IoT is health care’s latest buzzword, which means that the healthcare industry is paying more attention to the Internet of Things than ever before. The general idea is to make use of high-tech gadgets, sensors, and other devices to automate processes within the medical industry and make operations run more smoothly.
What is IoT?
The Internet of Things refers to the interconnection of devices, the use of the internet, and the merging of both physical and digital life. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a collection of interconnected devices that allows them to communicate with each other to exchange information and data. This IoT technology is used to connect the physical world to the digital world, allowing you to connect everything from your thermostat to your refrigerator to your smoke detector to your smartphone or computer. With that definition, there is no doubt that we are moving into an era where these technologies have become ubiquitous.
However, IoT might require high-speed internet to connect the system with various devices and for data backup, which can make sensitive information vulnerable to cybercrime. While businesses may rely on reliable internet providers (like xfinity internet), install antivirus, firewalls, and other solutions to monitor intrusion, still, the system could get infiltrated. Hackers are introducing new ways to penetrate the strong walls that have been already put in place. In that case, you can look into options like a secure vpn, which could be a beneficial method to safeguard your personal and professional information. A VPN software can provide strong data encryption, a kill switch, and leak protection that help prevent potential breaches. You can look for various VPN services, their pros, and cons, etc., by going through a few blogs.
With proper precautions and security measures in place, IoT can be a crucial asset in various professional industries to manage client data and work operations. IoT can optimize workability and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a workplace. IoT, along with additional aids such as predictive intelligence, can reduce the chances of human error to none. It can catch on issues with the system and resolve them quickly to ensure that workflow doesn’t get disrupted. If you are using management software already (probably ServiceNow or similar others), you can integrate predictive intelligence with ServiceNow to achieve your business’s full potential.
The Internet of Things and the Healthcare
Patients have a growing preference for connected healthcare (home and mobile), with the aim of improving their experience and their overall health. Their doctors recommend healthcare providers adopt connected health technologies to improve patient care. How these technologies will make a difference for the patient is not clear yet. However, the trend is undeniable, and healthcare providers are saying that IoT is the next mega-trend in healthcare technology.
Here are the following reasons why IoT is popular in healthcare:
- Excellent healthcare treatment – Medical IoT applications are changing the way medical professionals treat their patients. Instead of having to go to the nearby hospital to get a sick patient examined, doctors can now use a smartphone-enabled smart medical device to control a patient’s glucose levels, monitor heartbeat, and even keep tabs on vital signs. As a result, healthcare professionals can treat patients without having to be there on the spot.
- No human error – Nowadays, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) are everywhere, including in healthcare. Data and analytics in healthcare can be used to analyze medical images, assist with surgical planning, identify cancer, and detect abnormalities in MRIs. It can also help improve clinical decision-making as part of a clinical decision support system and help providers and patients make appropriate treatment choices.
- Affordable Healthcare – With the growing popularity of the Internet of Things, Healthcare is also looking towards IoT. Not only to improve patient outcomes by monitoring and managing health but also to save money.
- Better equipment and drugs managements – Technology has the power to improve almost every aspect of healthcare, from patient monitoring to medication administration and record keeping. For example, we have the so-called Smart medication dispensers. With IoT, local doctors can identify specific patients’ needs with the help of a connected medication dispenser. For instance, a patient who has diabetes can regularly check his blood glucose levels in real-time, thus ensuring that he takes the right dosage of medication. With IoT, local doctors can identify specific patients’ needs with the help of a connected medication dispenser. For instance, a patient who has diabetes can regularly check his blood glucose levels in real-time
- Efficient disease diagnosis – The Internet of Things (IoT) and its connected technologies are becoming more and more popular to improve our lives, and it is not surprising that it is more popular than ever when it comes to medicine. The main reason behind the popularity lies in the fact that it promises to improve the efficiency and accuracy of diagnosis and treatment, and more importantly, help patients live longer, healthier lives.
- Remote monitoring – A number of applications are proposed to monitor the health of patients, such as blood pressure or oxygen saturation. They have to be used in areas where wireless signals are interrupted or are hard to send. Remote monitoring systems are used widely to measure the parameters of the environment, such as temperature, humidity, light, and pressure to be applied in a hospital bed or other environments where wireless connections are difficult to make.
Other reasons include Unified Communication Across Hospitals, Effective Electronic Health Record Management, Efficient Drug Development, and Excellent Insurance Management.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most exciting new technology sectors out there. Leading the way, IoT is transforming healthcare, security, home automation, and so much more. For healthcare, though, things are just getting started. IoT will become an integral part of our everyday lives in the next few years, but what will it mean for healthcare, and how will it change it? We can all hope for a better and brighter future together.
