The proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) devices is not only revolutionizing manufacturing, communication, and our homes but is also redefining the way healthcare services are being delivered. The healthcare industry is not shying away from adopting high-tech solutions that can improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and increase the accessibility to healthcare services immensely.
IoT medical devices are one such high-tech solution that the healthcare industry is leveraging to reduce health care costs and improve the way physicians deliver care. IoT medical devices are of immense importance for the healthcare sector, considering the fact that the world population is aging and the incidence of chronic diseases is also increasing.
Elderly people and patients with chronic conditions, especially those requiring constant supervision can benefit hugely from these medical devices. People living in remote, inaccessible, and difficult terrains where doctors are not easily available, will be another major beneficiary of embedded IoT medical devices.
These devices basically work by connecting to the hardware that are used for diagnosis and disease examination purposes. The device system allows users to input the data. The system then analyses and processes the data to find out if they match the symptoms that have already been loaded into the file.
If the inputs provided by the user match the symptoms of a disease, the system discloses the name of the disease and generates a prescription for medicines. In the event of no match or a partial match, it recommends a different test as per the inputs provided by the user. The process is repeated till the disease is diagnosed accurately. All the data or patient information and prescriptions are stored on the cloud for future use.
Now coming to the benefits, IoT medical devices can add new dimensions to remote patient monitoring, chronic disease management, accessibility to healthcare services, and drug management. By making remote patient monitoring more efficient, these devices can not only reduce the cost of healthcare but also eliminate the need to visit an emergency room or hospital in many cases. This will go a long way in improving the quality of living of patients.
The management of chronic diseases is another area where IoT medical devices can play a crucial role. IoT medical devices have already brought in big breakthroughs in managing chronic diseases through a combination of wearable tech and next-generation analytics, along with mobile connectivity.
When it comes to medication or drug management for patients, the kind of developments introduced by IoT medical devices somewhat resemble science fiction. Digital drugs or pills embedded with microscopic sensors can revolutionize drug management. Such digital pills can send signals to an external device such as a patch worn on the body, to help ensure that the patient takes the correct dosage of the medicine.
To sum up, IoT medical devices have already brought about a sea change in the healthcare industry. However, we are yet to see their full potential unfolding. At the moment, we can say that IoT in healthcare will introduce unprecedented and radical changes in areas like medical diagnosis, treatment, and the delivery of healthcare services in the coming days.
Log in / Register