The Internet of Things has attracted many businesses and no doubt many industries have adopted this. The foundation of IoT was based on machine to machine that are interconnected with each other. Machines do not necessarily mean computers but it could also be any electronic device that can communicate with each other. There are several applications that are developed based on this machine to machine infrastructure or as we all know now is the Internet of Things.
If there is one thing that will have a great impact of IoT, that will be on healthcare industry. With the increasing advancements on technology, there is a big possibility where devices can communicate directly with the IT systems. Let’s have a look on where the Internet of Things provides an edge in the healthcare industry.
Wearable Technology
Wearable fitness gadgets are almost everywhere. These fitness gadgets are in town now like smart watches, fitness trackers and wearable devices. These Internet of Things devices are capable of monitoring a variety of health related activities. Fitness trackers can monitor blood pressure, heart rate, footsteps, can help in monitoring sleep and much more.
Wearable technology has created a buzz among consumers and marketers. Not only these wearable technologies can help people track their health but at the same time it can help many business owners in increasing their ROI. Just imagine how this technology becomes a trend and how fast is it to market. It’s a win-win situation between consumer and marketer.
Capturing of Medical Data becomes Digital
Talking about traditional way, getting medical records manually is a bit of a hassle. Each medical device that is connected to the patient needs to be monitored and checked just to get the accurate date. Heart monitors, blood pumps, respirators, all these devices have information that needs to be manually input by an attending physician or nurse. With the help of IoT, electronic health record systems can be of great help as there is no need to manually get all the information. Transmission of data will be in a digitalized manner which will then help to alleviate the hassle of recording manually. This will also help in the increase of productivity as other physicians can attend to others who need care.
Patient Monitoring Anywhere
Gone are the days that a patient needs to go to the hospital because of a follow up check up or to check whether medicines are being taken. In the world of IoT, home monitoring is possible and healthcare attendants can even interact with their patients virtually. This will help in removing the cost and the time that is required when seeing the patient in personal.
With technology, patient monitoring can be done remotely and can even alert healthcare professionals to check the condition of the patient before it becomes serious. Smart censors can also be of great help because this can give doctors the ability to track whether the patient followed the schedule and the dose of their medication. This in return will help a lot in the health of the patient.
Regular checkups are no longer needed as doctors can now be able to monitor the patient information and condition in real time and can even make recommendations immediately. This will then create a greater flexibility on the hospital resources and more freedom for patients.
These are just some of the things that can be seen when IoT enters the medical world. It can really shape up the future of healthcare industry when it is integrated properly. Expanding the usage of IoT in health care will not just help lowering the cost but will also help in the overall experience of the patient. The Internet of Things really has a great impact in many aspects and in this case, it will help the healthcare industry.