectrum analyzers that measure signal strength to ensure adequate coverage. By taking readings while walking the facility, any problem areas can be identified where additional nodes may be needed. They also can check to see whether there is Wi-Fi interference from other networks or nearby buildings — issues that a basic survey can’t uncover.
Preparing for a Site Survey
Because Wi-Fi is now considered a utility, facility managers and executives may need to contemplate issues regarding the ubiquity of wireless access they may not have thought of:
- Should restrooms be included in the coverage map?
- What about lobby areas and/or a certain radius around the facility?
- Do you want backup (secondary) cover for the Wi-Fi deployment should a primary node fail? (Hint: It’s a good idea to have a backup.)
- Are there any areas that are either more important or less important to cover?
Results from a Site Survey
A certified engineer will produce a report that clearly shows the baseline metrics of an existing Wi-Fi deployment. Other portions of the report will include:
- Recommended access point products and antennas to purchase
- Mounting locations of access points
- Description of cable paths needed for implementation
- Multiple heat maps that show coverage, signal strength, bandwidth capacity, and any potential trouble spots
- Pictures and notes from the site survey that will help with implementation
These documents will be used not only for the implementation but also for quality checks to ensure that the new/upgraded system is working like it’s supposed to.
What to Look for in a Vendor
Conducting wireless site surveys is a specialized service that not just any company can perform. Keep the following tips in mind:
- Wireless site surveys should be performed by certified technicians who have the specialized tools necessary to optimize placement. Ask for the credentials of those who will be doing the work.
- Ask for (and then check) client references. Does the vendor have experience in healthcare? Ask for examples of how the vendor has dealt with unusual issues that were encountered during a survey.
- Does the vendor guarantee the work? You want any new or reconfigured system to work the first time, because your clinicians are counting on it.
- Who will be performing the work and checking its validity? You want close alignment between the installation technicians and the engineer who performed the survey to help ensure that the installation/reconfiguration is done properly.
Think of a Site Survey as a Checkup on the Health of Your Wi-Fi
Just as people are advised to visit their primary care physicians periodically for preventive health screenings, your facility’s Wi-Fi capabilities should be put to the test every few years. Nodes can fail; new infrastructure can disrupt transmission patterns; emerging wireless technologies can supplant the technology you currently use.
For FQHCs that have multiple locations or multiple buildings at the same location, setting a schedule to check a certain number of locations or buildings per year can help even out site survey and implementation costs over time. Any expense will be offset by increased clinician productivity and employee satisfaction.
What are your clinicians saying about Wi-Fi access and quality at your facilities? If you’re hearing any negative feedback at all, it’s time to schedule a wireless site survey.
About Lance Reid
Lance Reid is CEO of Telcion, a provider of IT solutions and managed services for the healthcare industry.
