11 Healthcare IoT
519
patient-centered system could be one more way to encourage patients to
become active partners in healthcare.
– Smart homes: Telemedicine services are useful for reducing the number
of hospital or clinic visits for elderly, disabled, or chronically ill patients.
However, a technical infrastructure in their homes would provide efficient,
inconspicuous support, enabling patients to live more independently while
enjoying a greater quality of life and well-being. Ambient assisted living (a
smart home’s framework) utilized in Europe serves as an ambient intelligence
that improves a person’s capability through sensitive, responsive digital
environments. IoT has already found its way into the home automation market
as homeowners control systems and appliances using smartphones. IoT could
also be applied to the healthcare needs of geriatric patients. For example, smart
toilets could handle regular urine testing without requiring a physician visit.
Smart homes could also adapt lighting or noise levels to meet the sensory
needs of individuals with autism [8].
– Smart cities/connected communities: People are migrating to urban areas
all over the world, increasing the demand on city infrastructures. Efforts
are being made globally to create smart cities and connected communities
by connecting and integrating infrastructures in order to make urban areas
more affordable, efficient, and sustainable. IoT architecture is being used to
provide information at the right places and times so that citizens can make
decisions more quickly. Because healthcare is an integral part of urban areas,
it has been included in the infrastructure of smart cities in many ways. For
example, widespread environmental sensors can stream data to centralized
locations accessible by the healthcare system. Environmental information
about pollutants, temperature, humidity, water contamination, or allergens
could be distributed to citizens in a timely manner, helping prevent health
issues. For example, asthma patients could be notified to avoid areas with
high pollen or dust counts. IoT would also be benefit the healthcare system
by integrating smart traffic lights to assist with ambulance routing, saving
lives through cooperation with transportation infrastructure. IoT’s future is
bright when it comes to healthcare and wellness; however, it requires a smart
ecosystem enabling interconnection among stakeholders including physicians,
patients, hospitals, cities, and communities.
11.3 Benefits of Adopting IoT Healthcare
Healthcare research brings together a wide range of disciplines and fields, in
such a way that scientist in medicine, microbiology, biomedical engineering,
computer science, and Big Data analytics frequently find themselves working and
collaborating on related projects. Considering all these areas of expertise together,
it becomes clear that many gaps remain between them; these gaps present major
technological challenges in the way of the development of a unified and highly
519
patient-centered system could be one more way to encourage patients to
become active partners in healthcare.
– Smart homes: Telemedicine services are useful for reducing the number
of hospital or clinic visits for elderly, disabled, or chronically ill patients.
However, a technical infrastructure in their homes would provide efficient,
inconspicuous support, enabling patients to live more independently while
enjoying a greater quality of life and well-being. Ambient assisted living (a
smart home’s framework) utilized in Europe serves as an ambient intelligence
that improves a person’s capability through sensitive, responsive digital
environments. IoT has already found its way into the home automation market
as homeowners control systems and appliances using smartphones. IoT could
also be applied to the healthcare needs of geriatric patients. For example, smart
toilets could handle regular urine testing without requiring a physician visit.
Smart homes could also adapt lighting or noise levels to meet the sensory
needs of individuals with autism [8].
– Smart cities/connected communities: People are migrating to urban areas
all over the world, increasing the demand on city infrastructures. Efforts
are being made globally to create smart cities and connected communities
by connecting and integrating infrastructures in order to make urban areas
more affordable, efficient, and sustainable. IoT architecture is being used to
provide information at the right places and times so that citizens can make
decisions more quickly. Because healthcare is an integral part of urban areas,
it has been included in the infrastructure of smart cities in many ways. For
example, widespread environmental sensors can stream data to centralized
locations accessible by the healthcare system. Environmental information
about pollutants, temperature, humidity, water contamination, or allergens
could be distributed to citizens in a timely manner, helping prevent health
issues. For example, asthma patients could be notified to avoid areas with
high pollen or dust counts. IoT would also be benefit the healthcare system
by integrating smart traffic lights to assist with ambulance routing, saving
lives through cooperation with transportation infrastructure. IoT’s future is
bright when it comes to healthcare and wellness; however, it requires a smart
ecosystem enabling interconnection among stakeholders including physicians,
patients, hospitals, cities, and communities.
11.3 Benefits of Adopting IoT Healthcare
Healthcare research brings together a wide range of disciplines and fields, in
such a way that scientist in medicine, microbiology, biomedical engineering,
computer science, and Big Data analytics frequently find themselves working and
collaborating on related projects. Considering all these areas of expertise together,
it becomes clear that many gaps remain between them; these gaps present major
technological challenges in the way of the development of a unified and highly