Innovation is the mother of technology, a driver for industrial verticals, increasingly being embraced across the technological circles. One such novel technology making mentions through the competitive ecosystem is IoT and its benefits for the healthcare system. IoT is being employed in several healthcare treatments, methods, and equipment, along with facilitating smooth and seamless communication between doctors. With IoT’s ability to create enterprise-scale networks to enable machines and everyday devices to produce, exchange, and consume data with minimal human intervention, it creates efficiencies and solutions that never existed before.
In recent times, there were many advancements like biohacking (learn more), telemedicine, nanosurgery, etc in the medical field involving technology.
And IoT and telemedicine are very similar. Like IoT, telemedicine builds a network of physical objects that collect and exchange data with devices and other items embedded with electronics, sensors, software, and network connectivity. With telemedicine, clinicians will use natural language processing to process notes automatically during a visit, specialists can weigh in during emergency procedures even being miles swat, and patients everywhere can benefit from a high level of care, irrespective of their location.
Benefits of telemedicine
Telemedicine unlocks a new standard of healthcare, facilitating the connection between patients and doctors, and improving access to clinical treatments, allowing patients and doctors to avoid emergency environments.
Improved access to healthcare: Telemedicine expands healthcare availability to rural and underserved areas, making it more convenient and easier to receive medical help. People with mobility issues can also benefit from virtual access to telemedicine. Rural health centers can connect patients with specialists for better medical care.
High-quality medical services: Telemedicine allows constant patient monitoring and data collection. It encourages better and safer medical practices and diagnoses. Telemedicine and IoT integrated together can automatically analyze patient history and medical data to help providers respond quickly to new developments.
Remove clinical inefficiencies: Telemedicine expands the reach of medical providers. With telemedicine, clinics can be smaller, and visits can be shorter. Tele-urgent can reduce emergency visits and enable providers to review quickly compare the patient history and make thorough assessments without flipping through several pages of medical diagnosis. Moreover, it significantly reduces travel costs and time spend traveling for in-demand healthcare specialists.
Provides a safer environment for patients and providers: Telemedicine promotes a healthier environment for patients and providers. Even patients sick with the flu or cold can speak with a doctor without bringing their germs into the ward and compromising other patients’ and providers’ health.
IoT and telemedicine successful integration steps
The following are key steps for a successful IoT and telemedicine integration:
Operability testing and updating: Since the devices are deployed remotely, it is important to survey field locations like room condition, signal strength, device range, etc.
Site readiness: To avoid any last-minute surprises, always keep stakeholders in the loop for better site management.
Downtime and maintenance: IoT devices are machines and sometimes they need a little break. Therefore, adopt a proactive approach to downtime servicing.
Device selection: Select IoT devices that can help with your goal. Consider aspects like protocol selection, network connectivity & selection, communication protocol selection, communication strategy selection, and hardware grade selection.
