Fast, reliable internet is critical for non-acute facilities. With 5G, providers can adapt fast internet services for real-time telehealth consultations, remote patient monitoring and seamless access to secure electronic health records (EHRs)—all of which help improve patient care and operational efficiency. Another benefit of 5G is that it brings high-speed internet services to rural areas. This gives non-acute facilities in these locations access to modern internet capabilities.
THE PROMISE OF 5G FOR HEALTHCARE
According to AT&T, 5G technology will “ultimately alter the DNA of the digital experience.” That’s because 5G is expected to open new opportunities for businesses, such as non-acute facilities, to innovate. Yet there’s also a downside to modern infrastructures, which is that edge, cloud and internet of things (IoT) devices increase the number of endpoints, which means cyber criminals and hackers have more opportunity to attack a facility’s network.
“Edge devices and services, together with network infrastructure devices, are often the start point for the growing incidence of mass exploitation attacks,” according to SecurityWeek.
To prevent security breaches, healthcare facilities must identify and mitigate any system vulnerabilities, and build security into their networks. “As 5G technologies coalesce and codify, businesses want the 5G world and network—and the capabilities it can enable, all wrapped in security,” according to the AT&T whitepaper “The dawn of the 5G world.”
As non-acute providers demand improved performance, reliability and security, along with lower latency, 5G becomes increasingly important. For example, 5G technology can improve healthcare delivery and patient trust by enabling cybersecurity capabilities that protect EHRs. This includes real-time threat detection and secure data transmissions, while ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.
Healthcare organizations may not realize that 5G is typically compatible with their existing 4G infrastructure. This compatibility makes it easy for facilities to migrate to the advanced capabilities of 5G without requiring an expensive rip and replacement of their current systems. Approaches such as Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) allow 4G and 5G devices to operate on the same spectrum, enabling interoperability when moving to 5G.
“DSS enables the sharing of spectrum resources between 4G and 5G, catering to the ever-increasing demands of data traffic,” according to Medium. “By swiftly allocating spectrum resources and optimizing device performance within available capacity, DSS paves the way for a seamless transition from 4G to 5G.”
