## 5 Importance of Ubiquitous Cellular Coverage in Hospitals
### Future Expansion of the Study  
The study conducted at the Centro Hospitalar Universitario Cova da Beira (CHUCB), as originally presented in [38], provides a solid foundation for future research and practical application of communication technologies in hospital environments, both locally and internationally. The expansion of this work will aim to address connectivity challenges in diverse healthcare settings, particularly in resource-limited environments. A list of suggestions comprises the following aspects:  
1. **Asset Tracking Solution at CHUCB--**The study is exploring the implementation of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)-based asset tracking system integrated with the hospital's existing infrastructure. BLE tags will be paired with over 300 Aruba (Meridian) access points, which support BLE beacons and georeferencing solutions. The applications are as follows: 1. Medical Equipment Management--Real-time tracking of devices such as infusion pumps, ventilators, and monitors to optimize their usage and availability; 2. Patient and Staff Tracking--Monitoring the location of patients and healthcare professionals to improve safety and operational efficiency; 3. Dynamic Orientation--Guiding patients to the most convenient services during their hospital visit, enhancing their experience, and reducing delays. This solution is expected to improve operational efficiency, safety, and the organization of workflows within CHUCB. 2. **International Expansion--**Aiming at targeting contexts in developing countries, the study will be extended to a case Study in the Hospital of Cumura in Guinea-Bissau, a reference unit for leprosy treatment in West Africa. Identified challenges are two-fold: 1. Connectivity Limitations--The hospital faces severe communication infrastructure challenges, including the absence of Internet access for healthcare professionals and manual recording of clinical data. 2. Risks--These limitations pose significant risks to the quality of care provided, highlighting the need for accessible technological solutions. In this context, the study identifies the need to investigate the feasibility of deploying low-cost and scalable technological interventions tailored to the local context. Specifically, the implementation of cellular coverage enhancement mechanisms, such as femtocells or distributed antenna systems (DAS), will be considered contingent upon the outcomes of a comprehensive radio spectrum measurement campaign to be conducted during the forthcoming phase of the research. Concurrently, the persistent reliance on paper-based medical records underscores the critical need to assess the potential transition to electronic health records (EHRs) as a means to improve clinical data accessibility, integrity, and continuity of care. Moreover, given the limited availability of local information technology infrastructure, the adoption of cloud-based platforms for clinical data management and decision support will also be evaluated, with particular attention to scalability, data security, and operational sustainability. In the Hospital of Cumura in Guinea-Bissau, the same measurement and analysis approach (considered at CHUCB) will be applied, including radio spectrum assessments and cellular coverage evaluations. The study will compare the deployments at CHUCB(Portugal) and Cumura Hospital (Guinea-Bissau) to assess indoor communications enhancement and adapt solutions to local constraints, such as energy availability, reliability of network access provision, and financial limitations. The ultimate goal is to develop a replicable technological model capable of enhancing internal communication, safeguarding clinical data, and supporting medical decision-making in resource-limited environments. Accordingly, the study will examine how solutions such as femtocells, BLE, and NB-IoT can be tailored to the specific technical and economic conditions of developing countries.