The healthcare sector knows that IoT is the stepping stone to more data and better customer experiences. However, the road to choosing the right platform and the right vendor is paved with uncertainties. In this post, we break down the key aspects to be taken into consideration to choose the right IoT platform for a healthcare organization.
With the capability of IoT devices to be able to monitor remotely a patient’s health condition, choosing the right platform for the healthcare industry to leverage this data effectively is vital. This platform must able to collect, segregate and store relevant data, which is then analyzed by medical experts. The IoT devices in the medical sector fall broadly into the four categories:
- Vital sign monitors,
- activity monitors,
- safety monitors and
- medication monitors.
Each of these categories come with its set of challenges. However, there are some broad parameters that you should consider while choosing an IoT platform for the healthcare industry. While you may not need all of these capabilities right away, your device or application may cater to it in the future and you don’t want to be stranded at such a time.
Device diversity and interoperability
An IoT platform for the healthcare industry must be able to manage the data collected by the various medical devices deployed by the healthcare industry. These diverse devices will generate different kinds of data which must be segregated and stored by the IoT platform. A common interface will go a long way in UI/UX component of operating IoT devices.
Data integration
The data generated by the IoT devices must be leveraged effectively to increase the productivity of the services provided by healthcare professionals. Analytics of data in real time or batches is vital. The integration of this medical data to medical services can reduce the cost of medical care and improve the quality of services. The IoT platform must be able to integrate effectively this information into the system.
Scale, data volume, and performance
The size of data generated from IoT devices will be of an enormous quantity and depth. This data needs to be stored in a common pool of information. Medical professionals can then analyze this data collected from patients and prescribe evidence-based medical assistance. The IoT platform must be able to segregate this large volume of metadata.
Flexibility of the platform
Any IoT platform for the healthcare industry must be able to access the data from evolving applications and maintain this data along with its previous data. Creating a data layer that is separate from the application process enables developers from creating a variety of applications. The IoT platform must be flexible enough to be able to process all new data and segregate them accordingly.
Data privacy
A patient’s medical data must be kept secure. The IoT platform’s infrastructure must be policy-based to ensure only approved patient data is shared. The visibility of data must be confined to the patient and medical professionals. Maintaining anonymity of patients’ records on the medical database ensures that the data is secure.
Notifying medical services
IoT devices are tools that are used to monitor and measure a patient’s condition. Noting fluctuations in the patient’s condition and notifying emergency medical services should be part of an IoT platform’s functions.
The benefits of leveraging data generated by IoT devices are tremendous. Apart from reducing the cost of medical services IoT platform also assists in disease management and compliance of the patient to prescribed medicinal dosage. Quality and ease of access to medical services bring home care system to a reality. Not only is it important for healthcare organizations to invest in IoT but it is also equally important to choose the right platform and right partner in this journey.