The use of telehealth rose sharply in the early days of COVID-19 and has remained high since. Healthcare providers that were previously reluctant to experiment with the tech are now embracing it, and many plan to continue offering telehealth services post-pandemic.
At the same time, major telecommunications providers are finalizing their rollout of 5G, the next-generation cellular network designed for high data throughput and support for large numbers of simultaneous connections. Among other things, it’s intended to help support smart Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
Both are likely to leave an impact on healthcare that lasts well after the pandemic is over. This is how telehealth and 5G are already transforming healthcare ” and a look at the potential long-term impact the two may have on the field.
The Rise of Telehealth During COVID-19
Telehealth visits were up 54% in March 2020, in the early days of the pandemic, compared to the same period in 2019.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, for example, announced in December that it would make permanent support for some telemedical services after COVID-19.
One report, published by the American Medical Association, found that telehealth services may account for as much as $250 billion in healthcare spending post-pandemic. Many doctors, when surveyed, have reported they plan on offering the services even once lockdown measures are lifted.
So far, the impact has been noticeable. The technology has helped expand care during the pandemic, including in rural areas, where travel time to the nearest hospital or clinic may have made care difficult to access.
The rise of telehealth may also have significant benefits for healthcare providers and institutions looking to reduce carbon footprints.
If patients have the option to connect with a doctor from home, they won’t need to travel by car, cutting down on the emissions required to seek care.
One study found that replacing physical benefits with telemedicine services could provide a 40 to 70 times reduction in carbon emissions.
Combined with low-risk green investments that make the offices themselves more eco-friendly ” like sustainably made medical supplies and LED lighting ” telehealth could help reduce the resource costs associated with providing care.
5G Enables New Telehealth Services
At the same time, the rollout of the new 5G network has set the stage for a major transformation in remote healthcare.
5G offers two key advantages that pave the way for more widespread use of smart medical devices, or what is being called the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT).
First, 5G offers speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G. Secondly, it incorporates new technology, like Massive MIMO antenna arrays, which can support more connections from more devices than 4G.
Combined, these two advantages make it much easier for smart medical devices to send and receive data from the internet with less risk of poor signal strength or high latency.
As a result, it’s possible to use these devices to collect near-real-time data on patient health. This can be a major asset when treating a wide range of diseases ” especially chronic conditions, like dementia, which require regular monitoring of patient conditions.
These devices could help reduce the need for in-person visits and shift healthcare manufacturing from less environmentally-friendly single-use tools that are necessary for in-person visits ” like swabs and rubber gloves ” to long-lasting devices that track patient health.
Already, there are some signs this approach may be feasible. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, doctors also used the technology to monitor patient health with limiting in-person visits.
In addition to making devices more effective, 5G speeds could also make remote interventions with surgical robotics much more practical, even if a wired, high-speed connection isn’t available.
Already, there have been a small number of remote surgeries performed with medical robotics controlled over a 5G connection. For example, a recent study on 12 telerobotic spinal surgeries conducted over 5G concluded that the approach is accurate, reliable, and feasible for the management of certain spinal diseases.
Telehealth With 5G May Reshape Healthcare
Over the next few years, telehealth and 5G are likely to have a major impact on how medical care is delivered.
Telehealth is already reducing the need for in-person visits, while 5G may enable a range of new smart medical devices and telerobotic surgeries. These changes may help the industry become more sustainable and improve the accessibility of care for all.