Harnessing 5G Networks for Health Care: Challenges and Potential Applications

The fifth generation (5G) network has revolutionized the healthcare field, offering high-speed data transfer, low latency, and improved network coverage. This has opened new opportunities to help healthcare providers break through barriers for better care delivery. The paradigm shift towards a distributed patient-centric approach in health care has driven the need for the utilization of 4G and other advanced technologies for smart healthcare. However, the limitations of fourth-generation healthcare systems require machine-to-machine (M2M) or device-to-device (D2D) communication, which can be addressed by 5G network infrastructure with its ultra-low latency, high availability, reliability, and security features. This paper provides an overview of the role of smart healthcare in transforming the healthcare industry through the integration of advanced technologies such as electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, internet of things (IoT), wearable devices, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and 3D printing. It also discusses the key features of 5G networks, including high-speed data transfer, low latency, increased bandwidth, improved network coverage, network slicing, and improved security. Additionally, this paper proposes a 5G-enabled emergency vehicle communication system as a potential application of 5G technology in health care.