4 Ways How Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) Can Help Combat COVID 19
The world is going through immense pressure because of the pandemic outbreak. It has cost many lives and many around the world are greatly suffering. The medical institutions are not capable of handling an increased number of patients due to which the elderly ones are asked to self-isolate themselves in the confines of their home and go through their respective treatments. However, when it comes to healthcare, it doesn’t matter at what cost you handle the crisis. If need be to manage the health of individuals residing at home, IoT is one of the best forms of technologies to greatly assist.
Introducing the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) which helps healthcare professionals to provide the best medical care to the elderly at home using the technological space. The IoMT allows healthcare professionals to access personalized information of their patients using a variety of tools. These tools enable them to track devices, sensors, perform remote patient monitoring, telemedicine, provide connected assistance, perform online diagnosis, and eventually help manage their healths more efficiently. Patients can get all of the things done without considering the option to leave their home.
How IoMT has become an Accepted Option?
With the advent of cloud computing and wireless technology, the need for connectivity has become quite eminent. Almost 90% of the healthcare institutions have already adopted the Internet of Things. And the medical field is one area which is observing one of the highest investments in the Internet of Things since the time COVID 19 outbreak took place. As the IoMT is becoming more and more common, numerous applications such as telemedicine, connected imaging, inpatient monitoring, heat sensors and connected ambulances are becoming quite the norm in the world & are widely accepted.
How medical institutions are leveraging these technologies to combat COVID 19? Let’s find out.
The IoMT Helps in Tracing the Origin of the Outbreak
One of the initial applications of IoMT during the COVID 19 outbreak is the technology’s capability of tracing the origin of the outbreak. It is only effective as long as the people are complying with the IoT measures taken by the state government or a medical institution in a particular vicinity. Using IoT sensors and AI, the government backed health organizations are acquiring accurate information on human health in particular areas and based on their health readings they can decide which areas are best to be quarantined so others don’t easily get infected.
Another great example is the development of thermal imaging technology. This technology is massively used in various airports to track the temperature of incoming and outgoing individuals. They are working at various locations such as hospitals, restaurants, office buildings, etc. In some states such as Italy, such sensors are mounted on drones where the drone sends information to the operator who can then ask the people who have temperatures to go back home until they feel better. Similarly, in South Korea, tracking is done by such drones which then alert others about the person.
IoMT is Contributing in Making Diagnosis
Not completely applicable as of yet, but a joint effort performed under the supervision of researchers from MIT and Harvard, a face mask is being developed that has powerful sensors installed within it. These sensors test the saliva of the patient and identify, if the patient is infected with the COVID 19. This technology for now is at its very nascent stage and has not yet appeared in the digital market as of yet. The mask has a fluorescent signal which appears when an infected candidate wears the mask.
It lights up every time a patient coughs, or sneezes with saliva particles containing the COVID 19.
The technology has yet to arrive in the market however it is still considered a cheaper & better option.
IoMT and Its Contribution in Social Distancing
That’s not the only application of IoMT that’s taking place. IoMT is also assisting greatly in providing social distancing measures. For example, at a website design agency in Dubai, if too many people enter in a specific location such as the smoking area, an alarm triggers off allowing them to identify the place is too crowded for the virus to spread among the people. Such technologies can be really helpful in large crowded areas and if the technology is sophisticated, it can help in identifying trigger points for many different locations. Nowadays, pedestrian counters are found in more than 180 different locations in Australia. Such security measures work greatly to ensure maximum safety of its citizens.
It helps in deploying the best possible measures to maintain perfect social distancing.
Providing Patient Care While They Are at Home
Many patients are in need of constant healthcare and the most effective way of doing it is by using the remote patient monitoring (RPM) and telemedicine systems. It helps in treating patients with chronic diseases who require continuous observation during their self-isolation period to reduce the exposure to COVID 19. With different wearable technologies, medical institutions are now able to track healthcare of their patients through real-time monitoring. They can track health problems such as diabetes, high-blood pressure, heart failure risks and asthma attacks. Based on the need of the patients, the healthcare institution can dispatch specialists to arrive on location and treat them.
Here are some of the ways how IoMT is helping combat the COVID 19 and other related medical health issues around the world. The Internet of Things is a massively popular technology that has provided the ease of access to people through technology. It has personalized the very environment in which we reside. With its advent in Medical Science, it is now capable of saving many lives and is working actively in saving the lives of people around the globe during the pandemic Outbreak. Are you observing some kind of interesting application of IoT in the field of medical science, feel free to share.
Disclaimer: Being a follower of ‘The IoT Magazine’ offers lots of perks :) A consultation session with experts from across the industries is a major one. Submit your query here and we will connect you with the right IoT experts. He might be sitting next door, you never know.
