Smart route to good health

Technology has been developing at a much faster pace to help the healthcare sector, writes Dr Banshi Saboo

Over the last two or three decades, some inventions have changed the future of the healthcare industry. With the advancement in technologies such as the application of robotics, 3D printing, artificial intelligence (AI) and nanotechnologies in the medical field, doctors can now identify the disease easily. With the early screening of the problem, the severity of the disease can be predicted. All these advanced technologies have helped to save numerous lives.

Revolutionary Iot

While the whole healthcare industry is going through technological changes, parallelly other factors have also affected the process such as the internet of things (IoT). The seamless data computing and storing process has helped a lot in creating a network that is spread all over the world but connected with a unique identity. The network that connects the whole thing is referred to as the internet of things (IoT). With the help of this, doctors can easily find a patient’s previous medical history and it has simplified the treatment procedure. Like any other field, IoT has impacted the healthcare industry as well. All the devices that are used in a hospital or a nursing home will remain connected with each other with the help of this network. The data is collected and then stored. IoT is also capable of analysing the data to help in the treatment. IoT mainly does this by transmitting the obtained data in the form of vital body signs, medical images such as X-ray, MRI, CT Scan etc.

The technological field and the IoT sector can be broadly divided into these categories:

Consumer healthcare: A patient can be monitored by a doctor with the help of real-time data. This data will help to treat patient conditions and several diseases in a timely fashion. The information will reach the doctor in charge fast and without errors. Mostly the patients who need constant monitoring like babies and elderly persons can be monitored 24x7 with the help of this. The first priority of most hospitals is consumer healthcare which can be ensured with these technologies. Patient engagement can also be increased by providing wearable devices to them which will help them to keep engaged with their health.

Inventory management: Hospitals and all the medical staff associated with it can benefit by using IoT to keep a track record of drugs and other medical supplies. In case low storage is detected, the medicine or other supplies can be ordered in advance.

Hospital operations & workflow management: In a hospital where thousands of patients are admitted, the workflow of doctors and other medical staff needs to be managed in order to ensure that every said patient receives the most effective treatment possible.

Patient monitoring: Sensors attached to the patient’s body will track the heart rate and the oxygen level and in case of any abnormality, the nurses and doctors will be informed instantly. A doctor can now suggest a patient’s medicine without having a face-to-face interaction with the help of remote consultation.
(The author is a diabetologist.)