IoT in healthcare in 2023
IoT emerged as a groundbreaking tech about a decade ago. Yet, our continuous innovation in technology solutions & IoT devices in Healthcare utilization persists. Consequently, smart devices have now seamlessly integrated into our daily lives. You probably know someone who employs smartwatches or has witnessed e-scooters navigating the streets. The implementation of the Internet of Things has extended across industries, spanning from retail & logistics to manufacturing & oil production.
Besides, are you familiar with the concept of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)? Medicine is an ever-evolving field, consistently moving boundaries. It is no surprise that companies harness the abilities of IoT devices in Healthcare to suggest doctors & patients more streamlined solutions.
The breadth of IoMT implementation within healthcare is amazing. Experts anticipate a staggering surge in the global IoMT market, reaching over $181 billion in 2022 & projecting it to escalate to $950 billion by 2032.
Benefits of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)
While the global healthcare landscape continually evolves, it still grapples with important challenges that can yield profound consequences. These challenges encompass not only discovering remedies for emerging & longstanding diseases but also addressing miscommunication, human errors in symptom identification & monitoring, adhering to routines, and exploring novel research avenues.
So, what precisely are the potential merits of incorporating IoT into healthcare, & how do the Internet of Things devices in Healthcare elevate the industry?
- Remote Healthcare: One of the most apparent perks of the Internet of Things in healthcare is the capacity for doctors to remotely oversee their patients’ health status, allowing individuals to look for assistance anytime, from anywhere. This not only improves convenience & emergency care but also fosters greater accessibility to medical aid.
- Disease Prevention: Prevention is often the best remedy. Here, the Internet of Things healthcare solutions suggest tracking & monitoring tools that empower patients to manage their health, modify habits, enhance lifestyles, & detect early indications of potential health concerns.
- Reduced Expenditure & More Effective Appointments: The Internet of Things devices in Healthcare & sensors empower patients to independently monitor their health conditions, decreasing the need for frequent consultations. Concurrently, the extensive data amassed via IoT apps in healthcare renders these visits more impactful, as doctors possess comprehensive insights at their fingertips.
- Accessible Medical Data: Previously, individuals had to visit labs, consult doctors, or own multiple devices for measuring metrics like blood pressure, heart rate, glucose, or blood oxygen levels. Seriously, compact Internet of Medical Things devices now provide routine tracking while suggesting personalized statistics in health applications.
- Enhanced Diagnostics: The all-encompassing health tracking abilities of IoT healthcare devices simplify the detection of anomalies & symptoms, aiding doctors in forming a complete understanding of an individual’s health status & expediting exact diagnoses.
- Improved Healthcare Management: IoT apps in healthcare extend beyond individual requirements to encompass institutional & systemic enhancement. For example, specific types of medical Internet of Things facilitate the assessment of equipment conditions & efficacy, along with the aggregation of global disease statistics.
- Optimized Drug Therapy: Effective medication therapy is key to treatment success. The Internet of Things health monitoring systems are ingeniously created to maximize the efficiency of drug treatments, providing optimal patient adherence & performance.
- Research Facilitation: IoMT devices serve as a useful tool for research, amassing vast quantities of precise medical data. This allows scientists to focus on intricate tasks, instead of manual data collection, compilation, & analysis.
Delve into the realm of the Internet of Things apps within healthcare & explore the functionality of these advantages via real-world examples of the IoMT.
The Top IoT Apps in Healthcare
Healthcare & tech have converged in unprecedented ways, giving rise to great advancements in IoT that are revolutionizing patient care & medical processes. This intersection of innovation has paved the way for a new wave of IoT apps in Healthcare that redefine the field. Let’s explore some of the most impactful apps in the realm of IoT in healthcare:
Internet of Bodies (IoB)
The Internet of Bodies leverages the human body as a rich source of medical and fitness data. Through a network of IoB devices, biometric, physiological, & behavioral data are gathered, transmitted through IoT systems, analyzed via backend infrastructure, & delivered to consumers, often via mobile applications. This encompasses wearable smart fitness devices, biometric authentication, implants, prosthetics, artificial organs, pill dispensers, & different other wearable, implantable, & ingestible techs. IoB allows continuous health monitoring, precise diagnoses, & support for chronic conditions.
Internet of Medical Things Wearable Devices
Smartwatches & IoT-powered bands are among the most popular Internet of Things healthcare apps. Beyond fitness & medical consumers, they also integrate with other devices, providing functions like timekeeping, weather updates, & message notices. They suggest features such as step tracking, heart rate monitoring, & sleep analysis. Leading technology brands like Apple, Samsung, Huawei, & others suggest a range of Internet of Medical Things devices.
Hearables
Advanced hearing helps enriched with Internet of Things techs empower those with hearing impairments. These devices connect to smartphones through Bluetooth, allowing personalized sound adjustments for real-world environments. The Whisper Hearing System exemplifies this innovation, utilizing IoT & AI to optimize sound experiences via continuous analysis & learning.
Smart Pills
The convergence of science fiction & medical tech has led to ingestible sensors packaged within pill-sized capsules. These sensors provide highly accurate diagnostics, & researchers have developed capsules equipped with sensors & artificial bacteria to diagnose gastrointestinal problems, decreasing the need for traditional methods like endoscopy.
Glucose Monitoring
IoT solutions are improving glucose monitoring for diabetes patients. Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre range suggests non-invasive sensors that monitor glucose levels around the clock & notify consumers through mobile applications of deviations, aiding in timely intervention.
Hygiene Monitoring
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of hand hygiene. IoMT badges from companies like Biovigil guarantee compliance with hand hygiene protocols in medical settings, contributing to safer patient care.
Moodables
Internet of Medical Things devices like smart patches from FeelZing influence mental health directly, helping consumers enhance mood & cognitive abilities via neurostimulation, enhancing focus & peace of mind.
Smart Hospitals
The Internet of Things in healthcare empowers hospitals, fostering efficient collaboration between medical professionals & technical staff, improving patient service, & extending the lifespan of medical equipment.
Predictive Maintenance
IoT’s predictive maintenance methods provide seamless equipment function, reduce health risks for patients, & cost-effective repair & become one of the top IoT apps in Healthcare. The Virtos Automatic immunoassay analyzer employs automated Internet of Things monitoring to alert operators of potential malfunctions.
Connected Equipment
Many IoT apps in Healthcare involve smart connected medical equipment, allowing easy access to device characteristics & interaction via mobile applications. Defibrillators, nebulizers, & other monitoring equipment benefit from Internet of Medical Things integration.
Asset, Staff, & Patient Management
Complex medical institutions require innovative solutions for tracking devices, equipment, and patients. Arrowfinch’s Internet of Things tracking system utilizes sensors, tags, badges, & connected medtech devices to provide efficient coordination.
Smart Labs
IoMT enters lab settings, automating repetitive tasks & improving efficiency. Swittons offers solutions that manage equipment status, trigger maintenance calls, & send emergency alerts.
Chronic Disease Management
IoMT devices assist chronic patients in monitoring their health, medications, & symptoms accurately, fostering consistent care & early intervention. Solutions like Quio’s IoT health monitoring system contribute to adjusted treatment plans.
Robotic Surgery
Robotic instruments powered by IoT tech excel in surgical precision & speed. These tools perform complex procedures with decreased invasiveness & risks, transforming fields like general, cardiac, spinal, gastrointestinal, & urologic surgery.
Rehabilitation
Internet of Medical Things devices accelerates recovery during the rehabilitation phase. DyCare’s ReHub system, using AI & IoT health monitoring, connects doctors with patients to tailor recovery strategies based on data collected by smart sensors.
The Internet of Things apps in healthcare are vast & transformative, ushering in an era of personalized patient care, efficient medical operations, & groundbreaking technological innovations that promise to reshape the landscape of healthcare delivery & management.
Challenges in IoT Implementation in Healthcare
- Data Security & Privacy: A prominent challenge of implementing IoT in healthcare is the problem of data security & privacy. Internet of Medical Things devices collect & transmit real-time data, but many lack adequate data protocols & security measures. Ambiguity around data ownership regulation further complicates matters. This vulnerability exposes patient & doctor data, making it susceptible to cyberattacks. Hackers could compromise Personal Health Info (PHI) for fraudulent activities, such as making fake IDs to buy medical supplies or filing insurance claims.
- Integration of Multiple Devices & Protocols: The integration of diverse devices poses obstacles due to the lack of consensus among manufacturers regarding communication protocols & standards. The variation in these protocols complicates data aggregation, hindering the smooth flow of info between connected devices. This lack of uniformity slows processes & limits the scalability of the Internet of Things in healthcare.
- Data Overload & Accuracy: Despite the challenges in data aggregation, Internet of Medical Things devices generate copious amounts of data. While this data is invaluable for gaining insights, the overwhelming volume makes it challenging for doctors to extract meaningful info. The sheer quantity of data, coupled with varying protocols, hampers accurate interpretation, affecting the quality of decision-making & potentially compromising patient safety.
- Cost Considerations: Although IoT holds promise, its implementation in healthcare has not yet translated into more affordable services for the general population. Rising healthcare costs are a concern, especially in developed countries. While the Internet of Things in healthcare is a compelling concept, it has not effectively addressed cost problems. The healthcare cost burden has led to the emergence of “Medical Tourism,” where patients seek treatment in developing nations due to lower costs. To realize the full potential of IoT in healthcare, stakeholders must work towards making it cost-effective, providing accessibility beyond high-income individuals.
In conclusion, while IoT suggests transformative potential in healthcare, challenges related to data security, integration, data overload, accuracy, & cost considerations must be effectively addressed to fully harness its benefits & make healthcare innovation accessible to all segments of society.
Our Experience
Revolutionizing Street Siren Control
Amidst the ongoing conflict, Stfalcon has stayed steadfast in its commitment to helping & safeguarding lives in Ukraine. Guided by this noble goal, our focus has shifted towards preparing software solutions that not only improve lives but also play a key role in preserving them.
Amid the tumult of war, the Khmelnytskyi Regional Military Administration approached Stfalcon with a vital mission: to automate the activation & deactivation of street warning sirens, effectively disseminating threat info to the populace.
After a meticulous evaluation of existing technological options, Stfalcon opted for the GSM alarm controller developed by Ukrainian company OKO as the foundational framework for a device that adeptly fulfilled the prescribed task. Read the full case study
A Smart Lock Application
Entrusted with the development of software to interface with a smart lock seamlessly, our team embarked on a journey to make an intuitive app. Our goal was to empower consumers with the convenience of remotely controlling their home locks via simple commands dispatched from their smartphones.
The software also boasts sophisticated abilities including generating virtual access codes, allowing access revocation, & employing owner recognition for automated door unlocking. Read the full case study
In Summary
The showcased IoT apps in healthcare provide just a glimpse into the wide world of the Internet of Medical Things. This industry spans multiple facets of the global healthcare landscape, showcasing its immense potential. For businesses & devs, this realm suggests boundless opportunities to channel creativity & harness technological progress to improve a critical aspect of human life.
Should you find yourself driven to craft your Internet of Medical Things device, rest assured that Stfalcon stands ready as your trusted IoT development partner. Embark on your journey by contacting our team for an insightful free consultation.
Originally published at https://stfalcon.com.
