Introduction
Internet of Things, or IoT, is gaining quick popularity in every field – It’s estimated that the number of active IoT devices will surpass 25.4 billion in 2030. This is because, as a platform, IoT can be linked to everything. IoT connects physical devices to the internet where they can talk and share data. These physical devices could be anything from simple sensors to smartphones and wearables.
IoT In Healthcare
Healthcare is one of the industries where IoT can have a profound effect – The size of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the healthcare market worldwide is projected to go from 24 billion USD in 2016 to 135.87 billion USD in 2025. Considering the low doctor-patient ratio in India, a real-time remote health monitoring facility can help both patients and physicians. Wearable IoT-embedded devices like glucometers, ECG sensing devices, etc. can provide doctors easy access to the patient’s health status. IoT-enabled health monitoring also enhances the quality of care while reducing hospital visit costs.
Benefits of IoT in Healthcare
- Better Analysis
IoT enables better analysis of continuous real-time data which helps physicians provide proactive care. Remote alerts generated by algorithms promptly notify family and medical staff of emergencies. For example, in the case of continuous ECG monitoring, detachment of electrodes due to sweat or movement is common. The artefacts generated during this process can lead to incorrect diagnoses. To avoid this, immediate action must be taken. The hospital staff is notified for prompt action after the detachment of electrodes by various algorithms written into IoT devices.
- Tracking Equipment
Another aspect where IoT devices can be useful is in tracking the real-time location of medical equipment. Traditional digital or paper check-out systems make it challenging for medical staff to locate equipment, especially in emergencies. With IoT solutions, staff can quickly locate equipment without wasting time.
- Data Assortment and Visualization
IoT can be very effective in data assortment and visualisation. Managing large amounts of data is a challenging and potentially error-prone task for healthcare professionals. IoT-driven devices make it easier to segregate and visualize data, which reduces human error and speeds up decision-making.
- Healthcare Charting
IoT-powered devices speed up the process of healthcare charting. Using IoT devices, doctors can easily record all the parameters like body temperature, blood pressure, blood sugar, oxygen levels, etc., which are then sent to the app via IoT. Further, it also enables patients’ data to be readily accessible for analysis.
Challenges in IoT in Healthcare
With all the benefits provided by IoT, there are also a few challenges faced by IoT in healthcare.
- Data Security and Privacy
One of the significant challenges is data security and privacy. Since the data is present on the internet, it is much easier for cybercriminals to hack into the system and access patients’ personal health information. This may lead to the misuse of their personal information during buying and selling of drugs, fraudulent medical claims etc. Having a private IoT network for better encryption could be a good place to start addressing this issue.
- Data Overload
Another challenge would be onboarding too many devices. The network can slow down due to data overload. Thus, health care will be slowed down rather than accelerated. An overloaded system can also shut down entirely, which can cause major problems, particularly in the healthcare sector. The provider’s wireless network should be robust enough to integrate a large number of devices and handle huge data traffic.
Conclusion
IoT technology enables remote monitoring and virtual visits between patients and doctors, as well as tracking staff and patients within hospitals. Using the IoT, chronic disease can be managed better, the workflow can be automated, data can be culled and analyzed quickly, and information can be distributed easily. In addition, it lowers drug prices by reducing inefficiency and errors and optimizing the pharmaceutical manufacturing process. IOT also maintains quality control and manages sensitive items while they’re in transit. It can even lower healthcare costs by streamlining the overall process.