5G communications are transforming cities and industries around the globe, giving rise to a new age of digital and industrial automation. But what does this mean for the future of medicine and research? The medical industry has changed on many fronts, with telehealth and remote health monitoring systems altering the way people approach medical care.

This has allowed patients to receive healthcare from the comfort of their own homes, utilise new technologies and receive faster, cost-effective treatments. However, as the use of IoT in the industry continues to grow, hospitals are feeling the toll that sophisticated connectivity and imaging equipment are having on their networks.

Healthcare offices are constantly using their networks for remote monitoring and connecting with the outside world. In such a fast-paced environment, slow network speeds and congestion could be potentially life-threatening. The use of 5G technology could be the solution to these challenges. Here’s how 5G networks will support the healthcare industry in meeting the rising demands of digital transformation.

Develop telemedicine

Telemedicine requires a steady network connection that can support high-quality video in real-time. And with the market for telemedicine expected to grow rapidly over the next few years, 5G communications could allow healthcare systems to handle appointments faster and more smoothly, thereby improving the efficiency and reach of the program. 5G will enable hospitals to treat patients faster and connect them with specialists that may be difficult to reach. This enhanced level of connectivity will also allow hospital staff and doctors to collaborate easily and provide patients with an exceptional level of service.

Dependable remote monitoring

Hospitals use a variety of IoT devices to monitor patients and collect information that can be used to provide personalised and preventative care. 5G networking can make this process faster and much easier by boosting the hospital’s capacity to process all the gathered data. With 5G, hospitals would be working with exceptional data speeds with reliable connectivity, which will enable doctors to access critical real-time data and make accurate healthcare decisions.

Rapidly transfer large image files

Medical images such as MRIs are usually very large files and can take forever to transmit on low network bandwidths. This means longer wait times for patients and inefficient use of hospital resources. Switching to a 5G network will allow hospitals to transfer any number of large medical images instantly, improving the quality of the medical care provided to patients. This allows doctors to quickly access the information they require and produce better and faster solutions to patient problems.

Using artificial intelligence

Today, many healthcare providers are beginning to understand the potential of using AI in diagnosing patients and deciding on personalised treatment plans. AI can also be used to study patients and determine their chances of developing postoperative complications. This allows hospitals to intervene and provide any preventative care that patients may need. Using 5G to facilitate healthcare AI will provide them with the network speeds they require for real-time rapid learning from wherever they are.