IoT or the Internet of Things is reshaping many aspects of the healthcare industry. While IoT-backed technologies are enhancing efficient communication between the healthcare providers and patients, they are also reinforcing streamlined and error-free operations within the large healthcare establishments.
By enhancing the chances of preventive treatment, alerting and enhancing the mobility of the frontline staff, fostering better drug management and prescription adherence, and ensuring better management and processing of patient’s data, IoT is rectifying all the inaccuracies and anomalies that have long bothered the healthcare sector.
IoT is truly working wonders for the healthcare industry. In this article, we shed light on how the Internet of Things is influencing the various aspects of the healthcare industry for good. Take a look.
Wearable devices and healthcare applications
Of late, the trend of wearing fitness devices has been gaining momentum. Fitness bands, as well as other wireless devices, such as glucometer, heart rate monitoring cuffs, smartwatches, and blood pressure monitoring devices, have made it possible for the patients or the general public to monitor their vital stats.
These IoT-governed technologies allow the doctors to effectively monitor the condition of their patients and proactively connect with their patients and determine the best treatment process. This has facilitated the detection of health issues and improved medical intervention drastically. Moreover, remote monitoring has also helped in shortening hospital stays and the chances of readmission of the patients.
IoT has proved to be very beneficial for elderly patients who can now keep a tab on every aspect of their health condition. Certain wearable devices alert the family members of elderly citizens living alone about any variation in their routine activities, thereby saving them from running into bigger health issues.
Furthermore, the use of IoT-backed mobile applications has made healthcare accessible. Right from booking appointments in a clinic to counting calories, to fetching a proper healthcare plan; people are now able to take care of everything with a few clicks on their mobile phones.
Hospital management has become easy
IoT has simplified the back-end functions of hospitals and other healthcare facilities. With IoT devices, healthcare management professionals can easily streamline various functions of their hospitals. IoT has made it possible for hospitals to track the location of their staff members in real-time. Various medical transportation companies also equip their van with intelligent technologies that allow tracking in real-time.
Furthermore, IoT devices equipped with sensors provide the real-time location of equipment, such as defibrillators, oxygen pumps, nebulizers, and wheelchairs. Asset management, including environment monitoring and pharmacy inventory management, has also become easy with IoT. IoT-enabled hygiene solutions prevent patients from catching infections.
Health insurance companies and IoT
Not just physicians, patients, and hospital management staff, but the healthcare insurance companies are also reaping big benefits from IoT. Intelligent technologies have reinforced transparency between companies and their customers.
The companies are using health monitoring devices for their claim operations. IoT has enabled them to collect valuable data and rule out false claims, as well as identify the prospects for underwriting. Moreover, by making decisions based on the data collected via intelligent devices, companies can easily reason their decisions in front of their customers. All of the data allows for fair treatment on both the insurance company and customer sides.
The bottom line
The Internet of Things is redefining the healthcare industry. Over the years, it has provided several healthcare solutions that have made healthcare more accessible and affordable. Moreover, it has fortified the healthy interaction between healthcare providers and people while ironing out all the major problems that have bothered the healthcare industry for years.
IoT is set to bring a revolutionary change to more and more aspects of the healthcare industry by allowing devices to communicate with each other and allow for data-enabled health decisions. All in all, the future of IoT enabled healthcare is drastically evolving and set to make a significant impact on people’s lives.
