IoT in healthcare means the implementation of certain data communication protocols on smart medical sensors. MOKOSmart offers you with asset tracking, personnel tracking and temperature&humidity solutions for convenient medical treatment and management.

IoT Medical Beacons

Benefits

Remote monitoring: Diagnose the illness,treat disease to save life in medical emergency using IoT devices and smart alerting.

Research: IoT devices have high potential for medical research uses due to their ability to collect and analyze large mount of data.

Prevention: Doctors can better understand the illness condition by analysing the data collected by IoT and react accordingly if something changed on the patients’ health.

Security guarantee: The IoT security systems improve the safety of patients,doctors and staff.

Cost reduction: The healthcare operation cost can be decreased by utilizing IoT Healthcare technology.

Error decrease: Some human error and miscalculation may cause severe result, but by connecting IoT network and human experience, it can be avoided and the accuracy of diagnosis can be improved.

Treatment management improvement: Decrease the medical error by using the IoT devices to track the management of medicine and reaction of treatment.

Accelerated diagnosis: The IoT security systems improve the safety of patients,doctors and staff.Patients can fill out the registration information, which will be used to prioritize the patient flow.Physicians can also make quicker diagnosis due to the patients information popped in their phones.

Healthcare management improvement: By using IoT devices, medical healthcare agency can gain valuable information about relevant devices and personnel efficiency, and then come up with some innovative recommendations utilizing these information.

Increased mobility and alert of hospital staff: Today, nurses or doctors work beyond their capabilities. With IoT tracking systems, they can get alerted immediately when critical changes in patients' parameters occur, quickly locate patients who need direct assistance asap.

Application of IoT in healthcare

Medical assets tracking

By deploying MOKOBeacon in kinds of different medicine and devices,staff can easily locate the position and some human errors can be avoided as well.

Personnel tracking

By wearing our badgets or wristband beacon,the relevant staffs can be distributed in time for emergency help and quickly locate the position of the patients.

Smart check-in management

Smart check-in management is applied in all industries,including healthcare,it’s pretty convenient.

Healthcare proximity & navigation

The propaganda posts might be ignored,but the notifiation pops out in the phones can’t be missed! Deploy our beacon and broadcast the information to the passers-by, who can also navigate to the healthcare agency quickly.

Environment condition maintaining

Our TH sensors can detect the temperatire and humidity so it’s suitable for using in the pharmacy. Maintaining a good environment condition is essential for keeping the drug properties.

Alarming for instant help

Instant help sometimes can save a life,by pushing panic button,healthcare can be provided in time.

Automated health record

With complete IoT system, the registration can be finished online so that no need to wait in line and the doctors can see the patients information directly for quick diagnoisis due to the data sharing online.

Remote monitoring

By wearing our wristband, the patients’ health data can be updated in real time and doctors can offer healthcare recovery solutions accordingly.

Workflow of IoT Medical Devices

Healthcare IoT Development Process

IoT Medical devices work together in an IoT environment to obtain data from a patient, communicate data between one another, analyze and produce results. The progress of operation of IoT medical devices include the following:

• The Sensor medical device––implanted surgically, swallowed as a smart-pill or worn on a body part or applications or other IoT healthcare software––obtains and records physiological data such as; Heartbeat rate, body’s temperature, electrocardiograph, ECG, etc.
• The data is uploaded onto a cloud server system that allows easy access of a Doctor or any other medical personal who needs to analyze the data for diagnostic or other purposes.
• The IoT communication between the medical personal acting as the user, module, and the sensory device on the patient is secured and the transmission is always maintained.
• The medical officer usually a doctor, acting as the user, accesses the IoT communication through a dashboard where he has permission and is able to send and receive data, in communication between the patient, cloud, other connected medical devices. Towards dispensing medical care. Other users might also include, insurance providers and parents/guardians.

The Architecture of Healthcare IoT(HIoT)

HIoT simply means Healthcare Internet of Things. And, it is simply the adoption of Internet of Things applications, devices, software, and technologies in Healthcare. HIoT also defines the protocol through which the medical sensory software, application, or devices communicates the recorded patient’s information to the cloud server network.
The Architecture of a HIoT network consists of its topology, that is, the optimal arrangement and connection of its component in a healthcare environment.

The different components of the Healthcare Internet of Things include:

• Publisher
Publisher depicts Internet of Things medical devices, sensors, etc. These devices are integrated into an Interconnection network that reads and obtains patients’ blood pressure, EMG, temperature data. The Publisher then transmits this recorded information over a particular network to the Broker.
• The Broker
The Broker receives the patient’s data from the publisher over the same connection network, processes the information, and stores it in a cloud server system.
• The Subscriber
The subscriber represents either a Pharmaceutical scientist, Medical researcher, Insurance provider, doctor, or even the Patient’s parent or guardian. Though, in most cases, the Subscriber is usually a Doctor who continuously monitors the transmitted patient’s data through a user interface which could be in form of a smartphone, computer or tablet application, or software.
The Subscriber (Doctor) observes for symptoms, changes, or degradation in the patient’s health. The Subscriber can also make certain changes in response to the patient’s health changes. Which will be sent to the Broker, to process and dispatch the data to the Publisher.

Note: For the Optimal operation of the HIoT network, the Publisher, Broker, and Subscriber must be in constant and effective communication.

Use Cases

Internet of Things healthcare devices such as temperature sensors, humidity sensors, remote monitoring devices and location tracking beacon can be applied in a wide range of medical usage. Here are some specific HIoT real-life use cases.

Ensa

ENSA is a healthcare institution located and established in New York, United States of America.

How ENSA uses IoT in healthcare?
ENSA is a healthcare institution that helps dispense professional advice on healthy living and wellness to healthcare institutions and patients. ENSA’s vision is geared towards achieving better client/customer/patient satisfaction. ENSA helps to synch biometric scanners with the health history of each of the healthcare institution’s patients. So that, when any of the recorded biometrics (face, eye, fingerprints) of any of their patient is scanned by the sensor, it automatically brings up their health history recorded on health care’s cloud server with it. This makes it easier to link certain health history with the specific person. Thereby, increasing operational efficiency.

HIoT implementation impact
ENSA signed a partnership deal in 2017 with Dexcom to constantly and continuously monitor the blood glucose level for diabetes patients and some other related conditions.

R-Style lab

R-style lab, a US company, installs the communication technology of the HIoT (Healthcare Internet of Things). In other words, R-STYLE LAB defines the protocol through which the healthcare medical sensors communicate and transmits the patients’ recorded data, which determines the speed and response time for the analysis and diagnosis. The implementation of HIoT by R-STYLE LAB increases the diagnosis time and general response-time which when dealing with life––as do healthcare institutions–– could make all the difference between life and death.

Milestone achievement: A R-style lab EKG sensors Bluetooth paired heart data sensor app, was able to achieve a speed of 300 dots p/s heart graph visualization and processing speed.

Honeywell

Honeywell is a vital data sensor monitoring agency located in Morris Plains, New Jersey, United States of America.

It is responsible for providing IoT-enabled vital data sensors which are used for monitoring patients’ vital signs such as, temperature, heart rate, etc. This enables healthcare to keep track of patients’ health without having to keep them in the hospital or if they’re a great distance away.

HIoT Implementation Impact: The global market for the remote monitoring of patient’s vital data is rapidly expanding.

Consideration while selecting technology for IoT medical

Budget, development skills, and in-house capabilities: While many organizations would like to go for the more luxurious alternative, budgets and equipment often won’t allow it. It is essential to first consider that the costs advertised by the providers are not always the most honest, there are often introductory rates or base models that will require new functionalities, these will not be free.

The business model and your specific needs: The equation is simple: to extract money from a system you have to add value somewhere, the IoT platform (and any solution) is not a banknote printing machine. It is necessary to be clear about what is the most valuable in the value chain and focus there (in this case, medical), and then detect which platforms are the best adapted.

HIoT Technologies

As with every IoT connection, the HIoT network system was developed by certain crucial technologies. These technologies–– which were used to enhance the HIoT system’s various connectivity abilities and also to optimally integrate varied medical and healthcare applications into the HIoT system–– are divided into three main categories.

Challenges

As with everything that has advantages. There must be certain cons to it. Howbeit minute or next to insignificant.
Some of the challenges of the Internet of things in healthcare include:

High cost of maintaining the HIoT technologies

Healthcare Internet of Things smart devices, software, and communication protocols need to be periodically updated. Therefore, this routine cost of maintenance and services tends to pile and is not cheap.

Data overload & accuracy

The data collected by IoT devices are too much that gaining insignts gets difficult for doctors,which result in the safety problem of patients.

Integration: multiple devices & protocols

The integration of multiple devices might hinder the implemention of department of IoT in healthcare sector. The reason for this is that the devices manufacturers haven’t reached agreement on cimmunication protocols and standards ,which make the data integreation gets complex with hindrance.

Piracy and Substandard Products

As there are no strong or serious regulations put in place to prevent and validate if a specific product is following the laid-down rules and design process protocols. For this challenge to be nullified and curbed, IETT–Information Technology and ETSI need to come under one voice and create standard means by which all HIoT products can be verified and standardized.

IoT market in healthcare

The IoT market in healthcare is apparently a serious and extremely lucrative business. Do you understand the massive potential in investment, trading, or dealing in IoT health market?
Experts predict that in about 3 years (2024), the IoT market in healthcare will be worth a Whooping $188 Billion!

That massive worth accumulated from the IoT smart healthcare medical equipment such as sensors, smart health IoT devices ––which are IoT enabled that is, they’re able to connect, and effectively communicate data with other devices–– together with other IoT health devices used in diagnosing, treating and monitoring patients health, to the cloud system and databases for storing extracted/recorded information to the processing and analysis of the collected information and the various IoT protocols for establishing communication between these devices (all completely automated with little to no human imputation). The entire catalog of which saves medical professionals (Doctors and other healthcare workers), patients, and everyone else in general by reducing stress, and increasing efficiency. Based on this, you can say, the IoT market in healthcare 27.66% annual growth rate might even be on the low side of the rate at which investors and money bags ought to be jumping on this bandwagon.

Statistics on IoT in Healthcare

If the statistics on IoT in Healthcare could be surmised into a single word it would be impressive.
There are easily over 25 billion active IoT devices as of the year 2020. And, a generous percentage of these are HIoT devices. This compounded with other statistical significances makes the internet of things in healthcare the way to go. Some of such statistics include:

15% of the world’s entire population would be elderly by 2025 compounded by the rise in healthcare expenditure that would arise as a result of that
You’re probably well aware of the fact that the older you get the weaker your immunity becomes and the more susceptible to diseases you are. In simple terms, an increase in the elderly population means an increase in the diseased population and by extension an increase in healthcare expenditure and a decline in the working population percentage. This is where IoT in Healthcare comes in. The billions of elderly people will increase the strain on the healthcare industry to an extent of which it just can’t withstand. Without external help. Smart health IoT therefore could be applied in form and used as a home nurse such as; checking blood pressure, heart rate, prescribing medication for certain non-critical illnesses instead of having the elderly folks visit physical hospitals which could potentially choke out the life of the staff.

Expert predicts that (IoMT) Internet of Medical Things will enable a $300 billion healthcare Industry less spending
Apparently, living in a first-world country like the US doesn’t guarantee you cheap healthcare insurance in fact, it’s quite the opposite. An average American citizen spends almost $3,500, annually on health insurance. IoT adoption in healthcare reduces this cost by a lot. Starting with the flexibility of smart device testing and diagnosis at home will enable people with non-serious conditions to avoid extra costs involved with hospitalization without them sacrificing that for quality treatments.

40% of global IoT devices are HIoT devices
Out of the billions of available IoT devices, a whooping and still increasing 40% are used in the healthcare industry. Some of which includes:
• Federal drug administration approved smart-pills, which are used for the diagnosis of a specific disease or to locate a site of infection or compromised function in the body.
• Smart sensory watches; for monitoring of the body’s vitals.

Most of these devices IoT in healthcare examples can potentially turn the future of IoT in healthcare around as you know it.

Estimated healthcare IoT device installation

The business insider estimates a 30.7% average annual healthcare IoT Device Installation increase. This calculation was deduced based on the data from the amount of annual shipped IoT devices between a period of six years, 2015 to 2020. The year 2015 witnessed only 46 million IoT health devices, in less than six years, by the year 2020 the figure had increased by almost 150% seeing 2020 witness an annual IoT healthcare devices of 161 million devices.

Future of IoT in Healthcare

Healthcare institutions had always struggled with the ever-rising need for a faster diagnostic, treatment, and general medical response to patients. Today, emerging technologies are facilitating the fulfillment of this sort of situation within health care and also within the operation of huge health centers.

Data is vital to transformation

The hospitals are demanding:
• Connectivity, ability to transmit and receive information quickly and efficiently.
• That information is sent safely.
• That it’s always available.
• That it complies with the speed for efficient handling, as is that the case with the clinical record of every patient.

Wiring standards

On the opposite hand, wireless trends can determine the wiring needs for healthcare buildings. However, power is another element that’s dictating changes in these. In September 2018, the definition of the newest standard of 4 pairs of power––over Ethernet (PoE), IEEE 802.3bt––was made. This introduced two additional sorts of power: Type 3(up to 55W) and sort 4(between 90W and 100W). As a result, you’ll expect a proliferation within the number of devices more concerned with delivering power over structured cabling instead of bandwidth.

Internet of things (IoT)-enabled healthcare helps to tackle the challenges of the covid-19 pandemic

According to Forbes, in early 2020, in Wuhan (China), the epicenter of the pandemic, telemedicine, and robots began to be used for health care. The disastrous effect of the Pandemic led to the adoption of IoT-enabled medical operations such as 5G thermometers, and other wearable IoT healthcare devices.

These actions reduce workloads in health centers, prevent contamination from contact with patients, and promote the home hospitalization system, based on the IoT. To date, the world has already exceeded 69.5 million (which consists of both people currently infected and the cured percentage) people have been infected, and almost 2 million fatal cases. The pandemic has strongly affected countries with a high level of human and technological development, such as the United States, India, Brazil, and France. This only tells you how much of an urgency the adoption of IoT in healthcare is for the world in general.
At this moment (June, 2021) experts’ analysis gives a 60% worldwide healthcare providers rough estimate that is already actively utilizing and optimizing IoT as their medical operational policy. One of them is related to Ilich Núñez, the Chief Strategy Officer of Fibotech who stated that due to the advance of the pandemic, they developed a chatbot to speed up diagnoses, to find potential cases of coronavirus, and prevent people from leaving their houses if not necessary.

Quoting a Forbes publication, IntelloT a perfect challenging and aspirational example of such projects. It was launched by the European Commission (European Union) with a budget of eight million euros, in order to increase and improve the remote care of hospitals in these times of pandemic, reduce costs, reduce times and avoid risky contacts between patients and healthcare professionals.
IntelloT’s IoT-focused diagnosis and healthcare operation will be done through the use of medical devices and sensors to perform adequate diagnoses in time compounded with combining the IoT with other technologies such as 5G, augmented reality, tactile internet, AI, and strict information cybersecurity protocols in dealing with the patients.

Additionally, the Internet of Things in the coronavirus and post-coronavirus world can be used to automate administrative activities. When doctors are not enough and overwhelmed, artificial intelligence applications must be used widely.

The future of pharma

Smart factories or IoT-enabled factories will become increasingly common in the near future as a result of the integration of the so-called industry 4.0.

In other words, IoT allows Pharmaceutical Industries to reconfigure facilities so that manufacturers can keep up to date and respond to the needs of a changing market that demands more and more personalized products. In the same way, it allows progress on sustainability issues, which is very necessary in times of climate emergency.

IoT-enabled optimization of seemingly simple Pharmaceutical industry processes such as setting up an environment and a specific period that supports or enhances the cleanliness of a biotech facility or even discovering any unusual behavior in a chemical process can potentially benefit more people than you can imagine.

The active IoT application in the manufacturing, bio-testing and even discovery of new drugs could definitely revolutionize the future of the global pharmaceutical industry.

How can you be effectively IoT-capable as a Healthcare institution?

IoT is not really as technical and difficult as is perceived by the outside world. The foundation of IoT application towards solving any particular problem is simply to trace and track, then analyze and best possible solution.

This basic solution is what IoT application is all about and also forms the foundation of diagnosis and medical care of most healthcare institutions can, therefore, draw operational efficiency from these IoT solutions.

As a healthcare provider. The technicality of IoT operation begins to skyrocket or at least become more entangled when you begin to apply it to actual patients’ data. In such a situation, what do you do?

A lot of healthcare organizations thus prefer to opt for IoT solutions that involve diagnosing a patient through machine-to-machine communication and hardly machine-to-human data communication. For instance, healthcare facilities can use smart hospital beds instead of patient-tracking devices. The IoT-enabled mattress sensors is able to recognize when a load or weight is pressing down on it. And in turn transmits the information via the IoT application to inform the Doctor (user) of the patient sleeping status usually with the notification, Occupied or Unoccupied. This way, the Physician can constantly monitor the patient through the smart mattress.

Even if you choose to start with very limited use cases, be far-sighted. This way, you kill two stones with a bed by minimizing starting capital and resources without compromising quality and efficiency while still being very future-oriented.

You have to know that IoT gains are very much dependent on the amount of data been produced and communicated in your IoT network. The size of your IoT data is in turn determined by the use cases in terms of the number of IoT-enabled devices that make up your organizational structure. Therefore, you only need to expand your organization’s IoT operation to get more out of IoT.

To further define what you need done. Ask yourself the under-listed questions and do the following:
• What should healthcare providers do to start out build up IoT capabilities?
• When starting out be on the lookout for the current available IoT technologies, study the developing trends of those technologies, and most significantly, the problems they can help you eliminate in your organization and how exactly they can do that.
• What exactly do I hope to achieve using adopting IoT in my organization?
• How ready am I to do what needs to be done?

Experts also suggest being future-oriented is your best chance at IoT effectiveness.

Security issues

The great concern of all people who use IoT devices is the security and privacy of their data. In other environments, severe data loss may be limited to leaking credit card numbers or user shipping/billing data, but in the case of medical devices, a security breach exposes multidimensional data and historical data on the health of an individual. This risk is inherent in any IoT device and outweighs the advantages of using this technology for many users.

Another major problem that will affect third-world countries to a greater extent is the possibility of connected equipment or power outages. You are literally not allowed to skip the software and hardware updates maintenance to ensure optimal performance of your IoT-enabled healthcare devices.

The diverse implementations of IoT in various regions of the world could greatly harm healthcare because there are no standardized rules or regulations for IoT protocols in any sector. The absence of standards means that we do not have a national or even global health IoT system. Unfortunately, this problem will directly affect patients due to the lower efficiency of the entire healthcare IoT system.

Solution for IoT medical device security

For healthcare systems to take advantage of the benefits of IoT and mitigate its risks, technology providers must provide solutions such as IoT containment to simplify and protect the incorporation of devices and provide the appropriate resources to the network, and such as multilevel security, with protection at every layer of the infrastructure.

IoT containment: For an efficient IoT network containment the Identity of every device, sensor, application, etc. is ensured by assigning role-defining profiles. This increases the data integrity and specifies each component to its role.

The devices are in “virtual containers”. Thus, there are various pockets through which the IoT network is accessible by various devices, sensors, etc. in such a way that they share the same physical containers or hardware component but can remain separated from the network’s main phase. By dividing the network in this way, a gap in one virtual network does not affect devices or applications on other virtual networks. Immediately an IoT device is added to the IoT network the network allocates the device its virtual profile which determines and defines its role in the network. IoT applications communicate and control the various IoT devices in their respective virtual environment.

Multi-level security: Each of the layers of IoT network technology and software involved in data communication must also be encrypted and assigned a defined identity. To further ensure security.