IOT is revolutionizing various industries and we cannot ignore the huge transformation it can bring to the health care industry. IOT combined with the analytics and cloud can provide unprecedented capabilities in healthcare – virtual healthcare, predictive diagnostics, preventive care and targeted care to name a few. It can help in improving effectiveness and quality of patient care at the same time help the healthcare organizations to improve efficiency and improve their financial and administrative performance.

1. HEALTHCARE TRANSFORMATION THROUGH
IOT
Website: http://www.mobodexter.com Blogs: http://blogs.mobodexter.com

2. KAVITHA GOPALAN
I have 14+ years of IT industry experience in hardware
design, debug and verification domain. For the last 10+
years I was working in Intel in the roles of Senior
Application Engineer on Intel X64 server and client
platforms and as a Program manager for the Intel
reference platform design, manufacturing and roll out
function by working with ODMs in China and USA.
Managing Director | CMO
MOBODEXTER Inc

3. IOT is revolutionizing various industries and we cannot ignore the huge
transformation it can bring to the health care industry. IOT combined with the
analytics and cloud can provide unprecedented capabilities in healthcare – virtual
healthcare, predictive diagnostics, preventive care and targeted care to name a
few. It can help in improving effectiveness and quality of patient care at the same
time help the healthcare organizations to improve efficiency and improve their
financial and administrative performance.
IDC predicts that virtual care, made possible by the Internet of Things and big data,
will become routine by 2018, improving healthcare quality and efficiency. Some of
the ways in which IOT is changing healthcare industry are covered here.

4. IMPROVED PATIENT CARE
 The possibilities of using IOT in improving the quality and effectiveness of
patient care is tremendous. IOT enabled remote monitoring machines can help
the physicians to monitor real time patients vitals , analyze and suggest action
for diseases. This data along with the data collected through electronic medical
records, other diagnostic information gathered through imaging equipment,
and other device enhances the decision-making powers of professionals and
enables patients to take a more active role in managing their personal health.
Mobile apps are designed to help patient manage common illness and
sometime even critical ones through interaction with their doctor.
 Similarly real time data synched to cloud provide flexibility to healthcare
professionals to track the patient progress and paves way for diagnostics and
virtual care.

5. IMPROVED PATIENT CARE
 Wearable play a big role in preventive healthcare providing way to track the
vitals , fitness level and suggest improvement for lifestyle and well being.
 Wearable are also helping in illness management, example is a smart glass
which monitors the glucose level in the tears.
 More sophisticated wearable and tracking device are helping the healthcare
professionals to manage their patient efficiently . For example a doctor can
monitor the patient status on a regular basis without visiting his bed and track
his recovery at same time and adjust the drug levels to be administered.

6. DRUG MANAGEMENT
 The expense of creating and managing drugs is one of the biggest issues facing
the healthcare industry today.
 Adding sensor to medication containers help to monitor the drug usage of the
patient it can alert the patient to administer the drug in timely manner and at
the same time can place order when it senses its going to be over.
 In 2012, the FDA approved a sensor pill that monitors data in the body to make
sure medication is taken properly.
 IOT also helps in drug management in the hospital and healthcare facility where
it can help in monitoring and alerting depleting critical drugs and help in
avoiding critical downtime.

7. IMPROVE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY
 IOT can be beneficial to the healthcare organizations in multitude of ways and
improve their operational efficiency from managing equipment’s , inventory and
improving customer satisfaction. With connected devices hospital can better
manage track their asset and manage them effectively.
 A faulty device with location tracking service and can send message to the
service personal immediately and action can be taken. This prevents downtime
which can be costly in a healthcare environment. This can be extended to locate
other assets like infusion pumps, wheelchairs, defibrillators, scales etc. that may
be needed for treating patients in the hospital. Similarly this can be applied to
drug management and ensure drugs are available when it is needed and where
it is needed.

8. IMPROVE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY
 Remote health care capability offered by the benefits of IOT can be cost saving
for both patients and healthcare organization alike. IOT can help improve the
patient experience in hospital , allowing them to know what is their wait time in
the hospital for appointment , sending wellness related information for their
illness to their mobile devices , notes and inputs from their doctor so on.
 There are challenges that block the rapid growth of IOT in healthcare. The most
important of all is the security and privacy of the health data collected from
patient. Healthcare organization and technologist have to sort out how the data
is encrypted and stored and prevent any misuse of the information collected.
There is no doubt that Internet of things with its full potential unleashed can
revolutionize healthcare and bring positive change in life for all.