eHealth-WBAN: a study of IEEE 802.15.6 and IEEE 802.15.4 based MAC protocols

Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology 2026

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Authors: Ansar Munir Shah
DOI: 10.1080/03091902.2025.2600333
Cited by: 0
References: 64

Abstract

Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) are vital for real-time health monitoring in eHealth systems. This article presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of MAC protocols based on IEEE 802.15.6 and IEEE 802.15.4 standards, with a focus on energy efficiency, latency, reliability, and emergency data handling. We critically examine superframe structures, access mechanisms, and adaptive MAC designs, and introduce a five-dimensional framework for protocol evaluation. Our study identifies key limitations in existing solutions-such as lack of support for emergency traffic and mobility adaptation-and outlines future research directions for developing intelligent, QoS-aware, and energy-efficient MAC protocols tailored to heterogeneous WBAN environments.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Wireless Body Area Networks Wireless Networks and Protocols Molecular Communication and Nanonetworks

Publication details

Journal / source
Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology
Volume
50
Issue
3
Pages
231–250
Publication date
2 March 2026
Language
EN