The Internet of Medical Things (also known as the IoMT) is defined by Forbes magazine as “the connected system of medical devices and applications that collect data that is then provided to healthcare IT systems through online computer networks.” Put simply, the IoMT has amazing potential to help deal with many of the repetitive but costly processes that are fundamental to patient care. These include, but are no means limited to:

• Monitor and track vital signs and heart performance
• Monitor glucose and other body systems
• Track physical activity and sleep patterns
• Remind patients when to take medications as well as document the time and dosage
• Make routine blood and urine tests easier through portable diagnostics, which can also help reduce visits to the doctor’s office
• Monitor elderly patients living at home who might have issues with balance or mobility.

But monitoring is only a small piece of the IoMT puzzle. The data gathered through this global network of connections is mission-critical to next-generation healthcare systems and facilities. Not only does this data allow for more effective diagnoses and the development of detailed, holistic treatment plans, but it allows for optimized workflows, inventory management, and system integration. IoMT can also reduce risk to patients and legal liabilities to healthcare providers by generating data regarding a patient’s compliance with a treatment plan as well as what happens when that patient leaves the controlled environment of a healthcare facility.

Why Should You Care About the IoMT

Driven by the accessibility of wearable devices and the decreasing costs of sensor technologies, monitoring patients and collecting data is increasingly easier to achieve. Add to these drivers the fact that chronic diseases are on the rise, that the world’s population is aging rapidly, and that there is a higher demand than ever for data-driven treatment options provided at lower costs, and the trend is clear governments everywhere are looking for “wired” solutions that can deliver outcomes more efficiently and cost-effectively. 

One reason that you should be paying attention to the IoMT is simple scale. A 2019 report by Allied Market Research predicted that by 2021 the IoMT market will reach almost $137 billion. A 2018 report by Deloitte concluded that there are more than 500,000 different types of medical devices currently available, including wearable external, implanted internal, and stationary devices like home monitoring systems and connected scanning or imaging devices. And with almost 4 million medical devices already in use monitoring and sharing data on bodies around the world, the IoMT is increasingly seen as critical to the sustainability of local, national, and international healthcare systems. 

Add to this the dismal prediction from the World Health Organization (WHO) that the world can expect a shortfall of 18 million healthcare workers and the case for IoMT only strengthens. When integrated with a strong telehealth system, for instance, and real-time global collaboration is suddenly a real possibility. Front-line healthcare providers have a global network of expertise available for consultation and guidance, which will prove especially valuable in underdeveloped areas of the world or in low-income sections that exist in every city in the world.  

The Role of IT

The math is quite simple as the number of connected IoMT devices increases, the need for super-robust data management systems also increases. Collecting data is the tip of the proverbial iceberg in the future of healthcare. Figuring out how to transform that data into useful, applied solutions that can help every person whose work touches the health of a patient is the key. 

And customization will be a key to the key, allowing for the global healthcare system to:

• Develop new business and operating models
• Negotiate global interoperability requirements more effectively
• Maintain cybersecurity
• Navigate regulatory changes more effectively
• Continue to develop and leverage digital capabilities
• Improve the adoption of innovative and advanced medical technologies
• Optimize collaboration and data sharing
• Apply advanced analytics to the data generated from a global network of IoMT devices
• Improve patient care, lower barriers to care, and reduce overall healthcare costs.

Most importantly, IoMT-focused custom software will allow complex data analysis as well as real-time inputs from:

• Patients themselves
• Front-line workers and diagnosticians
• Facility administrators
• Biotech and pharmaceutical companies and research facilities
• A global network of university doctors and researchers with expertise not found elsewhere
• Medical equipment and device manufacturers and suppliers
• Local, national, and international governments and governing bodies.

Custom software will help open the door to more data-driven, evidence-based, and personalized treatments for each individual regardless of where they are in the world.