Technology is involved in every industry such as healthcare, telemedicine, business, finance and more. The health industry is one of the fastest growing areas that has been able to adapt to existing and expanding technologies such as the Internet of Things and use these technologies to improve the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the body. When we talk about the Internet of Things in the field of health, we must consider several benefits, such as improving the efficiency and quality of services by developing it in medical devices. In the following, we will review some of the available statistics. These statistics show the use of the Internet of Things in the field of health and its overall impact on the industry :

• Nearly 60 percent of health-related organizations use IoT devices in their centers .
• 73 % of health organizations use the Internet of Things for maintenance and monitoring .
• 87 % of health organizations plan to use IoT technology by 2019, which is more than 85% in other industries .
• About 64% of IoT applications are in the field of health to monitor patients .
• 89 % of health organizations suffer from IoT-related security vulnerabilities .

It has been shown that interconnected devices are used in this situation to collect data from monitors, blood glucose levels, electrocardiograms and temperature monitors. However, some of these devices require constant communication with a health professional. In addition, the vast majority of hospitals have invested in smart beds to determine whether they are occupied or not. When we talk about the Internet of Things, we also need to consider data privacy and security concerns. However, patients in these conditions receive appropriate treatment and can work with physicians in full coordination. The health industry can use the power of the Internet of Things to its advantage, and this has led to personalized and timely services for individuals. Let's review these together .

 Reduce costs through remote monitoring :

One of the benefits of using the Internet of Things in health organizations is the reduction of existing costs. Specialists in this field can make good use of remote monitoring without the presence of the patient in the hospital. It does not matter if the patient is at home, in the office or in other parts of the world. In this case, the specialist can check the patient's health and provide possible treatments .

This reduces the workflow of health care providers. In addition, the lack of staff in health centers does not interfere with the patient's examination. Using the Internet of Things can also be very useful in third world countries where there are not many health centers available. The use of such technology will also be effective in areas affected by floods, earthquakes, tsunamis or other natural disasters. In general, the impact of this technology provides many health facilities and can be used globally .

 Collect and understand medical data :

When a patient is hospitalized, he or she is cared for by medical devices such as heart monitors, blood pumps, respiratory devices, and other devices. However, executing and recording information from these devices takes a lot of time and may encounter human error. These days, with the help of the Internet of Things, patient data can be automatically transferred through the electronic health registration system. This method helps to increase the accuracy of the data and allows nurses to spend more time caring for the patient. On the other hand, physicians also have to participate in the interpretation of data in order to make appropriate decisions about the health and care of individuals. Due to the increase in the number of medical devices, accurate diagnosis will be challenging for physicians..

Patient monitoring :

The evolution of wearable health devices such as  Apple's smartwatches has  made them an important part of monitoring people's health. Of course, these products are still not accurate compared to conventional medical equipment. On the other hand, wearable IoT devices can analyze and diagnose various health points such as blood pressure, heart rate, brain waves, temperature, physical position, number of steps and breathing pattern. With the help of data collected from IoT devices, physicians can share their feedback with others and provide general advice in an emergency. Although the Internet of Things has revolutionized the field of health, this technology can also present challenges. Let's review these challenges as well .

 IoT challenges in the field of health :

Security threat :

The main concern in this technology is the security of personal medical information that is stored and transmitted through interconnected devices. Although most organizations try to securely store and encrypt sensitive data, they have no control over data security through the  access points used to transmit information .

This poses a major security threat, and this threat increases with the advent of new devices that connect to the network .

Multiple device integration :

The integration of multiple devices is also an obstacle to the successful development of the Internet of Things in the health industry. These days, most health-related devices and hospital equipment need to be connected to be able to collect patient data. For example, if a person suffers from heart disease, they may also have high blood pressure. The big challenge is that the manufacturers of such devices do not accept existing protocols and standards. As multiple mobile devices connect to the network to collect data, differences in protocols in this area complicate the data collection process. Lack of coordination between medical devices reduces the success of the IoT implementation in this area .

Conclusions from big data :

The data collection process is related to many complex situations. Although combined data can lead to a better interpretation and conclusion of the patient's condition, dealing with a wide range of data can be challenging in the absence of an analytical program and data specialist. Identifying useful and valuable data is very important because most medical professionals find it difficult to draw conclusions as data grows. The decision-making process, despite the rapid growth of data, causes a lack of quality. In addition, with the growth of some interconnected devices that constantly collect and generate a lot of data, the concerns become more and more .

Conclusion :

Undoubtedly, the Internet of Things will change the field of health and the way in which patients are treated. This will be useful not only for doctors and other specialists, but also for people who do not have access to health centers. Targeting existing problems such as data security will transform the health sector without violating existing policies. Embrace this technology and see what great things will happen in the future .

Source: behido.ir