Fifth-generation wireless (5G) network is transforming and enhancing all the important components of healthcare, and it is a particularly meaningful topic today due to the pandemic of COVID-19, which has put extreme stress on healthcare systems across the globe.
5G promises to offer important connectivity levels to allow a new ecosystem of health, one that can accurately meet provider and patient requirements, efficiently, cost-effectively, and suitably, at a considerable scale. Moreover, because of increasing the utilization of 5G in healthcare, with its utilization rate enhanced by advancements in IoT, AI, and robotics, a new ecosystem of connected healthcare will rise.
Understanding 5G in Healthcare
5G in healthcare is the addition of 5G technology into the healthcare sector to enhance and allow remote diagnostics, patient care, boost the efficiency of healthcare operations, and improve telemedicine. 5G provides faster transmission of data, enhanced reliability, and lower latency than the former generations.
This has various potential advantages for healthcare, for instance, with high-speed connectivity and low latency of 5G, the reliability and accessibility of telemedicine can be enhanced. This allows healthcare providers to provide remote diagnostics and consultations, enhancing access to healthcare for individuals in underserved or rural areas.
Application of 5G in Healthcare
Some use cases of 5G in healthcare are:
Connected Ambulance
Connected ambulances can help emergency services meet increasingly stringent targets and enhance the overall outcomes of patients. A connected ambulance and its team collect and transfer data of the patient via sensors, streaming of HD body/video cameras, or wearables, back to hospital accident & emergency departments while the patient is en route.
As a result, hospital staff or providers have an enhanced understanding of a patient beforehand.
Connected Medical Devices
Connected medical devices are the most utilized application for 5G in healthcare. Connected medical devices are devices that use their in-built sensors to gather information recorded by the said device and have the ability to send them via the internet to several other devices that are equipped to obtain said information.
These devices are different from smart devices, as smart devices are only capable of transmitting information through the internet. Whereas, connected medical devices can transmit data through both the internet and from/to other devices.
Remote Patient Monitoring
Remote patient monitoring is an important driver for enhancing the proactive and efficient delivery of healthcare services and the management of chronic illness. By utilizing wearables, e-health devices, and sensors, patient data can be gathered and analyzed by eliminating the requirement for patients to be physically present at healthcare centers.
AR/VR
For individuals with impaired, low, or even no vision, performing normal daily activities, for instance, reading something, road crossing, or entering a building, can be difficult. Utilizing a 5G-enabled set of video streaming glasses or VR/AR headset, visually impaired people can be connected in real-time to a live healthcare provider who can help them in performing certain activities in their daily life.
With the increasing addition of telemedicine and connected medical devices, as well as the surging number of launches of VR/AR devices for medical applications, the requirement for 5G in healthcare will continue to surge, reaching a value of USD 147 billion by the end of this decade.
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