IoT has the potential to completely revolutionize not only the healthcare industry but also how we view it from an outside perspective. It may be a difficult technology to overcome, but a balance is needed between new policies and an infrastructure that can secure information without ruining the usability of the technology. Companies that build healthcare software solutions or any type of IT solutions for the healthcare industry can assist in tackling some of these complex issues that are being faced.

1. Overcoming IoT’s Barriers
in the Healthcare & Medical Field

2. While many industries have been slow to adopt IoT technology, the object-based
technology has ingrained itself in the medical field, and on every level too.
IoT’s presence in the healthcare sector has spawned an entirely new industry:
telemedicine, or the remote treatment and care of patients.
However, there’s still some challenges it needs to overcome before
the healthcare sector can fully rely on the Internet of Things, and these
barriers are extremely well-defined and widely recognized by medical and
healthcare professionals.

3. The essence of IoT is connectivity, the forging of data channels
that were hitherto nonexistent. While this connectivity is the
foundation of IoT’s value, it’s also a huge pain point. If it’s easier
for you to access your data, it’s easier for hackers too.
While data security issues plague all applications of IoT, it’s
especially concerning for the medical industry, which often houses
extremely personal information.
Strictly regulated under the Health Insurance Portability &
Accountability Act, off-the-shelf devices are going to have to
undergo a series of hoops and protocols before they can access
sensitive medical data.
Cybersecurity

4. Device Management
Medical care facilities will need to bolster
their IT departments, and may even have
to restructure their departmental hierarchy
to ensure all technology can be properly
managed by the staff that needs it.
On top of this internal shift, the
introduction of new technology must
always be accompanied by strong,
protective policies to use and manage it
effectively.
The massive amount of data collected by the facility’s IoT system will have to be managed with
consideration of healthcare providers, doctors, patients, and insurance companies.

5. Data Integration
Another roadblock to an IoT-powered
healthcare system is the consolidation
and integration of different devices and
the data they collect.
New standards and regulations will need
to be implemented, and compatibility
issues with legacy data and devices
must be considered. It’s unfeasible for a
complete migration to a
system exclusively
powered by new
IoT technology.
The transition must be gradual, and robust enough to handle both the
architecture currently in place, and the upcoming shift to an improved, more
modern system.

6. IoT has the potential to revolutionize not just the medical industry, but how we view
healthcare on a personal and professional level. Indeed, this technology provides
unprecedented insight to doctors and caretakers that can create a more proactive
method of treatment.
It’s a difficult needle to thread, but a balance must be struck between policy and
infrastructure that regulates and secures the information collected from IoT devices,
without impeding the usability of the technology itself.
This is literally life-saving technology, and it’s evident these roadblocks be
surmounted if we are to reap the benefits that the IoT can offer.

7. Thank You.
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