With its lower latency and faster speeds that could help increase accuracy in real-time diagnosis and boost innovation in operating rooms, 5G could be the key that finally unlocks the full potential of telehealth just as demand and interest surges.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in the U.S., one of the first action items to help the healthcare sector continue to treat patients was the temporary lifting of a variety of federal restrictions against telehealth usage. These changes, announced by Medicare chief Seema Verma, unleashed telehealth from HIPAA regulations that had historically hampered the adoption of telemedicine across state lines.

Sometimes critical information is overlooked, and a rare disease is not diagnosed until all other more common diagnoses have been ruled out. Unfortunately, a late diagnosis can make a substantial—even life-or-death—difference in a patient’s outcome.

Telemedicine has become routine both for primary and specialty care, from rural hospitals to tertiary care university hospitals. Moreover, digital devices and monitoring modalities are more commonplace. Not only are individuals utilizing cloud-based telehealth patient platforms, but they are also commonly being linked to clinical remote monitoring programs, which are now reimbursable by CMS.