How health tech IoT devices can help healthcare fraternity

By Nilesh Jain

Fears surrounding the spread of the pandemic COVID-19 have sparked increased engagement with the digital health world. The outbreak is an example of how a country like India needs to speed up the adoption of technology in order to address the need of the masses. With delays in testing and lack of remote care support, it is hampering our ability to accurately monitor the spread of coronavirus. In the wake of the situation, many technology companies is swooping in with a seemingly practical solution for the entire healthcare ecosystem. Backed by advance artificial intelligence, the solutions are connecting healthcare providers and consumers to expedite the process of patient examination.

The drive to deliver value-based care at the time of the pandemic, the companies are offering solutions for clinicians to help manage, collect and interpret the data. The aim here is to enable proactive care for infected patients. The need for a comprehensive healthcare solution to cater to clinical, non-clinical and administrative services has brought new opportunities for the health tech startups to explore the possible solutions. Solutions empowering the clinicians enables management of the patient’s health records, assist in maintaining the digital case sheet, real-time access to medical records anywhere to enhance care standards and avoid replications. Such solutions have the ability to care for the patient as a team with real-time data sharing and discussions across specialists anywhere. Imagine if the workflows in the hospital are standardization and automated then wouldn’t it enhance the efficiency of the medical staff on duty? At the hour of emergency, the health tech companies are ensuring that they support the industry with solutions that provide real-time second opinions to reduce errors. These solutions are also easing the management of the administrative staff by assisting them in the management of the staff roasters, inventory management and automates operational workflows.

We have also seen the health tech industry introduce solutions for assisting health care fraternity to manage patients remotely. Built on the pillars of interoperability (stakeholders), artificial intelligence, some solutions are integrated with IoT devices and mobile applications for patients and doctors. Most of the time in the Indian healthcare industry, we see there is a lack of nurses, doctors, medical engineers, and radiology specialists to conduct the necessary examination of the patients, especially in the rural areas. This exactly when the IoT device and healthcare mobile applications can be used. Technology assisting in instant screening and point of care aid can be implemented at the Airports, railway stations, educational institutions, and hospitals. They will provide:

1. Instant patient screening for symptoms, includes self-screening parameters
3. Secondary Rapid test for Covid-19 – instant test results
4. Digital history of patients for records and follow up checking

Today, the health tech sector offers a suite of IoT devices that can be used for remote care monitoring. The IoT device can test blood pressure, oxygen, blood sugar levels, temperature, ECG and many more vitals. For communicable diseases like COVID-19, continuous monitoring of the patient’s vitals is very necessary. The vitals monitored through this IoT device gets reflected in the patient’s mobile application and the clinician can monitor these vitals on a real-time basis. These solutions empower nurses and doctors who need to track body temperature remotely in order to reduce the risk of becoming infected. In case the situation gets critical, the providers get notifications or alert about the current condition of their patients. These telehealth offerings minimise in-person interaction and thus reducing the risk associated with coming into contact with infected patients and accelerates treatment time and effectiveness. The patients application also helps them to know the delays in the doctor’s appointments in order to avoid unnecessary ‘extra’ waiting time in a crowded waiting room with sick and potentially infectious patients. The doctors can share a list of precautions and uniquely personalized videos for each patient on how a high-risk patient can stay safe. The patients can also have a video call with the doctors to help triage medical issues.

(The author is the Managing Director of Clinivantage)

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