Possibilities and applications of telemedicine
Telemedicine includes diagnostics, prevention and therapy. It uses modern information and telecommunications technologies for this purpose. Smartphones, the Internet, digitized medical technology and fast 4G or 5G mobile networks are opening up completely new opportunities for the healthcare sector. Telemedicine services and applications make healthcare more efficient and improve medical care. Interaction between doctor and patient is no longer just face-to-face, but also possible over great distances and from any location. For example, patients who are no longer mobile can receive medical care without a mandatory home visit or hospital stay. Typical applications of telemedicine are:
- Digital information exchange between patients, doctors, practices, clinics and rehab facilities
Digital doctor visits – medical consultation and care from home - Remote monitoring of persons in need of care
- Remote monitoring of patients’ important health and vital parameters (for example, for infarct prevention)
- Remote support during operations by specialists at other locations
- Remote support in diagnostics by specialists at specialized hospital locations
- Remote support during emergency operations
The importance of good mobile communications coverage for telemedicine
The supply of fast and powerful mobile radio is extremely important for telemedicine. In detail, telemedicine places the following requirements on mobile communications coverage:
Area coverage
The possibility of mobile, digital communication should be available everywhere. Radio gaps prevent telemedical care and can pose a risk to life and limb. They must be identified and closed.
Real-time capability and high bandwidths
Many of the telemedicine applications require high bandwidths and real-time capable communication. For example, for remote support during surgeries, large data volumes of high-resolution video must be transmitted with minimal delay times. Interactions with medical robots or applications such as augmented reality require minimal latency. 4G and especially 5G mobile technology are able to meet these high requirements for real-time capability and bandwidths.
High availability
Disruptions in data transmission or a failure of the mobile network pose a risk to telemedicine and patient care. Mobile networks must be highly available and function reliably.
IT security and data protection
In telemedicine, sensitive, personal data is exchanged. Under no circumstances must they be read by unauthorized persons or fall into the wrong hands. IT security and data protection are a basic requirement for the mobile transmission of medical data. In addition, the laws and specifications of the German healthcare system must be complied with under all circumstances.
Solutions from ENQT for telemedicine
We offer our customers solutions for telemedicine, for example for the reliable provision of a home emergency call service. Many people would like to live in their own four walls for as long as possible. To get help when needed or in case of accidents, many elderly people rely on home emergency call devices. They are equipped with cell phone modules to communicate reliably in an emergency. Insufficient cell phone reception, for example in rural areas or in new buildings, can have fatal consequences.
We have solutions for checking cellular reception in our portfolio. The LTE+ network tester can test various mobile networks. It identifies reception difficulties, determines the optimum location for the emergency call system, and provides reliable information about the reliability of a home emergency call system.
Other ENQT solutions for telemedicine include:
- SignalInsight service ImmoCheck: complete wireless survey of your building
- SignalInsight Service AMS 2G/3G/4G/5G: High-resolution wireless survey of your areas
- SignalInsight Service DriveTests: Fast measurement and comprehensive data analysis for an overview of the current radio status (including concrete suggestions for improvement)
