Digital health is a sweet spot for 5G and broadband service to change lives for the better. Access to quality care improves health outcomes, and broadband-enabled devices can help transform the patient journey.
So, at AT&T, we’re working to expand the availability of high-quality healthcare by expanding the availability of high-speed internet and working hand-in-hand with the healthcare industry to transform the future of care.
Two key factors put the “digital” in digital health: connectivity and technology.
High-Speed Internet Is the Link to High-Quality Healthcare
Connectivity now brings the promise of quality care wherever there is broadband. Before advances in telehealth, medical attention was contingent upon physical proximity to doctors, clinics and hospitals. With 181 closures of rural hospitals since 2005, our country has never been in greater need of digital medicine to help close the healthcare gap.
Rural Americans are not the only ones who benefit; digital health has impactful applications for everyone. Finland-based Navigil, which specializes in wearable products for older adults, chose AT&T to connect its Navigil 580 wellness wristwatch in the U.S. Not only is the watch a wellness tracker, but it’s also a mobile Personal Emergency Response System (mPERS) device with:
- Embedded sensors
- Emergency messaging
- Automated alarms with location information
If an elderly loved one wearing the watch falls, it automatically sends an alert to his or her caregivers, even if the wearer loses consciousness and can’t sound the alarm that there’s an emergency.
We’re proud that AT&T was selected by the FirstNet Authority to build and manage the first nationwide broadband network, called FirstNet®, dedicated to America’s public safety organizations.
Magic Happens When Connectivity Meets Digital Technology
We’re working with startups, medical facilities and other health innovators to forge new possibility.
Take the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine. Our ultra-fast connectivity is enabling patient-centered cancer research, treatment, and wellness education. 5G with multi-access edge computing is powering artificial intelligence and other technologies to allow:
- Use of 3D tumor imaging
- Mapping of the patient’s journey through the 80,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, which includes a demo kitchen, History of Medicine Gallery, and museum-quality artwork, with digital bracelets
- Sending large data files between labs using wireless-connected screens
- Customizing music and lighting for a patient’s visit based on patient preferences
- Nearly instantaneous feedback via the Internet of things that will help clinicians improve decision-making.
We’re also working to help provide devices, security and logistics services to advance telemedicine. For a patient managing congestive heart failure who needs to connect to his or her clinician, we want to make that as simple as opening a box and pressing a button – no configuring, pairing or securing required – all while being able to simply connect with your doctors from the comfort of your home.
At AT&T, we’re committed to advancing the digital transformation of healthcare. In fact, we want to be among the leaders in a field where broadband is increasingly playing a key role. The future of healthcare is taking shape outside of hospital walls.
Quality of connectivity enhances quality of care, which improves quality of life. Let’s change lives for the better.
