A Converged Cloud-Fog Architecture for Future eHealth Applications

Abstract

Recent advances in mobile communication, mobile cloud, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are transforming various vertical application domains. Particularly eHealth ser-vices are expected to take advantage of those enabling technolo-gies to evolve towards remote, patient-centric, and individualized care. In this work, we study the role of the fifth generation mobile technology (5G) as an integrator for various enablers to create a converged infrastructure for future eHealth applications. We first analyze high-impact and industry-driven eHealth use cases and identify challenges. We then propose a reference architecture for a future eHealth infrastructure, which is a fusion of cloud, edge, IoT, and other emerging technologies. Finally, to evalu-ate the proposed architecture, we implement a remote patient monitoring service comprising the architecture components and enablers, i.e., mobile device sensors and distributed intelligent data analysis. The evaluation shows an effective integration of artificial intelligence (AI) components to support novel eHealth applications.