Coming to a hospital near you: 5G
Artificial intelligence may be grabbing headlines, but another technology revolution is finally starting to take place within hospitals: the switch to 5G.
Why it matters: 5G wireless networks could be game changers in enabling “smart” hospitals, Axios’ Tina Reed reports.
- It’s a future in which remote telesurgeries become the norm, and doctors receive patients’ vitals and medical histories the moment they walk in the door with the help of 5G-enabled sensors and wearable devices.
State of play: Think about attending a big sporting event or concert where an old network is still in use.
- Your phone still “works,” but it’s nearly impossible to make calls or send photos because demand overwhelms the outdated system, says Dong Li, assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine.
- Health systems are still stuck in that old sports stadium, Li says.
What’s happening: 5G-enabled hospitals have come online in China, South Korea, Thailand, the U.K. and Israel.
What’s next: A new Cleveland Clinic facility built from the ground up with 5G “will really be a test bed and a platform to launch new ideas and new innovation in health care technology,” the clinic’s chief information officer, Matt Kull, tells Axios.
Yes, but: It’s tricky and costly to add 5G into older hospital buildings that weren’t designed for it, Kull said.
The bottom line: 5G will allow faster and more accurate diagnoses, as well as the sharing of vast amounts of genomic data as the U.S. health system embraces more personalized medicine.
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