Mobile technology adds value to healthcare, but as the industry's adoption of applications that improve patient recovery and render clinical services more effective grows, we need to consider whether advances in technology pose a security threat, since information transmitted across a network should be accessible only to authorized users.

EHRs, CPOE, DSS and PACS have gone a long way toward allowing the healthcare system to adapt to the requirements of a volatile healthcare environment, but according to Frost & Sullivan research analysts Jayashree Rajagopal and Luke Thomas, the success of such technologies depends on the network through which information is transmitted.

With most healthcare organizations choosing technologies for different applications based on throughput, quality, cost and security, the technologies used for the transmission of healthcare data include the Public Switched Telephony Network (PSTN), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), cellular, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) and Bluetooth.

Although Wi-Fi is one of the most widely deployed wireless technologies in hospitals, new research from Frost & Sullivan indicates it poses several challenges with regard to range, security and quality of service that could be addressed effectively by next generation cellular technologies, such as HSPA and 3G LTE.

Indeed, with the evolution of GSM to 3G, various security features have been enhanced and implemented to protect the integrity of the user. These security gains will enable cellular technology to gain a competitive advantage over various wireless alternatives, since cellular technologies operate in the licensed band, providing guaranteed quality of service, according to Frost & Sullivan's Luke Thomas.

The same can't be said for unlicensed technologies, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) and RFID.