How IoT is transforming the healthcare industry?
In recent years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become one of the most significant technologies of the 21st Century. IoT is an internet technology and all the different devices that are connected to it share data and communicate with each other. The applications of IoT span from smart homes to smart cities. Solutions of IoT include real-time streaming data, data management, security, remote monitoring, and network band management.
The number of IoT applications continues to increase and its impact is now seen spanning multiple industries. Healthcare is one industry in which the IoT has yielded tremendous benefit and is beginning to digitally transform it.
In healthcare, the IoT is used for interconnected healthcare devices like monitoring systems, sensor machines, and detectors which will capture real-time health information. The detectors store the information on a centralized cloud or server to be later analyzed to influence decision making and better healthcare outcomes. Healthcare applications for the IoT include telemedicine, workflow management, connected imaging, impatient monitoring, medication management and others. It is clear, especially in the Covid-19 era, that IoT is reshaping healthcare as we know it.
According to Market Research Engine Report, the global IoT in healthcare market is slated to have a compound annual rate of growth (CAGR) of 30.5% from 2020 to 2025 which is greater than the predicted CAGR for all IoT segments in aggregate.
According to the report, IoT in healthcare market is projected to grow substantially to 354.3 billion USD by 2025. Growth is mainly driven by increasing investments within the healthcare market by governments and other stakeholders. Covid-19’s impact on IoT in healthcare market cannot be understated and is in part responsible for its growth trajectory.
Here is a simple example of an IoT operational process for the Healthcare industry:
· IoT smart sensor collects data/information from a patients and doctors inputs data.
· Based on AI algorithm a IoT device analyzes the collected data.
· The IoT device makes a decision whether to act or send the information to the cloud.
· Doctors and health practitioners are enabled to make actionable and informed decisions based on the data provided by the IoT device.
Government and Private sectors are implementing IoT technologies from small clinics to globalized hospitals.
Specific Ways that the IoT is Reshaping Healthcare:
· Implantable Glucose Monitoring Systems
· personal health trackers
· Activity Trackers During Cancer Treatment
· Connected Contact Lenses
· Reducing emergency room wait time
· Tracking patients, staff, and inventory
· Enhancing drug management
· Ensuring availability of critical hardware
Benefits of IoT in Health Care:
Real-time monitoring — Smart wearable devices provide patients with real-time personalized health status. They notified the patient to check their regular health status. In case of any medical emergencies like heart attack or an asthma attack, the device notifies earlier and helps to contact directly with the doctor.
Better patient experience — all patient connected to the healthcare system through the internet, increases the interest level of patients as well as doctors able to improve diagnosis accuracy with the help of real-time health data.
Cost Reduction — With IoT in healthcare, non-critical patients will be able to stay at home while various IoT devices monitor and send all important information to the health facility — meaning less hospital stays and doctor visits. real-time data, which fasten the treatment and gives benefits like constant communication, reduces the usage of the hospital’s resources and traveling expenses, etc.
The Internet of Things in healthcare is sure to promise a better future. These technologies improve the product, services and operations on hospital management system.
