THE concept of m-health was first in

THE concept of m-health was first introduced and defined
in this transactions as “mobile computing, medical sen-
sor, and communications technologies for healthcare” [2]. Since
then, it has become one of the key domains within the e-health
and wireless telemedicine, bringing together major academic
research and industry disciplines worldwide. This basic concept
of the original definition of m-health is illustrated in Fig. 1.
The first editorial that highlighted the concept of m-health
was published in the special section of this transactions, “Spe-
cial Section on mobile telemedicine and telehealth systems,”
published in 2000 [1]. One of the key notes in the editorial
introduction stated that the “convergence of information and
telecommunications around telemedicine and mobile telecare
systems is fostering a diversity of cost-effective and efficient
mobile applications and will provide a new dimension to the
original definition and concept of telemedicine as ‘medicine
practiced at distance’ that will envisage new mobility direc-
tions in reshaping the structure of healthcare delivery globally
into the next millennium.” This potent prediction was the key
to the massive successes of m-health systems that we witness
today.
Furthermore, since then major advances in these m-health
subdisciplines were introduced within the worldwide research
community. In particular, major advances were introduced in the
mobile broadband and wireless internet m-health systems [4].
Similar advances in wearable and body area sensor networks
and challenges were also reported [3]. The relevant business
models of m-health services were also introduced and reported
in the recent literature [4]. This widespread and unprecedented
evolution of m-health systems and services in recent years has
been reflected in a 2010 study by McKinsey estimated that
the opportunities in the global mobile healthcare market are
worth between $50 billion and $60 billion in 2010 [5]. Further
details of the review of existing m-health systems and advanced
applications are beyond the scope of this editorial paper and can
be cited in the recent literature in this area [6], [7].
However, one of the major breakthroughs and turning points
in this evolution is the introduction of the fourth-generation
(4G) mobile communication systems. The introduction of 4G
technologies and networks in this decade will bring new services
and consumer usage models that will be compatible with these
emerging mobile network architectures.
It is timely that such major evolution is also reflected in
corresponding m-health systems and services and introduced as
4G health. This new concept is defined as “The evolution of
m-health towards targeted personalized medical systems with
adaptable functionalities and compatibility with the future 4G