IoT in Healthcare and Life Sciences

While many technological developments are impacting the lives of individuals by a great fraction, Internet of Things (IoT) has been pivotal in driving this change, especially in the domain of life sciences and healthcare. With the promise of improved diagnosis, real-time monitoring and better treatment, the adoption of IoT has transformed the healthcare industry in unprecedented ways. The invention of hearables, wearables, smart thermometers and others have aided in this revolution of digital technology, which has impacted the healthcare industry greatly and opened up efficient channels of communication and networking that collectively improved the healthcare delivery standards across the globe.

Previously, patients would have to collect and carry all their medical records and histories for further examination or later reference. It was an arduous task for doctors and other medical practitioners to gain access to this data and continuously monitor any discrepancies in patients’ health. But with the invention of IoT devices, all the patients’ data could be accessed remotely, thus enabling the doctors to keep their patients safe and healthy. Besides, clinicians and researchers could harness IoT-based analytics to assist them in drug development. Hence, it is rightly asserted that the benefits of implementing IoT devices in the life sciences and healthcare industry are felt at different levels; from the perspectives of manufacturers, patients and frontline workers.

The global pandemic of Covid-19 has resulted in a surge of demand for enhanced connectivity as conventional medical delivery has been forced to take a step back. Demand for improved channels of communication and automation of processes has never been so pressing and IoT devices have proved to be a significant game-changer in such a climate. As the information from IoT-based healthcare apps and health monitoring systems can be utilized to make better decisions and reduce the risks of mistakes, thereby fostering intelligent solutions, the quality of healthcare delivery and associated fields such as drug development and research.

Different Applications of IoT in Healthcare and Life Sciences

• ?Drug Development

There is a lot of effort that goes into developing the right drug to combat long-standing illnesses. Conventional research methods are subject to human errors as they are primarily based on trial and error. The introduction of IoT presents smart solutions that accelerate drug development by effectively using analytics to tackle problems of human error, streamline the production process and reduce the R&D cost. As the clinicians could better comprehend the behavioral patterns of patients, it leads to enhanced and rapid results of administering the medicine to patients with reduced wastage.

• ?Clinical Trials

The ongoing pandemic has warranted the need for faster clinical trials and IoT has enabled it to conduct them more fruitfully and effectively. With access to patient data, timely and precise insights could be attained that helps in forming newer treatment models to monitor the patients’ health regularly. Through this, the number of clinical staff required can be significantly reduced while keeping the quality of patient engagement intact. Due to this, it could also lead to developing personalized treatment plans with a safer and precise outcome.

• ?Organs-on-Chips

Standing as a great testimony to just how far technology has progressed and impacted human lives, these unique IoT devices are just what popped into your mind when you read the name. This is a groundbreaking innovation that creates human organ systems on chips. These chips are made of a polymer that comprises minute microscopic fluid channels laced with living cells. These chips have been invented to improve the scientific understanding of different human organs better and to observe their functions close up. This is a huge advancement in the field of research and development, which increases productivity, saves time and money, and promotes drug efficacy. Personalized medicine is an up-and-coming field that can take several strides ahead as a result of organs-on-chips.

• ?Improved Supply Chain

The entire pharmaceutical industry has experienced great benefits from improved manufacturing standards and increased efficiency during the drug delivery process with the help of IoT devices. Different IoT technologies, like sensors, have been installed in manufacturing plants to gather real-time information and monitor equipment remotely. This has helped in planning the maintenance, minimizing the wastage and predicting the raw materials, which considerably reduces the production cost.

• ?Better Scanning Devices

Forget about huge machines and think about small-sized objects like wearables, glasses and pills. Wearables are those devices that patients wear on their wrists and they help doctors gain access to plenty of real-time data including their pulse, blood pressure, daily routine, oxygen levels and so on. Google Glasses can provide invaluable insights into a patient’s medical history through mere eye contact. 3D Printed Pills are easily printable for patients, where doctors can send instructions of taking medicines directly to the printer from their homes.

The implementation of IoT in the healthcare and life sciences industries has remarkably taken a transformative shift that is expected to grow in the coming years. The chances of providing better patient care and treatment have risen with these measures, while the full potential of IoT devices is waiting to be unleashed. However, IoT holds infinite capacity to explore new avenues of patient care and drug discovery, which is soon to become a reality.