Healing Power

 

 Medical Informatics:

Collection and flow of data are important in commercial settings, but are especially vital in the healthcare industry because lives may be at risk. A relatively new but rapidly developing field has evolved which deals with how health data is collected, stored, accessed, and used for administration & clinical decision making. This field is called “medical informatics”. It promotes the use of information technology to process data using computers & telecommunication.  It also incorporates sub-categories such as public health/population informatics, clinical informatics, and translational bioinformatics. Since nurses comprise approximately 55% of the healthcare workforce, the use of information technology represents significant potential for nurses to provide safe, consistent, quality patient care in an affordable manner. A good source for more information on this subject is the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) at www.amia.org.   

 Given this increased reliance on technology, good power quality is absolutely essential to prevent the loss or corruption of critical data which may be used to prescribe treatment. An example of how serious the consequences can be is reflected in a recent incident reported at a prominent, local hospital. In this case, lab results were lost and unable to be recovered due to power irregularities, which affected computers used to analyze & document biopsy samples. 

Telemedicine, Telehealth & eHealth:

In addition to the collection, storage, & retrieval of medical data, the transmission of such data is equally susceptible to electrical power problems. Telecommunications have been employed by healthcare providers for a long time; however, information technology has caused such communication to take on a new dimension, which is often referred to as “telemedicine”. Telemedicine is defined by the American Telemedicine Association as “the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications”. It is closely associated with the term “telehealth” which encompasses a broader definition of remote healthcare.  Remote tele-monitoring of vital signs, videoconferencing, transmission of still images, and patient portals are examples of telemedicine & telehealth applications which are rapidly expanding. It is now practical for physicians to examine and diagnose patients from long distance in real time.

Closely related to telemedicine & telehealth, is “eHealth” which refers to “the use emerging technologies, especially the internet, to improve healthcare”. According to the eHealth Institute (www.ehealthinstitute.org), eHealth resources can:

• Improve health decisions and health status by supporting healthy lifestyles.
• Reduce health care costs by improving efficiencies & preventing unnecessary hospital visits.
• Empower people to take greater control of their personal health.
• Enhance clinical care & public health services by conserving limited professional time.
• Reduce health disparities & improve the health of the underserved population.

One underlying aspect that medical informatics, telemedicine, telehealth, and eHealth all have in common is that all require electrical power and are susceptible to abnormalities in that power.

Business Issues:

Like other corporations, medical companies can certainly be affected by power quality problems which may be costly in terms of business interruption, lost revenue, lost productivity, rescheduling, etc. However, potential costs are further multiplied in the medical business when you factor in liability exposure and specialized equipment damage, repair, or replacement. GE, Philips, Siemens, and other manufacturers of scanning equipment all specify strict tolerances for voltage, grounding, & other electrical parameters to protect and ensure the accuracy of their equipment. A number of these companies may even refuse to commission or warrant their equipment unless the facility can provide and prove acceptable power. Given such exposure, measures to improve power quality certainly represent prudent business decisions to reduce risk, prevent losses, and protect investment. These measures may also aid compliance with regulations for medical record security.

 Common Electrical Power Problems:

• Surges: Rapid, short-term increases in voltage often caused when air conditioners or other large equipment cycles off in a facility. Since sensitive electronic devices require constant voltage, surges stress delicate components and cause premature failure.
• Spikes: Extremely high, instantaneous increases in voltage. Spikes may be caused by lightning or utility activities, and can damage or destroy sensitive electronic equipment.
• Sags: Rapid, short-term decreases in voltage. Sags are typically caused when large motors & other equipment cycle on in a facility. The effect of a sag is to starve electronic equipment of power causing unexpected crashes or lost data.
• Noise: Disturbances or fluctuations in the smooth flow of electricity which may be caused by motors and electronic devices. Noise can affect the performance of some equipment and cause glitches in software programs & data files.
• Outages: Total loss of power for some period of time. Outages are caused by natural disasters such as tornados, ice storms, & lightning as well as utility infrastructure problems.

  Power Quality Solutions:

A large percentage of common power quality problems, especially in new facilities, can be prevented through fundamental installation practices. These practices include proper grounding; correct terminations; voltage selection; load balancing; load segregation; proper neutral sizing; correct conductor sizing; protection coordination; and cable separation.

 In addition to these fundamental steps, surge suppression (TVSS) is a proven means of reducing or eliminating potentially damaging spikes or surges. As a minimum, all buildings should have a surge suppressor installed at the main electrical service to provide the first line of defense against disturbances originating from the incoming power supply. Down-line surge suppression may also be advisable on breaker panels and receptacles to further protect equipment from internally-generated disturbances. Telephone/cable/modem line suppressors are also recommended to protect against “back door” disturbances which may be introduced through telephone, cable, and modem lines.

 Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) have become extremely common for office and medical applications. These units employ battery back-up and can provide continuous power to critical equipment in the event of unanticipated power failures.  Higher quality “line interactive” and “on-line” UPS units also provide point-of-use power conditioning for surges, spikes, sags, & noise in addition to seamless power continuity.

 Standby generators, in coordination with UPS units, represent the best solution for power back-up during extended outages. In this combination, UPS units with short battery time provide “ride through” power until the generator starts automatically and takes over indefinite operation. Generators are legally required for hospitals & other facilities where surgical procedures involving general anesthesia are performed. However, optional standby generators have now become practical and commonplace for smaller medical buildings. These generators may use natural gas instead of diesel fuel, which is necessary for legally-required emergency systems.

 Summary:

Considering rapidly expanding technology, emphasis on patient protection, and significant business risks, medical facilities definitely need to check the health of their electrical systems. This may involve surge suppression, UPS installation, and standby generators as well as fundamental power quality measures. An electrical contractor or engineer specializing in power quality should be able to diagnose problems and prescribe appropriate steps to provide medical-grade electrical power -- “healing power”.