HealthCare IoT – Medical Device

The global Internet of Things (IoT) in healthcare market is forecasted to reach $410 billion by 2022.

The progression of healthcare IoT, or the Internet of Medical Things, is not without its challenges.

Some physicians and health IT departments are still adjusting to using and securing mobile devices during work. Could IoT-derived data be too much for them to handle?

IoT can be used to supplement patient treatment through remote monitoring and communication, and to keep track of patients as they move through a healthcare facility.

There is an increase in healthcare and medical devices being pushed into the home with one intended benefit of reduced healthcare costs. This is spawning a new group of devices commonly referred to as homecare, mHealth, and wearable medical devices

The use of remotely-transmitted data enables device and patient monitoring and management. One of the biggest advancements in home monitoring are implantable loop recorders, pacemakers and ICDs (CIEDs). Virtually all the CIEDs are remotely monitored from home using a monitor with a built-in GSM transmitter. Key parameters that can be assessed include battery longevity, device settings, percent pacing, heart rate histogram, activity level, lead parameters, arrhythmias, thoracic impedance (e.g. Optivol) to assess fluid/heart failure status.

A specific example of a relatively new technology is the St. Jude Medical CardioMEMs™ HF System, an implantable device that provides heart failure monitoring. Another example is in the field of diabetes care: the Telcare Blood Glucose Monitoring System has an integrated cellular module for remote data transfer.