Due to the advancement of technology, hospitals have become more patient friendly. The duration of hospital stay can be reduced due to the online real-time monitoring of the patient data through IoT devices. It is easier for doctors to track the patient data at the comfort of sitting at a remote location. As the IoT devices are attached to the patients, continuous monitoring of the vital parameters is possible, and the doctors will be alerted for any variations in the parameters.
These smart devices not only track the patient’s health parameters but also alert the patients for their consultation schedules. It also keeps the records of previous medications or medical history which aids the doctors in right diagnosis and treatments.
The availability of patient’s data on IoT devices helps the hospitals to track the patients and provide quick medical attention in an efficient manner.
1.2.4 Transparent Insurance Claims
Healthcare insurance policy holders are increasing on a yearly basis. Due to the large number of policy holders who aims to get maximum profits by claiming the insurance, false claims are also increasing. Due to the presence of IoT devices which tracks the patient data, insurance companies can easily detect any fraud in the claims.
These devices not only help the patients to manage their insurance policies but also help the insurance companies to track the health of patients, underwriting, risk assessments, etc. Due to the IoT-enabled devices, the insurance claims became transparent and benefitting the genuine policy claims.
1.2.5 Healthier Cities
Population in cities are more compared to the rural areas as people prefer to have better quality and standards of living in cities with better facilities and infrastructures. Most of the cities are crowded and majority of the population use public and private transport for commuting. Vehicle densities in cities are more compared to villages which lead to more air pollution which, in turn, affect the health of the individuals and the environment.
Due to the advancement in technology in terms of usage of IoT devices, continuous real-time monitoring of the air quality is possible. The tracking of the air quality patterns helps the authorities to take appropriate actions to improve the air quality which, in turn, help to maintain a healthier city.
1.2.6 Research in Health Sector
Research in medical field is a continuous process which requires lot of time in gathering the patient data and analyzing it. Connected devices through IoTs generate large amount of real-time data which can be used for research purposes in an efficient manner as data collection becomes much easier with less amount of time and money. Statistical and comparative study analysis is possible as these devices can be connected anywhere in the world and data can be generated which will aid in medical research.
Innovative methods of treatments can be introduced by doing proper research in an efficient and quick manner due to the presence of IoT devices. This also helps to improve the healthcare services.
Smart monitoring devices will monitor all the parameters inside a medical laboratory and alerts if there is an abnormality so that immediate action can be taken. Based on the data available, various research studies can be done with much ease.
1.3 Popular IoT Healthcare Devices
New devices are invented to match with the technological advancements. These new devices aim to make the life easier for humans. Some of the popular IoT devices for healthcare are as follows:
1.3.1 Hearables
Hearables are one of the popular IoT devices which are used by the people for hearing aid. With these devices, people who have difficulty in hearing or those who are hearing impaired can interact with the outside world. This device can be connected with other smart devices like mobile phones and data can be synchronized. Various types of filters and equalizers are used for better user experience to match with the real sounds.
1.3.2 Moodables
Moodables are devices which enhances the mood of a person by sending triggering signals to the brain. These devices must be worn on head which has inbuilt sensors to elevate the mood.
1.3.3 Ingestible Sensors
These are like small pills which can be ingested to monitor our body from inside and can give warning signals to the doctors in case of any abnormalities. This device is made up with sensors of pill size which can give warning for any underlying diseases. These sensors can detect whether the prescribed medicines are taken properly and also can help in drug management.
1.3.4 Computer Vision
Computer vision technology mimics the human vision by making use of Artificial Intelligence. This technology has been implemented in drones which help them to navigate and detect obstacles. Visually impaired people can make use of this technology to navigate easily.
1.3.5 Charting in Healthcare
IoT devices helps doctors to maintain the patient data in an efficient manner. Doctors can easily get the charting of various parameters like blood pressure and sugar level from the connected devices and it can be immediately reviewed and shared with the patient’s devices. This saves huge amount of time that doctors spend in creating manual charts for individual patients.
1.4 Benefits of IoT
Various benefits of IoTs are discussed in this section.
1.4.1 Reduction in Cost
As the doctors can remotely monitor the patients using IoT-enabled devices, the cost in visiting the healthcare facilities and consultation can be drastically reduced. Since the real-time monitoring of the patients is possible with IoT devices, hospital admissions can also be reduced by providing timely treatments.
1.4.2 Quick Diagnosis and Improved Treatment
Doctors can easily diagnose the diseases as real-time monitoring is possible with IoT devices and can give appropriate treatment on time at an early stage. Patients can also be fully aware about their health conditions and the treatments provided. Hence, the transparency in treatment can also be maintained. Doctors can provide proactive treatment to the patients based on the real-time data collected.
The continuous monitoring of patients helps to save many lives during emergency medical situations which arise due to heart attacks, asthma attacks, high blood pressure, etc.
1.4.3 Management of Equipment and Medicines
It is very important for the hospitals to manage the healthcare equipment as the utilization of those equipment should be optimized. Through IoT connected devices, it will be easier to manage the equipment as the utilization of the equipment is properly monitored on real-time basis and the equipment which are available for use at a particular time can be easily identified with the location
