Siva Prasanna
Doctors, patients and other medical practitioners are mostly dependent on the applications of IoT. With the increase of chronic diseases, the need for more applications came forward. The electronic devices are connected to the cloud which receives the signals from users and is processed in the cloud. For example, when the owner enters the house he uses his remote to open the gate which is processed with the help of the cloud. At present, there is a rapid growth of IoT application in all the medical institutions.100 million IOT applications are installed worldwide and it is to reach 161 million by 2020.
Internet of Medical things is the umbrella term used to name the ecosystem connected with health services. The market for Internet of medical things will grow up to 158.1 billion by 2022. Many healthcare apps are changing the way how patients are interacting with doctors. Introduction of IOT into medical field provides an excellent opportunity for providing excellent services which are cost effective. The introduction of IoT is mainly for the customers who can download, view or book the appointment with their respective doctors by logging into the website.
History Of IOT:
In the past few decades, many devices in health care centres are internet based. They used to generate a large amount of data like temperature control, blood glucose levels, fetal monitors etc., All this requires an additional interaction with a health care professional. With the advent of IOT applications into medical field helps to get more physical data without much interaction with the patient. At first, smart based which worked on IOT is introduced for patients. This smart beds will help the patient to adjust his position, helps to identify when the bed is occupied. The major revolution is connecting healthcare with home medication dispensers which record if the medications are not taken.
Future of IOT:
Complete IOT is now focusing on health care application. Almost all the applications of IoT are in post-implementing or implementing stage. Almost 87% of the healthcare institutes are using IOT by 2019. The wearable devices which are worn by patients will help to detect all the information of patients like glucose level, heartbeat etc., This will help the physicians to keep a watchful eye on their patients. Medical dispensers will not only notify if the patient had not taken the medication on time, but it will also help to keep the medicines at an appropriate temperature.
Some new medical applications like smart wheelchairs, IV poles, thermometers is helping a lot for the hospital and management to work effectively. The next generation IoT devices will offer to process real-time data at the device level. At an initial stage the devices are needed to be connected with the server but nowadays it is device level processing. Hence it will work in offline without required to be connected with the server. The insulin pump will operate independently of the internet will only release the right amount of insulin and upload the data into the server. If the connection is lost then after the connection of the internet the data will be automatically stored in the server for further processing.
Benefits of IOT:
1.Tracking and Alerts:
Alerts are given mainly in life-threatening circumstances. IoT devices will help to give real-time tracking by gathering the vital data and transferring it. Notifications are sent about critical status through a mobile app. Alerts will give you on-time detailed information about the patient status irrespective of the place and time. It will not only helps to provide alerts but also helps in tracking, monitoring to provide better treatment.
2.Remote Medical Assistance:
Remote medical assistance feature helps the patient to contact their doctor who is miles away. This is possible with the help of the app on your mobile. The doctor can give instant medication with the help of this remote assistance by IOT. Many health care delivery chains that are desperate to build machines which can distribute drugs based on the ailments of the patient.
3.Simultaneous reporting and monitoring:
In case of medical emergencies like asthma, heart attack, diabetes etc., with the help of connected devices real-time monitoring is possible. With the help of IOT medical devices which are connected to the smartphones will collect the data and monitor it and send it to the doctor for assistance. Because of this remote monitoring and reporting, there is a 50% reduction in 30-day readmission rate. Regardless of the place and time all the authorised persons like physicians, insurance company, external consultants can see the data. The important data like oxygen levels, weight, ECG, blood sugar levels can be stored in the cloud with the help of the connected devices.
4.Data analysis and assortment:
If the access to the cloud is out of reach due to internet connectivity issues it’s hard to store all the real-time data which is recorded. Even the gathered data is tough to be analysed and processed manually by the health care providers. With the advent of IoT into these applications, it can analyse, store and report the data without the need for storing a large amount of raw data. The final result will be shown only in the form of graphs and tables. It will provide error-free analysis.
5.End to End Connectivity and affordability:
Many connectivity protocols like ZigBee, Bluetooth LE, WI-FI and many other modern protocols changed the way they spot the illness and leads to the revolution of many innovative treatments. Consequently, technology-based arrangements reduce costs, by reducing unnecessary visits, utilizing better quality resources, and increasing allocation and planning. IoT enables interoperability, machine-to-machine communication, information exchange, and data transfer that makes the delivery of health services more efficient. IoT can automate patient care workflows with health care mobility solutions and other new technologies, as well as next-generation health facilities.
