A recent study predicts that telemedicine will grow sevenfold by 2025. The global pandemic has disrupted the healthcare industry and accelerated its move towards a new era of smart health. At the same time, patient behavior has changed: A new survey in the US found that two-thirds of people are now willing to try virtual care because of the ongoing health crisis.
Telemedicine encompasses a wide range of technologies, including remote patient monitoring, that enable healthcare to be delivered outside of traditional healthcare facilities—providing greater flexibility and reducing the risk of disease transmission. But for telemedicine to work at its optimum efficiency, it needs to be highly accurate and able to deliver vital sign data in real time. Telemedicine devices require excellent IoT connectivity—the risk of delays can be costly and negatively impact patient outcomes.
In this article, we explore three areas of digital health and home care where connectivity is critical. UART-модуль
passive monitoring
This involves connected devices in the home silently monitoring patient behavior. Usually, these devices don't do anything or interfere, but the point is, if they notice a change, they trigger a command.
Some may trigger an immediate response, for example, a fall detector can contact paramedics immediately. Others may need to use data collected from multiple connected devices to parse out more subtle metrics.
Alcuris' Memo Center is a good example of the latter. The hub connects smart devices in individual homes, such as kettles and TVs, and transmits this data back to the Alcuris AWS cloud database, where it is analyzed to draw insights. This will trigger an alarm if there is a sudden change in the patient's usual behavior pattern.
active monitoring
This is where IoT devices require proactive action from the user or caregiver.
A camera or speaker in the home allows relatives or caregivers to check on a regular basis. Panic buttons reassure users that if they need help, there will be someone at hand to provide immediate help.
The IoT-enabled GPS pendant can be carried anywhere and can provide immediate assistance as well as help locate the user.
condition monitoring
The final area involves continuous monitoring of health status, combining the first two approaches, often involving more personal and detailed health data. This is used both in clinical trials to understand drug efficacy, and to monitor long-term conditions and treatment adherence.
Wearable activity detectors can be used to detect slight slow movements in arthritis patients; blood pressure or fluid sample diagnostic devices can monitor blood sugar levels in diabetics, or confirm that medications have been taken and upload them to medical databases. Many of these products combine sensors with self-reporting mechanisms, such as through dedicated tablet devices or software applications.
An example is the Philips Motiva system, used by patients with chronic diseases. The system provides patients with connected scales and devices to measure vital signs, which allows patients to monitor their health and video call with caregivers. Due to the sensitivity of the data, these devices are managed through a secure connection system rather than using third-party equipment.
The value of a good IoT connection
These connected innovations have created enormous business opportunities for technology companies and reduced costs in medicine, healthcare and insurance. With an aging population and more people suffering from chronic diseases, there is a rapidly expanding opportunity for both business innovation and social well-being. Telemedicine and telenursing are changing the quality and efficiency of care and creating a digital patient experience; encouraging patients to live independently and manage their chronic conditions. Модуль NB
Bringing IoT-driven smart healthcare into the home increases patient flexibility in accessing essential care and improves health outcomes while relieving the pressure on hospital facilities and community care to ensure such devices have the ability to reliably capture, share and analyze data Connectivity will be the key to success.