A research team of the Yonsei University Medical System said it has found ways to apply the 5th-generation technology to the emergency care system to provide faster and more accurate treatment and improve the patients’ outcomes.

Professors Kim Hyun-min (left) and Chang Hyuk-jae.

Doctors Kim Hyun-min and Chang Hyuk-jae lead the team. Professors Kim Sung-woo, Park Eun-jeong, and Kim Ji-hoon also studied together.

The research paper presented the applications, nature, and other cases related to 5G technology, such as high-speed data transmission speed, fast wireless communication, and enhanced security for personal information.

The study focused on the concise execution of after-arrival decisions and actions based on 5G, such as identifying the patients' status and medical history while transferring the patients to the hospital as soon as possible. Super ambulance introduced by Nokia and China Mobile Limited in 2017 is a representative case of 5G technology benefits.

Super ambulances have computed tomography (CT) scanners and X-radiation. Paramedics and outside doctors can communicate while instantly checking the patients' vital signs and prescribe necessary measures such as CT scans.

The study is an extension of the research and development of the artificial intelligence emergency medical system development project of the Yonsei Medical System supported by various government offices, such as the Ministry of Science, and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology.

The project is to establish a system that transmits biometric data such as the patients' electrocardiogram, blood pressure, pulse, medical history, and massive medical projections to the transferring hospital quickly based on the 5G transmission system.

The project goal is to develop a system that automatically selects optimal hospitals for each patient and guides them to the best path by analyzing the overcrowding and distribution charts by disease of nearby emergency centers. The pilot project is scheduled for 2021.

"A systematic approach and measures are necessary to strengthen the privacy protection system further for transmitting the patients' information," the research team said. "The 5G network should be established extensively to allow 5G-based emergency medical services across all regions."

The study, “The role of fifth-generation mobile technology in prehospital emergency care: An opportunity to support paramedics,” was published in the international healthcare journal Health Policy and Technology.

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