The healthcare system is larger and more complex than it has ever been. Technological advances and medical breakthroughs are at an all-time high, and unfortunately, so are chronic diseases and soaring health care costs. From hospitals and doctors to insurers and home care, there are countless pain points throughout the system.
However, the Internet of Things (IoT) has changed the game. Having machines, devices, and sensors that are connected to each other and can communicate with the right people has the potential to provide solutions for many of these problems. Plus, they all need apps to manage and control them. Let’s look at the various ways the Internet of Things enables smart health services, disrupts the healthcare system, and helps provide better mental health and health care services.
IoT Technology in Healthcare
IoT technology is already having a large impact on health service delivery worldwide. As the technology becomes more capable and cheaper to produce, it will further enable health systems across the world to deliver more personalized, pre-emptive health care.
Here are a few of the main ways IoT technology is already being used to disrupt global health care:
- Hardware
- Electronic Health Records (EHR)
- Portable IoT Devices
- Public health
These are the most apparent ways IoT in healthcare is changing how medical care is provided. There is a lot of innovation happening in the healthcare industry, and IoT technology is a big part of it.
Hardware
One of the most important and utilized features of the Internet of Things is the ability to monitor the functions and health of all the machinery and devices that make systems run. This is used in manufacturing applications most often, where the smooth operation of multi-million dollar machines is essential to the production and profitability of the company. IoT connected devices report repair schedules and alert technicians to any potential problems, which saves companies millions in costly repairs and downtime.
Medical machinery, like dialysis machines and heart monitors, support health service delivery and are crucial to any patient’s health care, as factory machines are to their business. The difference is that medical machines can make the difference between life and death.
Having connected hardware that can self-report any problems to the right people is the way of the future. The Internet of Things is the perfect solution to enable healthcare professionals to deliver health care services and monitor health progress remotely.
Electronic Health Records (EHR)
One of the first aspects of the healthcare system to be digitized was patient health care records. Having a centralized database for healthcare professionals has helped medical professionals administer expedient and accurate health care for decades.
With the advent of devices that can communicate with these records, critical patient data can be collected in real-time from wearable devices or monitors. Additionally, various systems connected by the Internet of Things can organize this data for easy analysis and even predict potentially dangerous medical conditions before they happen.
There are also security issues connected to any storage, transmission, or managing of personal health records (PHR). Any hardware, servers, or devices that perform this function need to be HIPAA compliant, as do the apps that monitor and control these devices. These are closely monitored and rigidly enforced health data regulations, so anyone involved with the development and operations of these systems needs to have plenty of experience in this area.
Portable IoT Devices
This is a truly fascinating technology, and new devices are constantly emerging. Wearables like Fitbit and Apple smartwatches are by far the most popular and well-known IoT items, but there are many additional devices that merit examination. There are portable heart monitors and blood sugar sensors that keep patients and doctors aware of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. And exciting new devices, like smartphone-connected hearing aids and ingestible microsensors that relay crucial information from inside the body to both the patient and their doctor.
Mobile apps that allow remote monitoring and control of these devices are in high demand. The more technical medical devices, like a heart monitor, are likely to have rather basic technical reporting capabilities that are specific to the device itself. But devices, like Fitbit and iWatch, have apps with incredible UX/UI, push notifications and messaging to remind and motivate the user, and even social capabilities.
Connecting and sharing goals and accomplishments with family and friends is very effective in the quest to get healthy, so apps that feature that sort of connectivity are trending.
Public Health
The health system also includes government and university entities that monitor public health as a whole, researching and studying data that can improve the overall quality of life around the world.
With such a data-driven model, the ability to place connected sensors that can monitor various environments and report results can truly be a difference-maker. Air monitors in polluted cities and temperature monitors in crucial refrigeration units are two interesting ways the Internet of Things can affect global health care.
Additionally, the Internet of Things can make a difference by increasing connectivity to medical personnel in remote and rural areas. This is quite a problem, both domestically and internationally, and any support goes a long way to bringing much-needed health care aid to needy areas.
Final Thoughts on IoT in Healthcare
There are so many other applications for IoT in the burgeoning healthcare sector that it’s hard to keep track.
Smart pill bottles that can remind users to take their medicine and alert doctors when they don’t. Smart homes embedded with sensors for Parkinson’s patients that can sense erratic movements and report symptoms immediately. Hospital beds that connect to doctors and administrators to signal availability. As these various systems continue to evolve and connect, more effective, efficient, and smart health care is truly attainable.
If you have an idea for a MedTech app or a way to use IoT in healthcare, reach out to an experienced app development partner to help make your vision a reality. Using IoT in healthcare requires not only specialized expertise in data security and federal regulations but also in app design and User Experience. Lean on the technical expertise and the industry experience a development partner can bring to your project.
