The Internet of Medical Things
The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is the network of Internet-connected medical devices, hardware infrastructure, and software applications used to connect healthcare information technology. IoMT allows wireless and remote devices to securely communicate over the Internet to allow rapid and flexible analysis of medical data because it includes the network of all Internet-connected devices, including internet connected factory equipment, biometric cybersecurity scanners, and autonomous farming equipment.
IoMT is focused specifically on healthcare and medical applications. Given the sensitivity and strict regulations around healthcare data, IoMT requires a more comprehensive security infrastructure than other IoT systems. Our solution focuses on IoMT for on-premises, remote and mobile situations.
IoMT impacts the healthcare industry in a myriad of ways. These changes can be seen most notably when deploying IoMT in-home, on-body, in the community, and in-hospital:
In-Hospital IoMT
Hospitals must manage the quality and supply of their medical assets over time, and they also need to understand how personnel and patients are moving throughout the premises. Healthcare professionals use IoMT sensors and other tracking systems to track all of these interactions so that administrators can get a comprehensive understanding of what is going on.
In-home IoMT
In-home IoMT allows people to transmit medical data from their home to other locations such as their primary care provider or a hospital. For instance, remote patient monitoring (RPM) is the use of medical devices to transmit metrics such as blood pressure or oxygen saturation from recently discharged patients to their hospital for review by their doctors. This can reduce hospital readmissions by catching issues before they become serious.
Telehealth—the use of communication technologies for remote healthcare services—provides further flexibility by allowing recently discharged patients to resolve minor issues by remotely connecting with their doctors. The use of IoMT devices along with telehealth can also be useful for ongoing care outside of the patient setting. For example, personal emergency response systems (PERS) can track events—such as a fall or heart attack—to automatically call for help. PERS can provide security to at-risk people such as seniors that want to live at home without compromising their safety.
On-body IoMT
On-body IoMT is the use of wearable medical devices that are connected to remote tracking or monitoring systems. Unlike in-home IoMT, on-body IoMT can often be used outside of the home as people live their normal lives.
Consumer on-body IoMT devices are wearable devices that anyone can buy to track health metrics for both personal use and for sharing with healthcare providers. In addition to tracking a standard metric, such as heart rate, these devices can be early warning signs for more serious health conditions. For example, the Apple Watch can warn users about irregular heart rhythms.
Clinical on-body IoMT devices are like consumer devices but afford a wider array of sensor options. For instance, glucose sensors can be worn by diabetic patients to alert them to fluctuations in glucose levels. Many of these devices can share data directly with a patient’s doctors to ensure they get fast and accurate treatment.
Community IoMT
Community IoMT is the use of IoMT devices throughout a broader town or geographic area. For example, mobility services are devices used to track patients while in transit in a vehicle. Similarly, emergency response intelligence systems are used by paramedics and first responders to track patient metrics outside of the hospital setting.
