The Best Uses of IoT in Healthcare Industry

The future brings many wonderful possibilities, and using IoT software in healthcare is one of them. Accurate diagnoses, faster care, and patient well-being are some effective gains IoT brings to the healthcare sector. According to Fortune Business Insight research, the global IoT in the healthcare market is projected to grow to $446.52 billion in 2028.

Technological advancements can provide the healthcare industry with amazing innovations that will become incredibly useful. One of the main applications of the Internet of Things (IoT) in this segment is precisely the use of connected devices to remotely monitor patients in various clinical contexts. In this way, medical teams can intervene at the right time whenever necessary. Other IoT applications in healthcare include devices that optimize employees’ day-to-day work based on data intelligence that favors the decision-making process.

Internet of Things in healthcare enables bringing medical services to the next level. Healthcare facilities are already eager to adopt IoT technology to improve the quality of provided services. Read on to learn more about IoT healthcare software solutions and how they can benefit the medical industry.

Key Takeaways

• IoT, or the Internet of Things, in healthcare, is the use of devices connected to the internet for medical care.
• IoT is becoming more and more ingrained in the healthcare industry, being used at every stage of the hospital-patient interaction and beyond.
• IoT medical devices come in all shapes and sizes: there are wearables like fitness trackers and smartwatches, smart implants, remote patient monitoring devices, telemedicine kits, connected imaging machines, and even smart hospitals.
• Using IoT appliances in healthcare brings on a sizable number of benefits, including more precise diagnosing and efficient care, better patient engagement, higher operational efficiency, lower operational costs, and increased patient reach for hospitals.
• The use cases for the Internet of Things in healthcare are varied and plentiful, ranging from improved emergency response and reduced hospital stays to facilitating research and more efficient resource planning.
• At the same time, IoT-enabled medical devices face their share of challenges too. The key challenges include compliance with all relevant regulatory requirements, lack of compatibility between different devices and systems, and the security of data collected by IoT devices.

What Is IoT In Healthcare Industry?

IoT (Internet of Things) in healthcare reflects the technological innovations brought about by the digital revolution. IoT implementation is characterized by the use of devices connected to the Internet. A great example is smart medical equipment that optimizes various clinical processes, such as exams and monitoring of conditions.

Other smart devices, such as smartphones and smartwatches, are also part of the IoT for remote healthcare. These wearable devices can, for example, remotely monitor patients with diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions that require constant monitoring.

Automated data collection and analysis is another benefit derived from IoT in healthcare. This is essential for improving hospital processes, both from an administrative point of view and in terms of patient care. Working with a concrete, centralized information base is essential so that teams can make decisions assertively and with the necessary agility.

In developed countries, healthcare is a leader in terms of IoT integration – Bernard Marr, the best business influencer in the UK according to LinkedIn

The Role of IoT in the Healthcare Ecosystem

Emerging and persisting healthcare challenges have caused providers to meet new demands for delivering high-quality services. IoT is key to addressing these needs by offering benefits like real-time monitoring, effective patient data collection, and tracking both patient and staff activities. These capabilities help meet several critical requirements.

First, IoT allows providers to better understand a patient’s medical condition through various stages of care. This approach is essential for addressing complex care needs. It also supports advanced health systems focused on modern treatment methods and innovative healthcare delivery practices.

Additionally, IoT enables clinical information systems that provide decision support, helping healthcare teams make more informed choices. Moreover, it assists in the development of well-structured ongoing care programs, designed by multidisciplinary teams, to ensure comprehensive and personalized patient care.

IoT proves useful at multiple stages of patient interaction with the healthcare system. It starts with booking appointments or in emergency situations when a patient first contacts the hospital. From that point on, IoT facilitates real-time monitoring of the patient’s condition through smart devices connected to smartphone applications. Healthcare providers can access the health data needed to analyze the patient’s condition and plan more effective treatments.

This integration of IoT into healthcare is transforming patient care and the efficiency of healthcare systems, helping deliver better outcomes at every phase of patient engagement.

Types of IoT Medical Devices and Their Uses

Over the past few decades, IoT has generated a lot of buzz in the healthcare industry, and deservedly so. The variety of IoT solutions is growing just as fast as our dependence on the use of IoT in healthcare, and right now, IoT has the potential to take over numerous healthcare operations just because of how varied and comprehensive medical devices are. Here are the most popular types of medical IoT devices to know about.

Wearable IoT Devices

Wearable devices are probably the most common type of IoT used in modern healthcare. This group can be divided into two subgroups. There are medical wearables, such as glucose monitors and ECG monitors, which are usually employed to track the condition and support patients with chronic conditions. And then there are fitness trackers and smartwatches, which can monitor a range of physical parameters, from heart rate to sleep patterns, alerting users to potential health issues and helping them lead healthier lives.

Remote Patient Monitoring Devices

Remote patient monitoring devices are an incredibly important type of IoT medical devices that are used to monitor patient conditions and inform healthcare providers in real time of any notable changes in the state of the patients. An RPM device that supports IoT can monitor such parameters as body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels remotely and can be used all across healthcare delivery chains.

Implantable Devices

IoT-enabled implantable devices are some of the most innovative and revolutionary uses of IoT technology in healthcare. Common examples of using IoT in implantable devices include mainly cardiac tools, such as pacemakers and defibrillators, which can allow the healthcare provider to continuously monitor and adjust their operation when necessary. Another popular use of medical IoT is a neurostimulator used to treat a variety of neurological conditions and chronic pain, which can send electrical impulses to specific nerves or the brain and can be adjusted remotely by the doctor.

Smart Home Healthcare Devices

Smart home devices are no longer anything new, but their uses in healthcare are only getting more varied and advanced. Perhaps the most noteworthy example of an IoT smart home device for medical use is a fall sensor, which is mainly used for elderly patients and can alert emergency services or caregivers in case a fall is detected. Smart thermostats and environmental sensors can also help create a safer, healthier home for patients with special environmental needs — for example, respiratory conditions or allergies.

Smart Beds

Smart beds are mainly used in hospitals and serve a wide range of functions, including monitoring patient movements and vital signs, alerting the hospital staff whenever anything requires their attention and helping make timely adjustments in the treatment plan. Plus, there are smart beds that automatically change the patient’s position to prevent bedsores, improving the quality of hospital care.

Connected Imaging Devices

MRI, CT, and X-ray machines have been nothing short of revolutionary in the medical world ever since their inception. The new generation of imaging devices, which are enabled with IoT contraptions, are even more helpful in diagnostics. Interconnected IoT imaging devices can share the obtained data with healthcare providers in a matter of seconds, increasing the diagnosing speed and improving the effectiveness and precision of treatment.

Telemedicine Kits

Telemedicine is nothing new, but it is usually done without any specific equipment on the patient’s side, which can make it difficult to diagnose and prescribe treatment correctly. IoT-enabled telemedicine kits are here to change that. These can include devices like digital stethoscopes, otoscopes, and vital sign monitoring systems, designed to make examinations easier and more productive for everyone involved.

IoT-Enabled Assistive Devices

This group of IoT medical devices mainly includes hearing aids and visual enhancement devices. The use of IoT technology dramatically increases their capabilities, helps tune the device more finely to better suit the individual needs of the patients, and enhances user experience thanks to robust integrations with other systems and devices.

Biggest Benefits Of IoT In Healthcare

IoT in the healthcare sector is powerful. The advantages of IoT are plentiful, with its full potential yet to be unlocked. IoT can help with pretty much every aspect of healthcare operations. Here are the biggest benefits of the implementation of IoT for hospitals, healthcare providers, and patients.

Accelerating and Enhancing Disease Diagnosis

The variety of IoT devices in the healthcare realm makes it possible to diagnose patients faster than ever before, often using more than one method simultaneously and updating the patient’s chart in real time. Moreover, the use of IoT for healthcare is also contributing to the accuracy of the diagnostic process, lowering the probability of an error.

Elevating Patient Care Quality

The decision to implement IoT solutions in hospitals has the ability to dramatically increase the quality of patient care. From real-time updates using the patient’s vitals obtained via IoT devices to delivering personalized care and promoting remote care, the number of possible use cases and examples of various IoT solutions will only continue to grow, and so will the quality of service patients are getting.

Improving Patient Engagement

The growing range and quality of IoT products contribute to encouraging patients to take a more active role in their health. When the patient has access to wearable devices, smart home medical gadgets, and other solutions for monitoring their state, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and adhering to the treatment plan, the doctor-patient collaboration will gradually become more effective thanks to the increased patient engagement.

Alleviating the Strain on US Healthcare Systems

According to the AAMC report, the USA expects a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034. This includes shortfalls in primary and specialty care. The good news is that IoT healthcare solutions can mitigate the impact of this shortage on the population, transforming the healthcare industry and covering more patients with fewer in-person visits.

Facilitating Data-Driven Decision Making

Healthcare devices embedded with IoT technology produce vast amounts of data. Using big data analytics, healthcare providers can gain a variety of valuable insights, improve the precision of diagnostics and efficiency of treatments, improve patient outcomes, and identify patterns that can help a wider range of patients. Moreover, data-driven insights can also help hospitals optimize their processes, enhance resource allocation, and enhance the overall quality of care.

Increasing Operational Efficiency

In addition to the direct impact IoT devices have on patient outcomes via vital healthcare analytics and data-driven insights, the growing dependence on technology also has sizable benefits for healthcare facilities. Most importantly, it helps streamline key processes such as inventory management, asset tracking, and patient flow management, helping facilities optimize their resource use, minimize downtime, and transform outdated routines.

Lowering Healthcare Expenses

Remote monitoring and telemedicine are two primary ways in which the IoT healthcare market is helping facilities lower their operational expenses. Frequent hospital visits and prolonged stays can take a toll on the financial state of the facility, and this is where IoT-enabled telemedicine capabilities come in handy. Moreover, relieving hospital staff of routine tasks like patient monitoring and medication dispensing helps them focus on more critical tasks and improve the cost-effectiveness of healthcare services.

Making Healthcare Services More Accessible

The use of IoT enables healthcare facilities to significantly increase their reach without expanding their personnel or opening new branches. Pairing devices with IoT connectivity with telemedicine solutions allows hospitals to provide services even in locations that have previously been underserved — for example, remote or rural localities. As a result, more patients get the services they need while healthcare organizations can enjoy a larger pool of users.

Current State of IoT: Use Cases and Applications of IoT in Healthcare

Especially in institutions where the flow of information is very high, IoT applications in healthcare are extremely important for organizing the operational demands of the teams. Smart devices make this possible, making it possible to apply the Internet of Things to various aspects of the hospital routine. We’ll talk more about these applications below.

IoT App Development Can Ensure Efficient Remote Monitoring In Healthcare

Many patients, especially those with chronic illnesses, need constant monitoring. Healthcare IoT app development gives many patients the option of not having to leave the comfort of their homes. Wearable IoT devices in healthcare make it possible to monitor them remotely and in real time. This facilitates treatment and keeps clinical conditions under control. Medical teams can intervene in the event of complications before the problem worsens. 

A common example of IoT in healthcare is devices that evaluate variations in temperature, blood pressure, glucose levels, etc. There are also devices that monitor specific diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and some types of cancer. These devices collect data on patients’ symptoms to assess their overall progress.

The possibility of monitoring remotely is an important differentiator, as it allows patients to receive the necessary care without the stress of a hospital visit. The intelligent IoT system records data automatically, which is also crucial to guaranteeing the accuracy of assessments and avoiding failures in the process.

IoT Healthcare Technology Enables the Growth of Telehealth

Remote health monitoring, which is a type of IoT healthcare software, is known as telehealth. The Health Resources and Services Administration defines telehealth as “the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, public health and health administration.”

Telehealth involves providing health services at a distance, usually using digital communication technologies such as videoconferencing, mobile applications, or online platforms. According to the Grand Research Review, the global telehealth market was estimated at $101.2 billion in 2023 and will expand by 24% annually from 2024 to 2030.

It is a solution that facilitates remote medical care and increases accessibility to healthcare. It also provides more convenience and saves time, as well as helping to reduce the spread of contagious diseases. 

Combined with the Internet of Things in medicine, it guarantees a more accurate consultation and access to important patient data without the need to travel. Doctors can use the devices to check patients’ vital signs, which would only be possible in a face-to-face consultation.

Modern IoT App Can Provide Exam Records And Centralization Of Information

The advances made by IoT technology in healthcare also favor the day-to-day work of teams, as smart devices centralized medical records, exams, prescriptions, etc. This means no important information is lost in the institution’s vast database. As the devices work in an integrated way with the equipment (for example, X-rays and CT scans), data collection is completely digitized.

This is essential not only to avoid errors in recording and structuring data but also to speed up analysis procedures, report preparation, and results issuance. Easy access to the unified database is another key point of IoT in healthcare, as all specialists can carry out their analyses quickly and speed up patient referrals.

IoT Helps Evaluate Equipment Performance

IoT resources in medicine go beyond automating processes and improving patient care. Smart devices can also be used to evaluate the performance of medical equipment. In this case, the technology is used to identify possible faults in devices such as defibrillators and oxygen pumps, which must meet strict standards for effective performance.

Moreover, hygiene-monitoring IoT devices placed in appropriate locations reduce the likelihood of patients becoming infected. For example, UK-based Medic-lead has developed an AI-powered Handsteco hand washing console that tracks hand movements to ensure that washing techniques are followed and will not turn on the tap until the user completes the action as shown on the display. The faucet, controlled by specialized software, uses up to 60% less water with each hand washing episode.

IoT-Based Healthcare Can Reduce ER Waiting Time

Emergency room visits often result in critical time loss and other medical expenses. With real-time patient monitoring, predictive analytics, and automated triage systems, hospitals can efficiently prioritize treatment, allocate resources, and mitigate overcrowding. IoT-enabled solutions can also facilitate efficient resource management, patient flow optimization, and remote consultation, allowing for prompt assessment and intervention.

An example of a great IoT in healthcare is AutoBed. It is IoT-driven software adopted by Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York. With it, patient waiting times were reduced by 50%. This healthcare IoT software product, provided by GE Healthcare, can track occupancy among 1200 units and factor in 15 different metrics to develop the best individual solution for every patient. 

IoT-enabled devices and healthcare software development save time and effort for doctors and nurses. In some cases, they can save lives since patients often don’t realize how critical their condition is until they see a doctor. In cases like that, time is of the essence.

IoT Devices Can Improve Management Software For Healthcare Establishments

Healthcare IoT app development makes it possible to track staff, patients, and inventory. It works like many other management software solutions. While some older versions of this IoT-based healthcare software only allowed for check-ins, newer healthcare applications allow real-time tracking. This is especially useful for big medical facilities, where it may take a while to transport a patient from one section of the hospital to another.

The Netherlands is already mastering this approach. Martini Hospital in Groningen has created a network that allows employees to see available equipment and have quick access to patient records. This prevents confusion and reduces waiting times in line for procedures.

IoT-Based Healthcare Helps With Chronic Disease Research

Finally, the combination of wearable tech, next-gen analytics, and mobile connectivity allows healthcare providers to learn more about chronic diseases and address them properly. For example, patients who suffer from diabetes are encouraged to use diabetic management programs to improve treatment and reduce healthcare costs.

Another innovative example is ingestible IoT sensors, which can even be a way to make a diagnosis. Healthcare professionals can now analyze the entire digestive tract by swallowing a simple pill. For those who have had to undergo a fibroscopic exam or colonoscopy, swallowing a pill, even a large one, is undoubtedly the preferred option.

For example, the C-Scan swallowable device developed by Check-Cap is designed to detect colon polyps without the prior use of a laxative. This is possible because the C-Scan capsule takes X-rays at ultra-low radiation doses that do not require a clean colon. The patient simply swallows the capsule along with one tablespoon of contrast agent and fiber supplements with meals. The system collects data over 2-3 days as it moves naturally through the gastrointestinal tract.

IoT Healthcare Technology Speeds Up and Improves Emergency Response

In an emergency, every second of a delay can have negative and potentially fatal consequences. This is why hospitals are actively adopting IoT solutions for emergency response, achieving two desired outcomes simultaneously: speed up the emergency response and improve the quality of care. For example, the decision to integrate IoT with an ambulance can help the medical team get all the valuable information while the patient is still being transferred to the hospital and can prepare accordingly.

IoT Helps With Environment Monitoring in the Healthcare Facility

In addition to monitoring vitals and improving the accuracy of diagnostics, IoT for healthcare can also help create a better environment in the facility. Specifically, IoT devices can continuously monitor the quality of air in the room, quickly detecting pollutants or pathogens in the air and prompting the medical team to make the necessary adjustments. Humidity and temperature levels are two other vital components of a healthy hospital environment that can be noticeably improved with the introduction of IoT.

IoT Used in Healthcare Facilitates Smart Medication Management

The use of Internet of Things in healthcare applications enables, among other things, better management of medication. This can be achieved in several ways. First, automatic medication dispensing solutions can ensure patients take their medications on time and in full, as well as alert caregivers if the medication was not taken at the right time. Second, medical adherence monitoring systems provide doctors with full access to the patient’s medication habits, allowing them to quickly make changes if necessary.

IoT Healthcare Companies Help Create Advanced Implants

The advancements in the implant industry are one of the most important outcomes of merging IoT and healthcare. Smart implants, which include cardiac implants such as pacemakers and defibrillators, and neurostimulation devices, can be installed once and operated completely remotely for years, increasing the quality of patient lives, improving the prognosis, and helping facilities serve more patients.

What Are The Challenges Of IoT In Healthcare?

Challenges of IoT in healthcare include unique legal, regulatory, and technical issues and privacy concerns. Today, there are many stakeholders in the IoT ecosystem in medicine: medical device vendors, connectivity providers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), software, system integrators, and end users.

We at QArea categorize the current obstacles and challenges into a few categories. The first is legal. IoT devices generate and transmit data, but it is not always clear exactly who legally owns that data. 

A simple example is a medical device that is on the municipal balance sheet. It collects patient data, stores it in a cloud application, and then transmits it to a private clinic. Who owns the data – the city, the patient, the software provider, or the private clinic? 

The parties can share data and use it for different purposes in quite a few ways. However, the data owner has the legal right to destroy the data. Still, this is not easy to do in a distributed network because the data itself can be replicated.

Another category is regulatory concerns. Because medical data is sensitive, there are strict rules regarding its use, and there are limitations associated with securing the technology.

The technical challenges lie in the distributed nature of the Internet of Things infrastructure in medicine. All software systems and devices must be adapted to securely communicate with each other. However, security protocols and standards change regularly for these types of integration. As a result, there is a risk associated with interoperability issues as new technologies are introduced, especially if legacy systems are not adapted to the changes.

New IoT Possibilities and Healthcare Trends: How We’ll Use IoT for Healthcare Purposes

The industry of connected medical devices has never been bigger, and the healthcare IoT market is expected to expand even further thanks to the advancements in the IoT medical technology. Here are key trends we can look forward to when it comes to the Internet of Things in healthcare applications.

1. Interoperability and standardization. The sheer variety and number of types of IoT devices is providing ample opportunities for enhancing patient care, but the problem is that those devices are not always compatible with each other and with the systems they’re connected to. This is why companies now invest joint effort into creating standardized, all-around compatible solutions.
2. Blockchain for data security. The more highly sensitive patient information IoT solutions transfer, the more important it is to ensure the integrity and security of the data. Blockchain is currently viewed as the most suitable option for ensuring data security, helping create decentralized and tamper-proof patient records that are better protected against potential breaches.
3. Artificial Intelligence implementation. AI is one of the hottest topics in the tech landscape of the 2020s, so naturally, it also made its way to healthcare IoT products. Here, AI is used to intelligently process vast amounts of data, creating more accurate diagnoses, personalized treatment plans, and predictive analysis that can spot and alert staff of potential health issues long before they become noticeable.
4. Increased use of wearables. Wearable devices — mainly, smartwatches and fitness trackers — are not just growing in popularity, but also becoming more sophisticated, gathering and processing more health-related data than before. This allows patients to take a more proactive approach to monitoring and maintaining their health, as well as share data with their physicians.
5. Smart hospitals. Smart hospitals are innovative clinical environments that use multiple interconnected IoT-enabled devices. This approach has a positive impact on every aspect of a hospital’s operations, from managing patient flow more effectively to using automated asset tracking, helping streamline the operations and reduce the cost of running a hospital.

How Can The QArea Team Help You In Healthcare Software Development?

QArea is an experienced software development company that improves and enhances innovation and digital projects. We help our clients with digital transformation and their innovation journey. How can we accelerate your healthcare institution:

• We help our clients define the focus of their innovation initiatives and help them achieve a better return on their investments and innovative projects.
  
• At QArea, we don’t just talk about great products or customer experiences. We co-create them with our customers.
  
• We help companies at every stage of the product development cycle. We can assist you with everything from ideation with a prototype to testing a new product or service with an MVP.

By analyzing your institution’s current state, we can propose the best IoT device application, rethink, and look for ways to innovate by using technology to your advantage. Contact us now to schedule a meeting. We’ll help you with every aspect of healthcare IoT app development and implementation!

Wrapping Up

All these IoT applications in healthcare contribute to the efficiency of hospital processes from end to end. They enhance the clinical experience of patients. At the same time, they optimize the corporate routine so that employees have more free time and can direct their efforts to those demands where the human factor is indispensable.

So, IoT makes digital healthcare more accessible, saves time for both patients and doctors, increases the efficiency of medical facilities, and is useful for tracking data for future research.