The Internet of Things: Where healthcare and electronics converge

On the technology front, Internet of Things use cases are plentiful when imagining a medical device industry of the future. The term “connected health” has entered popular nomenclature and will likely become ubiquitous as innovative organizations seek Internet of Things use cases that solve some of our most challenging health-related issues.
Imagine a future in which your medical profile, vitals and dialysis machine inputs are captured with the help of connected medical devices. You won’t even have to visit the doctor to receive treatment. Data captured is analyzed and used to make well-informed decisions regarding your health. Doctors can monitor your vitals remotely and respond to any concerns proactively.
Imagine a future in which pediatric and elderly care is done largely through the use of sophisticated wearable devices that can            monitor heart rate, blood pressure, movement, sleeping patterns and even blood sugar. Data collected is scaled up to do bulk analysis on specific treatment types or prescribed medicines. Emergency response is fully automated, so when a fall is detected, or heart rate rises to dangerous levels, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are alerted and on the way well before any caregiver notices a problem.
Imagine a future in which personal health is managed through wearable devices similar to the Fitbit, or the iWatch. Steps are counted, and sleep patterns are recorded. How often you stand or walk or run or bike is all collected and analyzed for the purpose of providing guidance on how best to achieve personal health goals. If you don’t walk enough one day, perhaps you’re notified the following day that you’ll need to make up for your lack of exercise by running a given distance in a given time period. And of course you shouldn’t eat desert that day, or else you may be off your plan.
Systems such as these can provide the insight needed for average people to manage their own day-to-day fitness and health. And these systems will likely aid the individual in achieving fitness goals. The data that is captured and displayed may certainly compel the individual to be more accountable.
Someone recently said: “The human body has become a source of real-time contextual data.” If a small device such as a Fitbit can be worn without inconvenience, yet still collect significant volumes of data on the wearer’s health, the use-case scenarios are quite numerous. They are only limited by our own creativity and the economics supporting the adoption of these devices.
As regulation and the emergence of the Internet of Things compels huge changes, the medical device industry will likely look much different by 2020, when full UDI compliance is mandated. In addition, by 2020 the Internet of Things is estimated to have fifty percent more connected devices used globally than are being used today.
The convergence of these two industry characteristics will make for some interesting times. I’m excited to see what the future holds.

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