The Role of the Internet of Medical Things in the Healthcare Industry

Posted by Christina James on October 21st, 2021

The structure of modern healthcare systems seems to be founded on technology. From fuelling the healthcare services to run the digital race to ensuring that improvements are being continuously incorporated, healthcare has truly grown with time. Today, the presence of digital can be found in all aspects of healthcare. From video consultations to digital record management and from clinical processes to equipment management- digital healthcare has left no corner untouched.

When one scrutinizes the modern healthcare system, a technology whose presence can be seen throughout is the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). Also called as healthcare IoT, IoMT has empowered processes like remote monitoring, medical device management, information processing, etc. This article is dedicated to giving you an overview of IoMT and its role in the healthcare industry.

What is IoMT

The Internet of Medical Things refers to the devices that aid the operation of a healthcare ecosystem. These include software applications, health systems, and also medical devices. IoMT has been very valuable in cultivating a patient-centric approach in healthcare services. For example, a patient\'s real-time medical status can be transferred through the internet, reducing patient visits to hospitals. Other than that, it has also been helpful in workflow management, equipment management, etc.

Today, more than 60% of healthcare services worldwide implement IoMT. It includes wearables, health monitors, telehealth, and so much more! Healthcare app development is improving the working of the healthcare systems as well as the lives of the patients. Let\'s see some of the amazing benefits of IoMT.

Benefits of IoMT

Research says that, from 2021 to 2023, the global medical device market will grow at a CAGR of 6.1% and will have an expected worth of 3.5 billion! That\'s huge growth, right? It is said that six in ten organizations are making use of IoT technology in patient monitoring and medical imaging. More and more people are understanding the benefits of IoMT, such as:

Make workflow processes more secure: In the healthcare industry, every single action counts. Even a small error may cause a drastic consequence. And it is a fear that grows as the industry becomes more and more digital. IoMT has the potential to assist with this challenge. It can help to improve security, accessibility and aid in more reliable decision making. That\'s a great benefit contributed by IoMT.

Make healthcare less expensive: For patients, one key benefit of IoMT is that it makes healthcare less expensive. How? IoMT enables remote care. That is, the medical devices will monitor patient health in real-time. These devices will then send the report to the healthcare professionals, who will check them and take required actions. As a result, patients don\'t have to frequent hospitals on a daily or weekly basis. That cuts down the cost of availing healthcare services to a large extent!

Ease of availing expert care: Whenever there are occurrences where expert care is required for treatment, IoMT can make it very easy to share required information like a patient\'s body vitals. Since data will be stored in the cloud, it can be shared with any doctor irrespective of their geographical location. And doctors can also access the information easily from the respective app or website. This makes gaining access to expert care efficient.

Better patient experience: IoMT helps to bring down the cost, enables access to better care, and also brings much convenience to the lives of patients. Patients feel cared for and, as a result, empowered when they use IoMT devices in their treatment. It\'s been shown that patients remain more alert, aware and give better priority to ensuring good health in the instances where they associate with IoMT. For example, smartwatches that check biometrics and pillboxes that remind patients about taking medications are found to be of tremendous benefit in enhancing the patient experience.

Aids better decision making: The numerous connected devices means one thing- more data. And today, data is never too much! IoT app development in healthcare ensures that you can make decisions that are backed by data. Such data-driven decisions can help healthcare facilities manage administrative activities better, provide reliable and beneficial patient care, and make the workflow processes of healthcare professionals more impactful.

Wrapping Up

The role that IoMT is playing in redesigning the healthcare sector is massive. The changes that it has introduced in providing more accurate diagnosis and ensuring a better healthcare experience for patients, doctors, and healthcare services is truly commendable. While, on the one hand, it has helped in providing more convenient and comfortable care to patients, on the other hand, its role in improving diagnosis, reforming decision makings, and enhancing management for healthcare providers also requires a special mention. IoMT has thus proven to be one of the most valuable innovations in digital healthcare, without any doubt.