By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Healthcare Revolution: Healthcare IoT Possibilities and Challenges
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health care > Healthcare Revolution: Healthcare IoT Possibilities and Challenges
DiagnosticsHealth careMedical DevicesTechnology

Healthcare Revolution: Healthcare IoT Possibilities and Challenges

Ritesh Mehta
Last updated: February 5, 2021 8:09 am
Ritesh Mehta
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

IoT or the Internet of Things is not new. Nonetheless, it has been gaining more traction and attention as of late. The Internet of Things concept entails using electronic devices that monitor or capture data and connected to a public or private cloud, allowing them to trigger specific events automatically. The demand for connected devices spans numerous industries and one of them is the healthcare industry. Healthcare practitioners are keenly watching this trend?s development in order to find out if the IoT would be a part of their future.

Contents
IoT DEVICES TO PATIENTSSMART BEDS AND MEDICATION DISPENSERSIoT CONCERNSVISIBILITY OF HEALTHCARE IoTHEALTCHARE IoT TO IMPROVE PATIENT CARE

IoT DEVICES TO PATIENTS

Interconnected devices have been introduced to patients in different forms. Regardless if data comes from electrocardiograms, temperature controls, fetal monitors or blood glucose levels, health information tracking is critical for some patients. Most of the measures require follow-up interaction with a professional in the field. This creates opening for a smart device to deliver data that is more valuable, minimizing the need for direct interaction of patient and physician.

SMART BEDS AND MEDICATION DISPENSERS

Some hospitals and healthcare places have started to implement ?smart beds? that could detect when they?re occupied as well as when a patient attempts to get up. Moreover, it could adjust to ensure the right pressure and support is applied to the patient with no need for manual interaction from a nurse. Another area wherein smart technology would be an asset is home medication dispensers. The dispensers would upload data to the cloud automatically when medication is not taken or any other indicators which the team must be alerted.

IoT CONCERNS

Implementation of IoT would likely raise concerns with security and data privacy. Even though most devices today use secure methods for communication information to the cloud, still, they can be vulnerable to hackers. The FDA in the US provides guidelines for medical regulators and devices would likely continue regulating connected devices that are used by patients. Regardless, the Internet of Things is undeniably growing in popularity in other industries. There is the danger of overloading doctors with too much data and could distract them from their role in treating patients. Some hospitals are still tweaking security policies to keep pace with the advancements in technology of the healthcare industry. Health providers and patients both stand to benefit from the Internet of Things carving out a larger presence in the industry. Some use of IoT to healthcare are mobile medical apps or wearable devices that let patients in capturing heath data. Hospitals make use of the Internet of Things to keep tabs on the medical devices locations, patients and personnel.

More Read

How can Artificial Intelligence in healthcare help patient engagement?
Digital Health Illustrated: Big Health Data’s Dark Side [VIDEO]
$50k Available for Your Health IT Startup Ideas
Keeping Patient Data Secure in a Digital World
How Medical Carts Improve Operations And Computerization

VISIBILITY OF HEALTHCARE IoT

Healthcare IoT is visible enough and could be applied in the field. IoT in the field was seen in vendor displays and presentations. The Internet of Things could be used for supplementing patient treatment via remote communication and monitoring and also to keep track of patients as they go around the healthcare facility. Healthcare systems have the capability to be self-monitoring and prompt Information Technology departments when there is risk of failing.

HEALTCHARE IoT TO IMPROVE PATIENT CARE

In what ways exactly does CT scanner, MRIs or lab test equipment improve patient care? Check out the following benefits:

  1. Minimizes device downtime via remote support and monitoring. An IoT device could be remotely tested and diagnosed. For instance, a technician could connect from their own office and run diagnostics on a failed MRI. Furthermore, they could pinpoint the root cause of the issue and leverage the application of knowledge management to look for answers to be able to give hands-on support. When the root cause is determined, a new part needed could be shipped with instructions on how to replace the defective one or it could be delivered by a field engineer.
  2. Efficient scheduling through leveraging use to serve more patients. An IoT medical device could offer daily utilization statistics that could be leveraged for scheduling of a patient. Take for instance an MRI in one location is only used around twenty percent and one in a different location that?s over-subscribed, doctors could be fed into cloud-based scheduling app and could also factor in maintenance information in a periodic bases.
  3. Proactive fulfillment through replenishing supplies before they?re needed. An Internet of Things connected medical device could report back to the ?mother ship? when vita operational components are depleted in a device. Helium levels for instance in an MRI machine have to be monitored to make sure that the device is correctly operating. A field engineer could be dispatched to the hospital ahead of time of the helium being depleted to avoid a total shutdown of the machine and rescheduling of patient.

It is without doubt that despite the reservations of the Internet of Things on the healthcare industry, it has gained continuous growth to boost patient care.

TAGGED:Health iotHealth ITpatient care
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By Ritesh Mehta
Follow:
Ritesh Mehta works as a senior Technical Account Manager in a software development company named TatvaSoft Australia based in Melbourne. He specializes in Agile Scrum methodology, Marketing Ops (MRM) application development, SAAS & SOA application development, Offshore & Vendor team management. Also, he is knowledgeable and well-experienced in conducting Big Data analytics, business analysis, product development, team management and client relationship management.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

MedStar SiTEL Achieves Accreditation by SSH

May 16, 2014
medical sector
Medical DevicesMedical InnovationsTechnology

How Has Technology Changed the Medical Sector In 2019?

October 28, 2019

Self Service Now Has a Spot In Preventive Healthcare

July 12, 2013

4 Doctors’ Takes on Google Glass in Hospitals and Public Health

March 9, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?