WWRF e/m health Working Group Workshop on “5G enabled Health Technologies and Applications” hosted by ACT at the Bissell Library

The government expenditure in healthcare is currently a global concern and is expected to increase in the near future. It is then crucial to identify ways to increase the industry’s efficiency and at the same time improve its services. The information and communication technologies have already provided solutions that form a wide base of knowledge to the application of such technologies in healthcare. The forthcoming evolution of the 5G ecosystem – the next generation of mobile communications – provide the opportunity for new innovative solutions that will shape future value chains and business models. It is then vital for the stakeholders (telecommunication providers, healthcare specialists and information systems specialists) to rethink their role, form teams and provide Health-as-a-Service (HaaS) solutions. These solutions will actually restructure the way we currently think about healthcare delivery.
 
The Wireless World Research Forum (WWRF) has recently introduced a Vertical Industries Platform (VIP) electronic/mobile health workgroup, chaired by Prof Politis and Dr Danas with the aim to provide the infrastructure for such future developments. The kick-off workshop of the e/m health workgroup (titled: “5G enabled Health Technologies and Applications”) was hosted by the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) at the Bissell Library on February 10th, 2016 bringing together the stakeholders from healthcare, telecommunications industry, electronic device manufacturers and academics to discuss and identify collaboration opportunities to design, develop and deliver mobile health systems under the 5G ecosystem.
 
The participants list included Dr Nigel Jeffereries, senior standards manager – Huawei and WWRF chair, Zhen Bin, mobile devices researcher – Huawei, Dr Vergados from the University of Piraeus and member of the board of the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Committee, Dr Sgora, scientific adviser – General Secretariat for Media and Communications, Hellenic Ministry of State, Prof Thuemmler – from the 5G Industry Association and Napier University, Cindy Fedel – Executive Director, Informatics NHS UK, Dr Bamidis - Aristotle University, Dr Angelidis – President of VIDAVO, President of the Alexander Innovation Zone and University of West Macedonia, Prof Guxia Kang – Beijing University of Telecommunications, Prof Nicos Grigoriadis – AHEPA and Aritoteleion Medical School, Simon Fletcher – Real Wireless, UK, Prof Panayiotis Ketikidis – President of the South East Europe Research Center.
 
During the workshop the participants presented their specialist view on the topic that provided the background for further discussion.  After the end of the presentations the workshop was concluded with a panel discussion.