ASL Nuoro takes telemedicine to the Sardinian mountains with 3Com end-to-end voice, data network

Sardinian health authority, ASL Nuoro, will save more than $300 000 per year by installing an end-to-end 3Com voice and data solution to improve communication and power to its all-important telemedicine service.

By replacing legacy PABXs (private automatic branch exchanges) and leased-lines in seven regional hospitals, ASL Nuoro now has a cost-effective, powerful communications infrastructure capable of supporting the multimedia applications essential for effective telemedicine. The 3Com networked telephony solution will cut voice costs, provide Web access and enable ASL Nuoro to run key applications such as telediagnostics, video conferencing, and Webcam and Web surveillance.

ASL Nuoro (Azienda Unit`a Sanitaria Locale) is responsible for overseeing healthcare provision for more than 270 000 people in the mountainous Comune di Nuoro (Nuoro Municipality), Sardinia. All seven hospitals in the Nuoro region now have access to a robust 3Com voice and data solution which minimises costs through the use of the 3Com SuperStack 3 NBX Networked Telephony Solution, 3Com SuperStack 3 Switch 4400 high speed switches, and the 3Com Wireless LAN Building-to-Building Bridge, which will allow ASL Nuoro to create wireless bridges between the hospital networks thereby eliminating the need for expensive leased-lines.

At the same time, the 3Com solution will allow medical staff and patients to benefit from a comprehensive range of telemedicine and other relevant applications. Channel partner, Gigadata VSP Italia, supplied the 3Com solution.

"By implementing a 3Com solution we have been able to realise all of ASL Nuoro`s goals," said Gianni Gianoglio, ASL Nuoro`s marketing manager. "We have dramatically cut leased-line costs by using the 3Com Wireless LAN Building-to-Building Bridge. The 3Com solution will also allow the surgeon in chief to monitor selected operations taking place at hospitals across the region. The 3Com NBX solution allows us to make best use of wireless and our existing HDSL (high bit-rate digital subscriber line) technology for voice as well as data traffic."

Previously, ASL Nouro had been dissatisfied with the quality and cost of voice services shared by the hospitals in the region. Voice services at that time were provided by five meshed PABXs located at different sites. In 2002, ASL Nuoro gauged the approximate annual cost of using leased-lines at a prohibitive $340 000 (US).

Another issue was that timely medical intervention was often hindered by the time it took patients to get to hospital. Nuoro province has some of the highest peaks in Southern Europe and can only be traversed by rough, country roads. For very sick patients and others - such as women in labour showing signs of a problematic birth - a quick diagnosis and treatment are crucial to ensuring the highest quality of medical care.

While technologies such as streaming video, video conferencing and Webcams presented an obvious solution to many of ASL Nuoro`s problems, its limited network capabilities were unable to support such sophisticated applications. There were only two hub-based LANs, located in two of the hospitals in the provincial capital. In cases where a hospital was using PCs, the majority had no network connection.

The new telediagnostic service allows patients to be `seen` and diagnosed by highly qualified specialists without delay.

With a high-quality Webcam located in hospital operating theatres, surgeons can call on remote assistance from more specialist sources, including the regional surgeon in chief, while an operation is actually under way.

The Webcam is a potentially invaluable teaching aid, as it means that students can have a virtual presence in a greater number and variety of operations. Medical personnel can also secure support and advice from colleagues by using the video conferencing service located at 25 points across the region`s seven hospitals. For the first time, doctors in the area can make use of dedicated 8Mb Internet service - which is around eight times faster and more powerful than the average home broadband connection in the UK - in support of their clinical activities.

ASL Nuoro has installed seven SuperStack 3 NBX Networked Telephony Solutions across the region`s hospitals providing support for more than 900 3Com NBX phones. As the NBX networked telephony solution is capable of supporting up to 1 500 devices, there is plenty of capacity for future growth. The wireless building-to-building bridge is being used in conjunction with the SuperStack 3 Switch 4400 switches. The traffic prioritisation capability of the 3Com SuperStack 3 Switch 4400 ensures that the voice service is of the highest quality. ASL Nuoro`s network administrators have "trunked" the bridges together to give a higher bandwidth link between buildings.

Finally, from a management perspective, the 3Com solution allows for tighter control over security, partly because it allows use of Web surveillance.