How the Internet of Medical Things is Changing Healthcare

Find Out More About this Emerging Technology

Chances are, you are already participating in the internet of medical things. Wearable devices that track exercise, heartrate, even caloric intake are all considered the internet of medical things. How these devices are and will be connecting to EHR software is changing the way that healthcare is being administered.

The data that can be collected by these devices is immense and will not only change who the individual is treated, but will be able to change how healthcare is served to the masses as well. Here’s how.

More Reliable Data Means Better Patient Outcomes

We’ve all sat in the doctor’s office following an injury or illness. They’ll ask you if you’ve been taking your medication or doing the physical therapy exercises that were prescribed. They might ask you how you feel after a workout. We all invariably tell white lies. While these white lies are rarely are a matter of life and death, it doesn’t provide a doctor with the most accurate information to provide the best advice and treatment plans.

Relying on patients’ memories or honesty will become a thing of the past with the internet of medical things. Vitals can be measured and updated to a patient’s online records in real time, physical therapy can be tracked and monitored, and medication intake can be logged and updated. All of this data then becomes instantly available to a physician, allowing for better ongoing treatment.

Data Equals Predictive Diagnosis

Aggregating billions of data points from millions of patients isn’t just going to improve individual care. Advanced analytics and machine learning can be employed to compile data and create predictive diagnosis models. Risk factors can be more accurately determined to help individuals avoid getting sick in the first place. Treatment plans can be analyzed and improved upon to revolutionize post-op care. The possibilities are nearly endless. The great thing about the Internet of Medical Things is that is all but eliminates interoperability issues. Blockchain technology can be used to store and share data anonymously, thusly removing the issue of different software systems not communicating with one another, which has been a barrier to keeping completely accurate patient records.

There are Security Risks

Patient medical records are more valuable on the black market than financial data. As such, most countries have strict data protection laws in place that healthcare facilities must adhere too. With any new technology, cyber criminals will look for a way to exploit it. As wearable devices and other connected medical devices become more pervasive, data security must be at the forefront. This is actually a big reason why the healthcare industry has been slower to adopt the internet of things than other sectors. But as those security risks are dealt with and solved, expect to see an explosion in growth sooner rather than later.