Power-Aware Video Transmission in 5G Telemedicine: Challenges, Solutions, and Future Directions

The transformation of healthcare delivery through telemedicine has been significantly accelerated by the deployment of 5G networks and the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. These advancements enable real-time video-based medical services, including remote operations, urgent care, mobile procedures, and virtual consultations. However, the energy limitations of IoT devices present significant questions regarding long-term video quality and system efficiency. This survey reviews state-of-the-art solutions envisioned for enhancing video transmission in telemedicine environments that are limited by energy consumption but made possible by 5G connectivity. The study discusses recent advances, including efficient video compression techniques, computation offloading via edge computing, adaptive streaming procedures, and dynamic 5G architecture-aware resource scheduling, such as network slicing. It discusses the trade-off between power efficiency and video performance for various telehealth scenarios. Using a scenario-based analysis with a unifying integration framework, this work advances research into energy-efficient e-health systems.