Prevailing over wires in healthcare environments: benefits and challenges

The objectives of this article are to survey the benefits and challenges posed by the deployment and operation of wireless communications in support of healthcare networks. While the main advantage of wireless communications remains to provide ubiquitous connectivity, thus allowing greater physical mobility and interoperability, a number of engineering issues need to be addressed before this vision is realized. Our intent in this article is to explore some of these issues, including deployment, interference, and mobility, and provide insights for potential solutions.