5 Ways 5G Could Revolutionise the Healthcare Sector

27 October 2019  •  NHS
5 Ways 5G Could Revolutionise the Healthcare Sector

5th Generation wireless technology is beginning to roll out worldwide. It’s designed to be faster, and more reliable than its predecessors. But can it have benefits in the healthcare sector? The short answer: yes it can.

Increased Data Movement Speeds

Sending medical files is a vital part of healthcare. Medical records and imaging have to be sent across networks constantly, and it’s not always fast. Some of these files can be extensive, and also very time-sensitive. 5G capabilities on WLANs (Wireless Local Area Networks) will decrease wait times for file sharing. In some cases, those extra minutes saved can make a massive difference for the patient.

Efficient Smart Devices

Imagine your doctor wants you to wear a blood pressure monitoring device for a weekend. She wants to study how your blood pressure performs while you go about your normal routine. But there’s a problem - the monitoring device is experiencing some “lag” time while sending data back to the surgery.

5G will take the lag out of the equation, and ensure your doctor has the data she needs. Other remote monitoring devices, for heart rate and respiration, can benefit from being connected to a 5G network. Doctors can implement these devices when they want to accurately monitor several patients at once.

Improved Telemedicine

Not everyone is physically able to keep routine appointments with their practitioner. Others are hindered by geographic challenges. Telemedicine has been a key solution to these problems, and many others. Consultations via video call help keep patients and doctors connected when surgery visits aren’t practical.

There is a downside - call connections need to be over high-quality networks to be effective. One misheard phrase can cause a lot of problems for diagnosing and treating patients. Calls on the 5G network are more likely to be good quality, and less likely to be dropped.

Networking Solutions

Healthcare employment boards and locum job sites are highly useful tools for connecting people to potential jobs. In a time where nearly everyone has a smartphone, job searches are often conducted in the palm of our hand.

Job-searching isn’t easy when you’ve got a slow connection, though. Pages time out or fail to load, and CV uploads move slower than rush hour traffic. With the deployment of 5G networks, these sites will function as they were intended. The train ride home can now double as a job search, since your network won’t cut out every minute.
Better Privacy

The 5G wireless network will be an improvement all around, and that includes security. Any patient data sent across networks is highly confidential, and needs to be treated as such. Updates to security will help protect privacy for all who trust their health records in the hands of technology. As technology evolves, so do solutions to making it secure and safe from threats and vulnerabilities.

Advancing the Healthcare Sector

As with any new technology, 5G must be tested and refined before it becomes the standard. So far, 5G shows promising opportunities for improving healthcare standards. It also could offer a solution to some common problems in medicine.

It’s only natural that as the healthcare sector continues to grow and improve, you’ll want to venture into new areas and develop your skills. At Globe Locums, we are committed to providing locums with the best possible job opportunities. Click here to find the perfect locum healthcare job for you.

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