IoT TECHNOLOGY IN HEALTHCARE SECTOR
IoT is bringing about a transformation in the healthcare industry by the unique devices and people interaction which is delivering seamless healthcare solutions. IoT has applications in healthcare that benefit patients, families, physicians, hospitals and insurance companies.
Remote Monitoring of Patients' health
Wearable IoT devices such as fitness bands and other wirelessly connected devices like blood pressure and heart rate monitoring cuffs, glucometer etc. give patients access to personalized attention. IoT has brought about a positive change in people’s lives. This is especially true for elderly patients for whom constant health tracking has become a possibility. This is a boon for people living alone and their families These devices can serve reminders/alerts
IoT- a potent tool for Physicians
IoT has enabled doctors and physicians to track their patients’ health conditions and its historical data more closely. They can track patients’ adherence to treatment plans or any need for immediate medical attention. IoT in healthcare enables professionals to be more watchful and connect with the patients proactively. Data collected from IoT devices can help physicians identify the best treatment process for patients and reach the expected outcomes.
IoT in Healthcare cutting down Costs
Since it’s all technologically driven, it brings down the cost by cutting down unnecessary doctor’s visits, putting resources to better use and improvement in planning. IoT is here to change how the facilities are delivered to the healthcare sector, causing larger effects by bringing smaller changes.
The working of IoT for Health
With a four-step architecture, IoT is fairy simple to implement in a hospital setting. All the four steps are sequentially connected such that the data collected or processed at one stage and sends the value to the next stage.
Stage 1: Deployment of interconnected devices for collecting/gathering relevant data from Node Devices. These devices include sensors, actuators, monitors, detectors and camera systems etc.
Stage 2: Aggregation and Processing of analog data received from various sensors and devices.
Stage 3: Standardization of data and it’s dispatch to the the cloud platforms
Stage 4: Advanced Analytics on cloud data for deriving useful actionable insights for driving better decision-making.
IoT in Healthcare has a bright future. With the advent of IoT, the access to healthcare and Emergency alert devices has been improved. At the same time quality standards in healthcare delivery have also gone up. As cellular IoT improves through better connectivity speeds with 5g network IoT in healthcare is bound to take rapid strides forward
What is IoT enabled healthcare?
In terms of healthcare, the Internet of Things (IoT) could be defined as the interplay between bedside monitors, smartwatches and fitness trackers, implanted medical devices, and any other object that transmits or receives a signal containing data that must be accessed or stored somewhere else.
How can IoT be used in healthcare?
IoT is helpful in improving the efficiency and outcome of healthcare. With the help of Medical IoT devices live data collection on health can be done on an ongoing basis. Due to this healthcare providers are able to make more informed health diagnoses, based on multiple indicators, and consequently better treatment decisions. Further, live streaming of data is capable of things like online surgery besides consultation.
What are the examples of IoT in healthcare?
Following are the five examples of IoT in healthcare:
- Remote patient monitoring. Remote patient monitoring is the most common application of IoT devices for healthcare. .
- Glucose monitoring
- Heart-rate monitoring
- Hand hygiene monitoring
- Depression and mood monitoring
What are the benefits of IoT in healthcare?
- Improves treatment outcomes and patient comfort
- Helps physicians make better decisions
- Makes hospitals and healthcare facilities safer for patients and doctors (eg. through IoT-enabled UV sanitation)
How is IoT used in telemedicine?
With the help of IoT-enabled devices for patient monitoring, doctors have access to all necessary health data concerning a patient’s health history as well as data from remote monitoring of a patient’s vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse rate, heart rate etc. Thanks to telemedicine, people living in far off areas do not need to come to the hospital physically to attend treatment and can receive it remotely.
What are the main challenges to IoT in healthcare?
- Fast and Reliable network connectivity
- Cybersecurity and data privacy
- High cost of IoT enabled healthcare technology and devices
- Scalability of IoT healthcare platforms