For practitioners, next-gen mobile networks make way for improved education and collaboration. And for patients around the globe? Smarter and more accessible care, regardless of location, is on the horizon. Consider the possibilities for patients living in remote locations if more specialists performed care virtually and surgical robots were mainstream.
“Technological advancements intersecting with medicine have allowed us to experience what others have termed the ‘great inflection of medicine,’” he said. “As a surgeon, it’s an exciting time as the digital ecosystem is rapidly growing. Connecting this network will be a major contribution of 5G. Relaying surgical experiences and techniques to other segments of the world in a reliable and secure medium will allow a major exchange of ideas and exponential collaboration and research.
But what similar initiatives mean for the delivery of care to remote parts of the world remains to be seen. For Goel, as virtual services and robotic surgery grow more common, training opportunities—“providing education on a scale that has previously not existed”—and affordability could improve significantly.Also shaping the future of healthcare? Wearables and the data they generate.