5G technology could improve connectivity of IoT devices in the healthcare sector, but policies and standards must evolve to allow the tech to reach its full potential, according to an article on the Healthcare IT News website.

5G isn’t just an extension of 3G and 4G networks. The tech is a network that combines 4G, Wi-Fi, wireless access technologies and millimeter wave. It also leverages cloud infrastructure, intelligent edge services and virtualized network core.

This capability is crucial to achieving the necessary data speed and capacity demands for IoT devices. And that power will be imperative to support the healthcare landscape as it moves into a more consumer-centric, value-based care model, the article said.

The industry has begun to shift into outcome-based models of care, but governmental policy changes will help speed up the process: things like taxation and policies to incentivize providers. 

Read the article.