Introduction
Healthcare is one of the most important sectors in modern society. It is a sector that is developing and modifying, as scientists and professionals release new technologies and remedies. The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the latest technologies to enter the healthcare sector.
To know its importance and use in healthcare, business owners must understand how IoT works in healthcare, and its benefits and challenges. They must also know how it improves patient care and how IoT technology will help make a much larger difference than expected.
What is IoT?
A brief history of IoT
The term “Internet of Things(IoT)” was first forged by Kevin Ashton in 1999. He was working at Procter & Gamble at that time. It was when Gartner added IoT to the list of new emerging technologies in 2011, that it began to gain global recognition.
There are 11.7 billion (54 percent) IoT devices. That means that there are more IoT devices in the world than there are non-IoT devices.
Definition of IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the interconnection of physical devices; such as appliances and automobiles, attached to software, and sensors, enabling these objects to connect and exchange data.
This technology allows the collection and sharing of data, from a wide network of devices, creating opportunities for more efficient and automated systems.
What is IoT in healthcare?
Patients' interactions with doctors and nurses are to visit their patients, call them, or send them text messages to make sure they are okay. This is the way doctors and hospitals observe patients' health and make recommendations.
So, the Internet of Things (IoT) in healthcare will enable medical devices to make remote monitoring possible, so healthcare workers don't have to be stressing themselves about going to check on patients. It also ensures and keeps patients safe and healthy, and empowers physicians to deliver the greatest care.
It will also increase patient recovery as interactions with doctors will become easier and more efficient.
Furthermore, remote monitoring of patients’ health helps in reducing the length of hospital stays by patients and prevents readmissions. IoT has a major impact on reducing healthcare costs and improving treatment results.
Types of IoT Devices Used in Healthcare
There are many types of Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices. They are often classified based on their environment.
In-home medical sensor
IoT sensors should be around a patient's home. For instance, personal emergency response systems should be in homes where patients with serious health conditions stay to watch them alert the hospital when the patient experiences an emergency.
Wearable medical sensor
Wearable medical sensors help a patient's body to record medical information like temperature and blood pressure about them.
For instance, smartwatches record health data, such as a person's body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure.
Wearable sensors or devices are easy to carry around without medical supervision for wellness and health-metric tracking.
In-hospital Medical sensor
Hospitals use IoT devices for asset and inventory management. For instance, asset tags placed on medical equipment and healthcare supplies, send updates to hospital staff on the quantities they have in stock and where they can be. It is also used to track patients moving through facilities.
Benefits of IoT in Healthcare
There are many good benefits of IoT in healthcare. But the most important is its ability to improve patient care. These benefits include the following:
IoT devices watch patients’ active signs, such as heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure. They also keep data and records of all medication and provide real-time cautions to guardians if a patient’s condition changes.
The IoT can also help hospitals manage their equipment. For instance, sensors help track the location of equipment and drugs.
IoT helps hospitals reduce energy consumption. For instance, Smart sensors check and adjust lighting, temperature, and ventilation in the environment based on the conditions of the patients and healthcare workers.
Tools powered by the IoT help hospitals ensure their safety and security. For instance, biometric scanners have the ability to control access to sensitive regions, and video supervision cameras paired with artificial intelligence (AI) integrations help to watch hospital premises.
With proper safety measures in place, IoT help makes healthcare more efficient and effective by providing real-time data record on patients’ active signs.
How is IoT used in hospitals?
IoT devices embedded with sensors for tracking the real-time location of medical equipment like wheelchairs, defibrillators, nebulizers, oxygen pumps, and other monitoring and surgical equipment.
The movement of medical staff at different locations is also analyzed.
IoT technology brings considerable applications in the healthcare sector, in a way that it helps in remote monitoring of how patients respond to treatment, makes transparent information and data about patients, and distributes accurate and current information to physicians. This leads to fewer accidents and mistakes from miscommunication, better preventive care, and enhanced patient satisfaction.
What are the challenges of IoT in healthcare?
Despite the benefits of IoT in healthcare, it has challenges listed below.
Lack of standardization in the healthcare industry, which makes it hard to develop and carry out IoT solutions. For instance, no ideal method of collecting patient data or managing medical devices exists. It is difficult to develop applications that remain unusable.
The need for interoperability between devices
The potential for human error
Conclusion
IoT will modify the way people look at healthcare and hospitality systems. Adoption of these technologies will improve product development and will obtain a long-term effect by bringing minor changes in the health sector.
The Internet of Things can transform every aspect of healthcare delivery from patient care to population health management.
IoT will transform the healthcare sector and deliver better healthcare solutions.