You don’t have to be an expert in technology to recognize the speed in which information and data today are reaching to people and its customers. Constant development of technology is hard to keep up, but there’s no doubt about its immense influence on our everyday lives. Whether you are watching your favorite TV show by using the option to rewind the program to the original streaming time, or you are simply using a smart phone, you are already an active participant of the world of technology or, more specifically, what we call today the “Internet of Things”. But, what does that even mean and how can we use it in healthcare?
Internet of Things – The future
In the broadest sense, the Internet of Things, or simply IoT, refers to billions of physical devices around the world that are now connected to the Internet, collecting and sharing data. By combining these connected devices with automated systems, it is possible to gather information, analyse it and create an action to help someone with a particular task, or learn from a process. An example of IoT is any physical object that can be connected to the Internet and controlled that way, such as a smart watch or a light bulb that can be switched on using a smartphone app.
Revolution in Healthcare
The advancement of Internet of Things can support potentially lifesaving applications within the healthcare industry by collecting data from bedside devices, viewing patient information, and diagnosing in real-time the entire system of patient care. It is thought that by 2090, 87 per cent of all healthcare organizations will have implemented IoT technology. Right now, over a third of healthcare organizations don’t apply data from connected devices to other business processes – an issue that creates inefficiency, potential to data loss and mistakes in diagnosis.
Predictions are that over 50 per cent of devices on healthcare networks in the next two years will be IoT devices – from handheld devices to health records and medical equipment – the industry is embracing the world of connected things. With a common language and a single platform for these devices to operate, the potential for IoT seems to be without limits. For medical and healthcare professionals, the ability to easily monitor and manage patient health can save valuable time on a daily basis.
Making Healthcare Easy
Without having to physically visit each patient, your family doctor can give a remote diagnosis and track medical assets, all-resulting in providing quality patient care more quickly and efficiently managing the health care environment. Using sensors and Wi-Fi, the ability to locate the right department in a hospital while retrieving essential information, becomes easier for both you and your doctor. Nearly three quarters of healthcare leaders who have adopted IoT believe its crucial benefit will be monitoring and controlling medical devices and sensors. From patient heart monitors to temperature gauges, this real-time data already exists in healthcare and now it can be used to create a safer and more effective environment.