Importance of Automation and Next-Generation IoT in Smart Healthcare

Introduction

Healthcare became technically advanced with IoT and ubiquitous computing by leveraging devices like connected sensors as well as wearable devices which patients can get send the information for real-time monitoring by doctors. Therefore, IoT and ubiquitous computing in healthcare can be considered an important life-saving technology in the healthcare domain which is predominately employed for gathering data from the bedside devices, viewing patient information, as well as diagnosing in real-time the entire system of the patient care.

Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp) is characterized by the use of small, networked and portable computer products in the form of smart phones, personal digital assistants and embedded computers built into many devices, resulting in a world in which each person owns and uses many computers. The consequences include enhanced computing by making computers available throughout everyone’s daily life while those computers themselves and their interaction are ‘invisible’ to the users. The term ‘invisible’ in this context is used to mean interaction between computer and user in a more natural manner such as speech and physical interaction, with the computer itself automatically capturing its external parameters while concurrently communicating with other computers. UbiComp proposes many minute, wireless computers that can monitor their environments, and communicate and react to monitored parameters (Emiliano Miluzzo et al 2008). However, the challenge which prevails in healthcare is that it causes loss of data and even fault in diagnosis and most of confidential healthcare data is stored in cloud. Even a minute in treating patients is life-saving, therefore doctors should save precious minutes which can be done by employing monitoring of medical assets and less manual visiting each patients through remote diagnosis IoT and ubiquitous computing enabled remote diagnosis (Firouzi, F et al 2018).

Most of our daily life has become part of the internet because of their faster communication as well as capabilities. It is estimated by 2020, more than 90 percent of healthcare industry will integrate IoT technology which will in return enhance the efficiency of healthcare and provide quality care in the modern society (Gubbi, J et al 2013). Quality healthcare is based on the speed as well as accuracy and supporting many people with huge range of devices which are connecting with IoT (Hank, P et al 2013). Since providing healthcare to every person plays a major role in developing a country. Another compelling reason for adapting healthcare is that there is more increase of patients which leads to a smaller number of doctors. Hence, most of the diagnostics are delayed because of this reason since it is time consuming and even patients ignore because of the expense and rely on the doctors. Many health problems are not detected because of non-availability of doctors as well as not accessing the healthcare systems. The only solution to this problem is to integrate healthcare with IoT for real-time monitoring of every patients as well as analyze the data and provide real-time healthcare(Kumar, L et 2012).

Generally, the sensors employed in healthcare are used for real-time monitoring of patients, such devices are termed as IoT driven sensors. These type of sensors are deployed for serious patients because of the non-invasive monitoring, for instance physiological status of patients will be monitored by the IoT-driven sensors which gathers physiological information regarding the patient through gateways and later analyzed by the doctors and then stored in cloud which enhances quality of healthcare and lessens the cost burden of the patient. The working principle of IoT in remote health monitoring systems is that it tracks the vital signs of the patient in real-time and if the vital signs are abnormal then it acts based on the problem in patient and notifies the doctor for further analysis. The IoT-driven sensor is attached to the patient which transmit the data regarding the vital signs from the patient’s location and employing a telecom network with a transmitter to a hospital which consists of remote monitoring system that reads the incoming data about the patient’s vital signs. In some cases, the sensor will be implanted into patient’s body which transmits data electronically (Kuo, A and M.-H., 2011). This confidential information will be encrypted and then decrypted for further analysis when the need arises.

Figure 1.

Popularity of Internet of Things