Using the Internet of Things in Telehealth The development of telehealth in recent years has optimized medical operations by providing various medical services remotely. By reducing the need for transportation, the use of on-site equipment, and the possibility of cancellations or delays, telehealth increases efficiency for patients and healthcare professionals. Today, the growing incorporation of the Internet of Things (IoT) has contributed to the further development of telehealth technologies. In fact, Future Market Insights predicts that the global healthcare IoT market will grow by 18.0% year-on-year, from $181.4 billion (€177.9 billion) in 2022 to $952.3 billion (€934.1 billion) until 2023. If you want to see how IoT has been incorporated into telehealth and what its benefits are, read on. Advantages of IoT in telehealth processes IoT refers to physical devices that use technologies such as sensors and processing capabilities to collect data and facilitate its communication with other systems over the Internet. When applied to telehealth, these devices can function as remote patient monitoring devices, fitness and wellness trackers, and medication reminders. One of the biggest benefits is increased accessibility for patients, especially the elderly and disabled. Wheel’s article on how telehealth can help make health care more accessible points out that the time and stress of getting to and from a doctor’s appointment can discourage the elderly and those with mobility issues from maintaining consistent treatment. IoT-enabled telehealth devices can reduce the frequency of trips to the healthcare facility by automating the monitoring process. IoT can also reduce the burden on healthcare professionals, as telemedicine technology can enable healthcare providers to care for more patients. Project Hope says there will be a global shortage of 80 million health workers by 2030. This seriously compromises the ability to respond to patient needs. However, IoT in telehealth can shorten clinic visits, prevent emergency treatment through remote sensing, and enable more efficient access to patient data. It also reduces the chance of transmission of viruses such as seasonal flu or colds, keeping patients and healthcare providers safe. Using IoT in telehealth today The use of IoT in telehealth today mainly falls on remote patient monitoring. HealthTech reports that remote patient monitoring and the data it collects can prevent readmissions, provide better clinical outcomes and inform patients to improve their health. Patients and doctors can easily track their progress by automatically recording patients’ vital signs and health. This allows doctors to monitor patients remotely without having to go inside. Patients are also better able to monitor compliance. In addition to monitoring their vital signs, their devices can serve as reminders for maintenance medications. This level of automation can be especially beneficial for patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma or hypertension. Remote patient monitoring with the IoT can also be particularly useful for home health patients, including those with chronic conditions or those who have recently been discharged and require ongoing monitoring. It can also be used to monitor pregnant patients for changes in maternal or fetal health. The future of IoT in telehealth There is reason to be optimistic about the future of IoT in telehealth as it continues to advance in efforts to increase the efficiency of the healthcare system. A Griffith University study found that IoT in healthcare faces challenges such as barriers to market adoption, trust in data security and privacy, interoperability, and control and ownership. To solve this problem, the healthcare industry must rely on changing healthcare policy to provide support, careful strategic planning and transparency within healthcare organizations. . But given the many benefits of IoT in healthcare, it is only a matter of time before these changes occur. Even today, further innovations in IoT technology – such as the incorporation of artificial intelligence or robotics – will provide unprecedented possibilities for telehealth and medicine. IoT remains relatively new, but only serves as a channel to drive healthcare efficiency.
