Networks 2 (LANs and WANs)

Networks 2 (LANs and WANs)

1. Impact within the NHS

   • X-rays and scan results are now available almost instantly across a hospitals LAN from radiography to a consultant's room.
   • Expert systems such as NHS direct are now available over the web
   • Doctor surgeries can now access blood test results from hospital pathology lab across the web
   • Internal communications across a hospital LAN or to consult with experts in a different country.
   • Video conferencing from surgery to a skin specialist for diagnosis.
   • Patient recording systems
   • Sharing of resources

2. Advantages

   • Monitoring e.g. parents wathcing what their children are using the internet for
   • Parental Control
   • Can do a central backup

3. Disadvantages

   • If virus gets into the system can damage data/ programs on all computers very easily
   • Security worse as there are more access points and if the hacker gets into one machine can then get unto any of the machines