Private 5G for Healthcare: Industry 4.0

What is a private wireless network?

In simple terms, it is an enterprise private wireless network that is deployed using spectrum frequencies reserved exclusively for a customer environment. Traditionally, Wi-Fi technology was used in private networks, but with the regulatory changes and evolution of technology, Private LTE & Private 5G are being used as they enable the private networks to harness the 5G and EDGE computing to digitally transform the enterprise operations and Industry 4.0 initiatives.

Healthcare

Healthcare is one of the least digitised sectors with many hospitals still running paper-based operations. With unmet needs against the increasing demand, rising cost pressures, complex systems and highly sensitive patient health data, the focus on the need for transformation is more than ever. But lack of IT budget/infrastructure/reliability/security hinders this much-needed digitisation. Can technology bring any improvement in healthcare efficiency and address the challenges?

Healthcare digital transformation

5G has a significant role to play in the digitisation of healthcare by enabling new and improved use cases. Those within the healthcare industry feel that 5G, and the hype around it, will help drive the innovation, adoption and implementation of new technologies and solutions. This development will have significant impacts on healthcare providers and patients alike.

Quoting an industry expert –

“When 5G and private wireless come into effect, doctor’s location wouldn’t matter and everyone would get the same level of clinical services, especially in emerging markets and remote areas”.

Another senior healthcare executive says –

“5G technology will turn antiquated health care systems in hospitals into smart hospitals that can deliver remote health care services to patients worldwide". With the healthcare industry’s network footprint growing each year, more and more healthcare services and applications depend on fast network speeds and low latency. Based on a study, private 5G in healthcare can lead to a revenue potential of 75.7 billion USD for service providers.

Private 5G use cases

Here are some private 5G use cases applicable in healthcare sector:

1. Augmented / Virtual Reality

AR/VR assistance for the blind - Using a 5G-enabled AR/VR headset or set of video streaming glasses, visually impaired individuals can be connected in real-time to a live advisor who can guide the patient through certain activities in their daily life.

Remote learning & expert collaboration - Using a 5G-enabled AR/VR headset, a specialist surgeon can watch in on a surgery taking place in real-time, guiding the in-person surgeon. In a slightly distant future, this could also evolve into ‘telesurgery’, where a specialist can operate from a remote location. Also, medical students can learn, train and practice in a virtual environment.

Distraction and rehabilitation therapy – AR/VR headsets could be used to distract a child getting an injection or a recovering patient in rehab therapy.

2. Clinical communication

Mission critical communication – Doctors need reliable connectivity with minimal latency especially when mobility is involved.

3. Remote / Exterior operations

Pop-up operations – As seen in Covid, temporary operations could be set up on a need-by-need basis, for example, a vaccination camp in the hospital’s parking lot.

Remote patient monitoring – By using sensors, wearables and e-health devices, patient attributes can be collected and analysed remotely. This would lead to the efficient and proactive delivery of healthcare services and chronic disease management.

4. Telehealth

HD virtual consultations – 5G will enable two-way HD virtual consultations.

Connected ambulance – A connected ambulance and its crew act can collect and transfer information on the patient, either through wearables, sensors, or streaming of HD video/body cameras, back to the hospital while the patient is being transported. This way hospital staff have a better understanding of a patient before they arrive or could provide prompt guidance to paramedics for urgent/critical procedures while still in an ambulance, especially for life-threatening scenarios.

Video-enabled prescription management – 5G can help tackle the problem of prescription adherence, primarily for elderly or mentally ill patients, using video-enabled medication adherence.

5. On-site

In-hospital retail – Having a high-throughput and reliable communication system could help uplift the overall experience, even for point-of-sale transactions.

Real-time high throughput computational processing – High bandwidth & low latency solutions could deliver complex computations or transmit/analyse real-time reports much more efficiently.

Video analytics for behavioural recognition – Video analytics could be used in care homes and psychiatric centres to monitor and identify patients who are behaving out of the ordinary and could become a danger to themselves or to others.

Why Tata Communications

At Tata communications, we are leveraging our expertise as a global network provider and global ecosystem of partnerships to provide end-to-end connectivity solutions for enterprises. We are deeply committed to advancing the critical infrastructure that powers human progress. We’re building on our foundation of excellence by creating systems in new ways: bringing in the right partners, investing in our business, and working side-by-side with our customers to unlock potential. We provide private network consulting & planning, implementation support and managed services for our clients thus undertaking full responsibility for ensuring flawless connectivity while enterprises focus on their core business. To learn more about our Enterprise Private Wireless LTE 5G for the healthcare industry, please reach out to us at 5Gnetwork@tatacommunications.com