How will IOT Impact Healthcare in 2019?

Posted by Juned Ahmed on January 25th, 2019

The internet of things or IOT has already penetrated many industries with wide-ranging implications, but no industry has been so prominent a beneficiary as the healthcare sector. IOT app development for connected devices in the healthcare sector can result in a broad and extraordinary range of benefits for patients, care providers, healthcare facilities and the medical insurance providers. Thanks to IOT led innovation in the connected medical device ecosystem, and the healthcare service can be more prompt and precise.

IOT app development for workplaces and enterprises has already gained momentum, but as of now, this hasn't brought a revolution in the healthcare sector except bits and pieces of implementation. In the years to come, we can expect connected medical gadgets coupled up with IOT mobile app will transform the entire sector for much faster and better healthcare service.

Through the length of this blog post, we are going to explain the reasons why this looks obvious and how patient care can be revolutionised through IOT apps.

Why is IOT so crucial for the Healthcare sector?

While the buzz concerning the benefits of IOT in the healthcare sector is continuously getting louder, it is time to take a hard look at the reasons for which IOT may play a big role in improving healthcare. Let us have a look at the key implications that explain why IOT is crucial now for the entire healthcare sector.

Data-driven treatment and care: Healthcare data accessed and gathered by analytics solutions can make healthcare decisions and treatment more data-driven, accurate and precise. This will only help to assess health risks and emergencies better.

Prompt remitting of treatment: When it comes to providing quick care to patients without slightest delay, the connected device ecosystem with the Internet of Things technology at heart can ensure almost real-time monitoring of patient condition resulting in prompt healthcare in case of emergency.

Preventive care made easier: IOT medical apps and connected sensors and gadgets through a whole array of fitness bands and fitness and health monitoring apps are already helping patients to track calorie consumption and results of physical workouts. Such output is helping people to stay healthy and prevent imminent health hazards.

Better transparency in healthcare billing: Connected EMR systems are helping patients and care providers in sync about the entire process of billing corresponding to different tests and medical care procedures.

Great research input through consolidated data: Lastly, the vast volume of patient and healthcare data gathered from thousands of patients in both hospital and outdoor facilities of healthcare service providers are making data analytics easier to monitor and track diseases and responses to treatment. This huge data is creating an excellent resource for healthcare research.

Where is IOT taking healthcare? Three trends to consider

From the above-discussed aspects, it is more or less clear that IOT led connected healthcare ecosystem is helping us to spearhead innovation while benefiting all stakeholders of the sector including patients caregivers, researchers, practitioners and insurance providers. Considering all these benefits, we are going to explain three key trends that are supposed to foster throughout in the coming years.

The patient care and experiences getting more refined

From the earlier cost against service model that was often criticised for its commodified approach, healthcare in overall parameters now embraced more value-driven patient care focused not only to provide good care but also prompt and precise care. This has largely become possible thanks to a whole array of sophisticated patient monitoring devices and digital apps. The connected ecosystem of medical devices and apps came as the big promise to make this impact of digitisation even more significant to the benefits of the patient and all stakeholders.

From the wearable health trackers to a whole range of health data analytics to the emergence of real-time health monitoring apps, the digital ecosystem is making healthcare more equipped to deliver more refined and value-driven patient care.

Making healthcare more accessible and less expensive

As traditional healthcare such as surgery, critical care, prolonged hospitalisation and crucial medical tests are increasingly getting expensive all over the world, medical facilities for a more cost-competitive and value-driven approach increasingly prefers digitisation. Connected health systems and medical IOT apps are paving the way for more accessible and least expensive healthcare service.

Patients being able to consult doctors over their handheld screens besides sharing their recent health tracker data can get medical help without any constraints and often with least or without spending anything. Already connected sensors and medical instruments have become so advanced that minor surgical operations can be monitored in real time by experts in-house physician conduct it. In the coming years, robotic surgery can further reduce the cost of critical and other surgeries.

Health alerts, the game changer for the healthcare industry

Thanks to our affinity with the handheld devices and a whole array of wearable devices, we are only used to notification alerts of all types. But without any additional motivation, we get doubly serious with our physical data and findings provided through regular alert messages. This is precisely why health trackers became so popular within such a quick span of time. Health alerts bring the sweet message of well-being for both fitness freaks and health-conscious alike. Health alerts are now playing the pivotal role to implement preventive care for millions of people.

Apart from all the promises, possibilities and trends mentioned above, the connected device ecosystem in healthcare will also pave the way for a more reliable and trustworthy system for all transactions to take place. Connected systems further allowing decentralisation of data through Blockchain technology will help to protect healthcare data with more certainty.