IoT is enabling some interesting applications in the healthcare industry. IoT technology will help hospitals improve the patient experience and provide a higher level of service to their patients.
Initial applications provide value to patients, caregivers, administrators, and executives. In this article, we’ll discuss ways connected hospitals’ IoT technology will impact healthcare.
1. Wearables
Doctors are using wearables to monitor patients’ conditions more closely. By equipping hospitalized patients with wearable devices that track their vitals around the clock, doctors can monitor their heart rate, breathing rate, and much more to ensure that their condition isn’t worsening.
The use of wearables at home allows patients to recover from medical procedures in a safer and faster manner.
Patients can get their vital signs checked and take medication when needed right from their wrist, sending the data back to a doctor’s computer for further review.
Some of the wearables used in hospitals and by patients include the following:
- Bluetooth enabled smartwatches
- Netatmo June bracelet
- Philips DirectLife
In addition, NetSuite applications are improving overall patient flow in hospitals. IoT uses sensors to monitor how full a surgical room is at any given time and adjusts staff levels accordingly to ensure that no patient has to wait too long for surgery.
By reducing the amount of time patients spend in the hospital, IoT is helping to improve patient satisfaction and reduce costs.
These are just a few examples of how hospitals use IoT technology to improve patient care. As NetSuite consulting experts, we can help your hospital implement these and other applications to improve the patient experience and reduce your costs.
NetSuite applications can be deployed on a cloud-based NetSuite Suite Commerce platform that makes it easy to connect all of your different hospital systems so that you can monitor patient conditions, manage inventory, and more from a single portal.
2. Remote Patient Monitoring
Doctors are using wearables to monitor patients’ conditions. They are also using IoT technology to monitor patients remotely. Doctors can keep an eye on a patient’s condition even if they are not in the hospital by equipping patients with devices that track their vital signs and send the data back to a doctor’s computer.
Many patients suffering from chronic conditions are now equipped with smart devices that they can use at home to chart their health.
If a patient’s condition is deteriorating, doctors will see what treatment the patient received and what happened as a result.
Remote patient monitoring also makes it easier for doctors to treat patients who would typically travel long distances for procedures.
For example, some doctors are doing remote surgeries and then connecting remotely with patients through a video recording of the surgery to get the benefits of being in the room, such as asking questions and receiving answers from their doctor.
Remote patient monitoring allows doctors to treat patients at a lower cost and increase efficiency.
3. Treatment-at-Home Solutions
Hospitals are also using IoT technology to treat certain conditions outside of the hospital. For example, some patients can now use inhalers that provide an exact medication dosage every time they take a puff instead of taking medication orally or through an injection.
This is especially helpful for children who may be afraid of needles.
In addition, hospitals are using connected devices to help patients with their post-operative care. For example, patients can now use a device that attaches to their chest and monitors their heart rate and breathing.
This allows doctors to see how the patient is recovering in the days after surgery and communicate with them any concerns or questions.
Connected devices that help patients manage their conditions at home also allow doctors to monitor what is happening in the patient’s life outside of the hospital.
By encouraging healthier habits, such as taking medication when needed and getting plenty of sleep after surgery, hospitals can help their patients recover faster and with fewer setbacks. Some treatment at home solutions include the following:
· Patient monitoring
· Recovery management
· Home-based diagnostics
· Behavioral health monitoring
Conclusion
As you can see, hospitals use IoT technology in many different ways to improve patient care. IoT is enabling some interesting applications in the healthcare industry.
By collecting relevant data and providing it to doctors, IoT is helping hospitals reduce costs while improving patient satisfaction. By deploying NetSuite applications on a cloud-based platform, hospitals can connect all their different systems and get a complete view of each patient’s condition. This allows doctors to provide better care and helps patients recover more quickly.
