Hcs 320 Communication Channels

Communication Channels

Communication is vital in any health care organization. That is why it is important to have a plan of action in times of disaster. Disasters such as flood, earthquakes, tornadoes, or earthquakes can all cause power outages making it necessary for a plan to be in place. According to Sarp, 2005,“A country's health systems and public health infrastructure must be organized and ready to act in disaster situations as well as under normal conditions and must be cognisant of the type of measures to be taken in event of a disaster.”In order to be able to disperse information as quickly and efficiently as possible, technology must be utilized. One important technological device that can help to keep communication in tact is the geostationary satellite, or GEO satellite. The GEO satellite is positioned about 36,000 km above the earth's equator and is able to provide various services to an area that covers about one-third of the globe (Sahu, n.d.). The GEO stationary satellite is always positioned in the same spot over the earth, meaning it doesn't orbit. Hence the term, geostationary satellite. The variety of communication that the GEO satellite can provide are voice, video, and broadband communications. The GEO satellite works in conjunction with ground equipment, which can be a very large, fixed gateway antennas or as small as a mobile terminal the size of a cellular phone (Sahu, n.d.). The satellite can be accessed by using a directional antenna, which is usually a small “dish”, and is aimed in the direction of the satellite. The GEO satellite's role disseminating information is huge since the GEO satellite is able to deliver broadband Internet Protocol (IP) communications such as internet, data, video, and voice over IP at speeds ranging from 64 Kbps from hand-held terminals up to 4 Mbps bidirectional from portable VSAT antennas (Sahu, n.d.). These satellites are important during a disaster because of the fact that they remain...