Impact of IoT in the Healthcare Industry

Technological innovations are helping make healthcare more innovative. The Internet of Things (IoT) is taking patient care to the next level and optimizing the workflow for healthcare providers and doctors through medical IoT devices.

The potential of this technology is undeniable and becoming increasingly important in the healthcare sector. IoT use cases range from virtual medical assistance to improved machine control, helping healthcare providers make reliable and fast diagnoses and provide care. The growing preference for real-time patient and data monitoring amongst healthcare practitioners is expected to drive the demand for IoT networks in healthcare institutions. IoT in the healthcare market is projected to reachUSD 534.3 billion by 2025. A rapid rise in diagnosis was found in approximately73%of hospitals that integrated the Internet of Things.

Medical devices using IoT can collect data from sensors and offer multiple benefits at all levels, from in-patient treatment, and health condition monitoring to early diagnosis. IoT can gather data from patients, detect disease precursors, and help prevent its progression.

Internet of Medical Things (IOMT) - The goal and function of this technology are to continuously monitor patients' conditions and notify healthcare providers in case of need or an emergency. IoMT helps increase the accuracy of diagnosis due to consistent monitoring and makes the working processes more efficient.

Benefits of IoT for the Healthcare Sector Health monitoring - Smart devices embedded with IoT technology help track health conditions and can send signals in case of emergency or any other medical issue. Apple Watch has been integrated with IoT technology named the Fall Detection System. It can detect if the user has had a fall and shows an alert. If the user doesn't tap "I'm ok" for a minute, the watch initiates a call to emergency services, sends location details, and sends a message to registered emergency contacts.

Patient experience - Enhanced patient experience is the key to successful IoT adoption in healthcare. IoT in hospitals can help improve the healthcare system and give patients a more convenient and comfortable way to get in touch with healthcare providers, improving patient experience. Virtual hospitals/wards - Smart technology and IoT are helping create hospitals "without walls", enabling healthcare delivery to patients in their homes and freeing up hospital bed space for those who need more intensive care.Trials for virtual hospitals or virtual wards are being undertaken in countries like Australia, UK & many more. In Sydney, the RPA Virtual Hospital became New South Wales's first virtual hospital to care for patients. They could provide care during the Covid-19 pandemic by use of pulse oximeters which measure oxygen saturation levels and heart rate, along with armpit patches to measure body temperature. The data from these devices were transmitted via a mobile app to the hospital for analysis and treatment suggestions.

Drug management - Drug management is one more area where IoT can benefit healthcare. IoT can help control drug dosages and send the data to healthcare providers who can monitor and track the effectiveness of the treatment. IoT can also help send reminders to patients to take their medication and even send notifications to emergency contacts if they have missed taking medicines.

Medical research - The need and usefulness of IoT in healthcare are endless and are not restricted to directly helping patients only. The possibilities of IoT being used for medical research and analytics is immensely using the collected streaming data.IoT devices can significantly impact clinical trials, allowing healthcare professionals to access a vast pool of test cases by allowing remote screening, ID verification, online recruitment & facilitating self-assessment at home rather than in person.

Challenges for IoT in Healthcare

Technological innovations like IoT have made a real impact and revolutionized the healthcare industry, but challenges should be considered.

Data security - Data security is the Achilles heel of technology. Data privacy is big, and access to personal records and other sensitive information is a big risk. Focus on security is vital and with laws like General Data Protection Regulation Act, 2016 (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act, 2018 (CCPA). It helps ensure that data privacy is prioritized and that app developer and the industry that uses such apps are sensitive to these issues.

Integration and protocols -IoMT connects many devices with different protocols to ensure that an IoT-enabled healthcare system works. There is no specific solution regarding communication protocols and standards, which slow IoT integration in healthcare.

Data overload - With increased IoT devices, the quantum of data streamed is huge. This big data can cause data overload and accuracy issues.

IoT Use cases in Healthcare

Hospital Information Management System (HIMS) - IoT medical software and devices have changed the playing field for hospital management systems. HIMS can collect and manage information like medical records, patient and doctor data and more. It can provide up-to-date information about appointments, hospital rooms, beds etc.

Electronic Healthcare Records System (EHR) - EHR is a digitized version of a patient paper chart. It provides real-time information and patient-centric records that make information instantly and securely available to authorized users.

In conclusion, an Internet of Things development services company with a rich background in creating scalable IoT applications per requirement can help a healthcare business reach its goal.

Olivia Johnson is a technical writer, love to share stuffs related to technology & development.