APPLICATION OF IOT IN HEALTHCARE

Before the Internet of Things, patients' experiences with physicians were limited to visits and text messages. There was no way that physicians or hospitals could monitor patients' health on a continuous basis and make recommendations accordingly.

Of all the state-of-the-art innovations, including those related to manufacturing, IoT-driven solutions in the healthcare sector are one of the most important and fast-growing. Built in the first place for genuinely vital and noble purposes – protecting and sustaining life, this kind of technology is of great importance to any human being.

It is no wonder that according to the Research and Markets investigation, the number of IoMT (Internet of Medical Things) devices is predicted to hit 20-30 billion by 2020 compared to 4.5 billion by 2015. The Internet-of-Medical-Things (IoMT) market is expected to witness a CAGR of 38.67 per cent in the 2019-2026 forecast period.

Some of the major players currently operating in the global market for Internet-of-Medical-Things (IoMT) are LifeFuels Inc., Breathometer Inc., Medtronic; Meru Health, Inc., Boston Scientific Corporation, Proteus Digital Health, Honeywell International Inc.

Regardless of the kind, the usefulness of IoT medical devices will significantly enhance the entire medical and healthcare segment. Technology offers new care options, enhances and streamlines remote medical support, and enables useful real-time information on a patient's health status to be obtained.

Without a question, IoT is changing the healthcare industry by redefining the space for devices and people experiences in the delivery of healthcare solutions. IoT has applications in healthcare that benefit patients, families, doctors, hospitals and insurance companies.

IOT FOR PATIENTS- Devices in the form of wearables such as exercise bands and other wireless devices such as blood pressure and heart rate monitor cuffs, glucometer, etc., give patients access to personalized attention. These systems can be tuned to remind calorie counts, exercise tests, appointments, fluctuations in blood pressure, and more. In the event of any disruption or alteration in a person's normal activities, the warning system sends alerts to the family members and the health professionals concerned.

For ex- AutoBed, built by GE Healthcare. It is a smart-based interactive system that allows both medical staff and patients to stop lengthy, annoying waiting for registration procedures and to get a hospital bed. It is highly important if the patient is in poor health and needs immediate care as soon as possible. The software is capable of handling up to 80 requests, monitoring the availability of beds and taking into account relevant patient requirements.

 IOT FOR DOCTORS- By using wearables and other IoT-enclosed home monitoring equipment, physicians can more accurately track the health of patients. They will monitor patient compliance with treatment plans or the need for urgent medical care. IoT allows healthcare practitioners to be more attentive and to communicate proactively with patients. Data obtained from IoT devices will help doctors determine the appropriate care process for patients and achieve the desired outcomes.

IOT FOR HOSPITALS- Besides patient health monitoring, there are many other places where IoT devices are very useful in hospitals. IoT sensor-tagged systems are used to track real-time medical equipment such as wheelchairs, defibrillators, nebulizers, oxygen pumps and other monitoring equipment.

 IOT FOR HEALTH INSURANCE- There are various benefits for health insurers with IoT-connected smart devices. Insurance companies can utilize data obtained by health tracking systems for their underwriting and claims operations. These data will allow them to detect fraud allegations and to identify opportunities for underwriting. IoT devices bring accountability between insurers and consumers in the processes of underwriting, pricing, claims management and risk assessment. In the light of IoT-captured data-driven decisions in all operational processes, customers would have sufficient visibility of the underlying reasoning behind every decision and process outcome. Insurers can provide incentives to their clients to use and share health data produced by IoT devices. They will reward consumers for using IoT devices to keep track of their regular behaviours and comply with care plans and preventive health measures. This will help insurers greatly reduce claims.

CHALLENGES FACED BY IOT HEALTHCARE

IoT Healthcare is not without problems. IoT-enabled connected devices gather a large amount of information, including confidential information, giving rise to data security concerns. It is important to incorporate appropriate security measures. IoT explores new aspects of patient care through real-time clinical tracking and access to patient health data. This data is a gold mine for healthcare stakeholders to enhance patient health and experience while creating revenue opportunities and enhancing healthcare operations.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Anaskure, P. (2021, January 4). 7 Amazing Use Cases of IoT in Healthcare. Pratiti Technologies. Retrieved from https://www.pratititech.com/blog/7-amazing-use-cases-of-iot-in-healthcare
2. i-SCOOP. (2020, October 13). Internet of Things (IoT) in healthcare: benefits, use cases and evolutions. Retrieved from https://www.i-scoop.eu/internet-of-things-guide/internet-things-healthcare/
3. Patel Nasrullah, Internet of things in healthcare: applications, benefits and challenges. Retrieved from Internet of things in healthcare: applications, benefits, and challenges (peerbits.com)