  In this paper, we build the case that 5G and concomitant emerging
technologies (such as IoT, big data, artificial intelligence, and machine
learning) will transform global healthcare systems in the near future. Our
optimism around 5G-enabled healthcare stems from a confluence of significant
technical pushes that are already at play: apart from the availability of
high-throughput low-latency wireless connectivity, other significant factors
include the democratization of computing through cloud computing; the
democratization of AI and cognitive computing (e.g., IBM Watson); and the
commoditization of data through crowdsourcing and digital exhaust. These
technologies together can finally crack a dysfunctional healthcare system that
has largely been impervious to technological innovations. We highlight the
persistent deficiencies of the current healthcare system, and then demonstrate
how the 5G-enabled healthcare revolution can fix these deficiencies. We also
highlight open technical research challenges, and potential pitfalls, that may
hinder the development of such a 5G-enabled health revolution.
