3 Ways Low-Power, Low-Latency Devices Will Impact Healthcare IoT

According to a 2017 report by Markets and Markets, the Internet of Things (IoT) healthcare market is projected to reach $158.07 billion by 2022. As IoT devices revolutionize the medical landscape and provide numerous benefits to our long-term health, making sure these devices work reliably and efficiently is crucial. Below are three ways low-power low-latency healthcare IoT devices will impact the industry:

1. Preserving clinical data: The healthcare industry can now collect, transfer, store, and display a variety of clinical data on cloud-based platforms using connected IoT devices (Lars, n. d.). Some devices even come with analytical software to display trends of the data collected automatically (thanks to wearables), so patients can see how their decisions are impacting aspects of their health over time (Al-Siddiq, 2016). Such information helps motivate patients to be more proactive and can inform health professionals ahead of time before conditions worsen (Al-Siddiq, 2016). In order for these IoT devices to operate consistently and preserve clinical data, however, they will need low-power, low-latency characteristics.
2. Facilitating automated treatment devices: Many automated medical devices are now equipped to provide verbal training about a procedure and reminders of when users should take prescribed medication, check blood pressure, or exercise (Lars, n. d.). Ensuring that patients take better care of themselves at home will help considerably with their long-term health. According to Christopher (2016), “Health tech’s biggest advocates believe efficient remote health could dramatically cut down on the necessity for routine reviews and checkups.” Employing low-power, low-latency IoT devices will help facilitate efficient remote health with little power consumption.
3. Making more reliable wearables: The wearables market is flourishing in general, but in healthcare it is playing an even more prominent role. According to Patrick (2016), “today’s patients can use wearable medical devices to monitor and take charge of their own health.” For example, smart glucose monitors can provide provide continuous blood-sugar monitoring for those with diabetes, the elderly can wear a device that can detect if they have fallen and transmit GPS coordinates to loved ones, and other wearables can help people track and maintain active lifestyles to assist in the prevention of future diseases (Patrick, 2016). In all of these cases, ensuring that devices operate efficiently without the need for frequent re-charging or replacement of batteries is paramount.

The Internet of Things is shaping a modern healthcare industry in plenty of other ways too. Simply put, low-power low-latency healthcare IoT devices will have a life-changing impact on healthcare IoT. Wake-Up Radio from IEEE 802.11ba standards task group provides such a low-power, low-latency solution for IoT devices developed for the healthcare industry.

You can read more about Wake-Up Radio and how to utilize this technology with IoT devices your organization develops in the IEEE Technology Report on Wake-Up Radio: An Application, Market, and Technology Impact Analysis of Low-Power/Low-Latency 802.11 Wireless LAN Interfaces, coming in November. Pre-order now!

To see an infographic illustrating the evolution of healthcare technology and the Internet of Things, click here.

References:

Al-Siddiq, W. (2016, Oct 1). How the IoT is enabling the next generation of medical devices. Medical Design Briefs.

Christopher, G. (2016, Jul 19). Internet of Things in healthcare: What’s next for IoT technology in the health sector. ComputerWorld UK.

Lars, N. (n. d.). Connected medical devices, apps: Are they lead the IoT revolution- or vice versa? Wired.

Patrick, M. (2016, Oct 20). How will the Internet of Medical Things change healthcare? Electronic Design.