The role of fifth-generation mobile technology in prehospital emergency care: An opportunity to support paramedics

Abstract

Prehospital paramedics play a critical role in the process of making decisions about patient safety, prehospital transportation, and treatments/procedures. There has been an increase in efforts to improve emergency medical services (EMSs) using new technologies and mechanisms. Notably, fifth-generation (5 G) mobile technology has many beneficial features (e.g., a high-speed and broader network, ultra-reliable low-latency communication, improved privacy and security), which can help prehospital paramedics provide better EMSs. This innovative technology can help streamline prehospital emergency care by enhancing the timeliness and efficiency of EMSs delivery and facilitating the provision of appropriate patient care, which in turn may improve patient outcomes. Despite its beneficial features, 5 G technology entails several issues and challenges, such as the following: (1) limited regulations and privacy and security concerns about the transmission of patient information through a 5 G network; (2) insufficient robust evidence upon which policies that aim to reform EMSs using 5 G technology can be founded; and (3) a lack of access to 5 G networks in many medically underserved and remote rural areas. These issues should be addressed by policymakers, technology developers, practitioners, and other stakeholders because their resolution is likely to improve healthcare quality and outcomes.