Improving the Healthcare Sector with the Internet of Things

There is no denying that the IoT has improved many health-related processes and made them more efficient. It is possible for clinicians to access information online quickly that can aid in diagnosing health conditions and creating treatment plans. Exam rooms can access patient records, test results, and guidelines. Care providers can exchange information about treatment plans and operative procedures through the system. In addition to providing direct health care, the Internet also allows many other health-related activities.

It only takes a good internet connection and the rest can be handled in a variety of ways. We will examine a few advantages of using the internet in healthcare facilities¹ in this article. Having that said, if you are looking for a reliable internet connection for your hospital or clinic, we suggest you go with Spectrum Internet. You will be able to cut costs and enjoy unlimited data. 

The healthcare system has and can further benefit from the internet in the following ways:

Cost reduction

With the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and current communication techniques, it is possible to reduce the cost of diagnosing patients. This was especially helpful at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic². Medical clinics did not have to see patients every time. Patients using medical televisions were able to obtain prescriptions for drugs with the help of the SARS-CoV-2³ coronavirus, which in turn reduced costs significantly. 

It was also found that having access to a doctor and receiving appropriate treatment in a healthcare facility did not increase the risk of contracting Coronavirus. In certain instances, doctors asked patients to visit clinics in person. Doctors saved both time and money by doing this. It was also much more convenient for patients because the doctor could give a consultation anywhere in the world.

Enhancement of Disease Management

What are some ways the internet of things can improve disease monitoring? Can you think of any examples? For a better understanding, let us take a look at the Apple Watch Series 4⁴ case as an example. With this watch (most of the smart watches), you can assess your heart rate with the help of an ECG mode. Several cases of abnormal heart rhythms in users were reported by the media a few years ago. Later, it was determined that the user had either a congenital heart defect or an arrhythmia ⁵that had not been diagnosed. And yes, this was all detected by this smart watch. 

The software and sensors on this watch were able to detect this along with some other issues. The maker of this watch has made sure to include an incredible amount of information and data in it, which in turn, affects how the software assesses and evaluates the information from the accelerometer. For users 65 and older, Apple Watch Series 4 automatically activates help procedures by default. Others can activate it themselves. There are also other smart watches that perform the same function, so make sure to Google an affordable one for yourself and your family. 

Reduce errors 

It is expected that the Internet of Things will be able to eliminate diagnostic errors in the near future, thanks to its strong data support. Ada, for example, has already been mentioned as an application that can diagnose even very rare diseases pretty well. IoT in healthcare goes beyond devices connected to databases and Artificial Intelligence⁶. It is a great resource that can also be adapted to meet your specific needs in addition to providing great information.

By analyzing data collected from a wide range of patients, healthcare providers will be able to determine patterns of symptoms. It is capable of detecting disease progression patterns in other patients and catching them as well. These approaches can benefit patients with potentially terminal diagnoses, especially if they don’t have a long diagnostic process. IoT can enable physicians to diagnose problems faster and more accurately, which is what matters the most in medicine.

Wrapping Up

The wonders of IoT in the healthcare sector are numerous. It is expected to further develop and enhance medical processes in the near future as well. That is all for this post. We hope you found this article useful. You can leave your questions and comments below. We will get back to you soon. 

1. Kaye, Alan D., et al. “Economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare facilities and systems: International perspectives.” Best Practice & Research Clinical Anaesthesiology 35.3 (2021): 293-306. ↩︎
2. Ciotti, Marco, et al. “The COVID-19 pandemic.” Critical reviews in clinical laboratory sciences 57.6 (2020): 365-388. ↩︎
3. Lamers, Mart M., and Bart L. Haagmans. “SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis.” Nature reviews microbiology 20.5 (2022): 270-284. ↩︎
4. Strik, Marc, et al. “Validating QT-interval measurement using the Apple Watch ECG to enable remote monitoring during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Circulation 142.4 (2020): 416-418. ↩︎
5. Babapoor-Farrokhran, Savalan, et al. “Arrhythmia in COVID-19.” SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine 2 (2020): 1430-1435. ↩︎
6. Zhang, Caiming, and Yang Lu. “Study on artificial intelligence: The state of the art and future prospects.” Journal of Industrial Information Integration 23 (2021): 100224. ↩︎

Last Updated on January 17, 2024 by Suchi