A few years back before we heard of IoT, the interactions between healthcare providers and patients were through personal visits, texts, and phone calls. Monitoring patients remotely and keeping a regular check on them was impossible. With the advent of IoT, the healthcare industry has been transformed radically. They are improving the security as well with DMARC service
When ioT technology is integrated with Health Care, Your PC becomes an Industrial PC with a supercomputer of advanced computations and automation.
IOT also plays an impact in cloud based patient case imaging machines like RIS PACS system, the efficiency of the data is more accurate which helps in reducing medical errors in the health industry.
IoT has enhanced healthcare services by empowering doctors to provide remote healthcare and monitoring patients using IoT enabled devices. It also offers numerous benefits for patients, hospitals, healthcare providers, and insurance companies. IoT has made healthcare more accessible and better for patients. Let’s take a look at how IoT is playing a significant role in the healthcare industry in 2020:
Why is IoT important for the healthcare industry?
If utilized to its full potential, it has the capability of completely disrupting industries. The application and use cases of IoT in healthcare are also changing healthcare. Digital healthcare applications and healthcare information technology are aiding patients in scheduling appointments and doctor’s in carrying essential information with them. IoT is connecting thermometers, ultrasounds, electrocardiograms, glucose monitors, etc to track patient’s health.
- Better decision making
The data generated from the connected devices in healthcare, enables organizations to make intelligent decisions and envision new models of innovation. This helps the management make better decisions and enable better stakeholder communications that ultimately increase shareholders’ value.
- Competitive differentiation
IoT connected devices simultaneously transmit valuable information that helps businesses to measure performance and efficiency to leverage market insights. This also helps the organization have a broader outlook for different functions blending into the IoT architectural framework.
- Risk Management
Health organizations can gain greater access to workers through wearable IoT devices connected to different employees. This helps in managing risk factors such as security, health, location, safety guidelines, and compliance. This data can also help the organization in making better policies on employee engagement, labor tracking, efficiency, and productivity.
- Automation
IoT also has the capability in executing numerous redundant tasks through IoT networked devices. Moreover, automation ensures that there is no human intervention for mundane tasks. IoT and automation together increase the efficiency of processes that impact the growth of healthcare.
Applications of IoT in Healthcare
- Remote health monitoring
A major application of the Internet of Healthcare Things is remote health monitoring. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a shift from hospital care or emergency care to home-based care. Remote health monitoring has made it possible for healthcare providers to provide care in private environments. Remote healthcare not only provides the patient with a normal environment but also reduces the workload of healthcare providers. Remote health monitoring is ideal for patients that live in remote locations, for patients with chronic diseases, and the aging population.
IoT aids remote health monitoring through wearables, biosensors, and other connected medical devices. Remote health monitoring detects patterns and other data from these connected medical devices.
- Hearables
Hearables are an exemplary use case of IoT in healthcare. They are the modern hearing aids that enable people with hearing loss to interact with the world. Hearables are also compatible with Bluetooth which can connect and sync a smartphone with them. Moreover, you can also equalize, filter, add layered features to real sounds on hearables. One of the best examples of hearables os Doppler Labs.
- Treatment of Asthma
2020 has been a rough year for patients suffering from asthma as they are highly vulnerable to COVID-19. In these times, connected inhalers are smartly treating asthmatic patients while smart technological devices are providing increased insights and control on their symptoms. The connected inhalers have a sensor attached to it which is also connected with an app and helps people suffering from Asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
- Healthcare charting
Healthcare charting or patient charting is a record of the clinical data and medical history of a patient. A patient chart includes information such as demographics, diagnosis, vital signs, medications, lab/test results, allergies, treatment plans, progress notes, immunization dates, etc. IoT devices like Audemix reduce the manual workload of doctors while maintaining patient charts. These devices also work with voice commands to capture patient data saving about 15 hours every week of a doctor’s work. IoT makes patient data instantly available for review.
- Moodables
Moodables are innovative mood-enhancing devices launched for the healthcare industry that are head-mounted wearables. These devices help improve the mood throughout the day by sending low-intensity current to our brain and the current helps elevate our mood. Halo Neurosciences and Thync are working on moodables and are making progress in the industry.
- Ingestible sensors
IoT has also enabled the launch of pill-sized ingestible sensors that are responsible for monitoring the medicines we take. These sensors warn us if they notice any irregularity in our bodies. Ingestible sensors are ideal for diabetic patients as they help in curbing symptoms and provide warnings for diseases at an early stage.
Conclusion
IoT is playing a significant role in transforming the healthcare industry and its processes. IoT-enabled technologies have set to open new avenues and have a global impact on healthcare. The emergence of IoT devices will significantly improve healthcare services and experiments, reduce costs for patients and healthcare providers, and promote enhanced healthcare services. You can even check for an iOT app development company for integrating healthcare with iOT.
Moreover, the combination of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence with AI will further aid the healthcare industry massively.