The use of IoT in healthcare is an innovation that is topically changing the healthcare sector in delivering, monitoring, and managing patient care. It is worthwhile to note that when exploring the aspect of IoT in healthcare, it is impossible to state that this technology is a trend; on the contrary, it is a step forward in improving patients’ quality of life and making healthcare systems more effective. IoT sensors and wearable devices constantly monitor the patient’s condition, change the face of healthcare, and give a vision of the future where healthcare practices are proactive, patient-centered, and predictive. The importance of IoT in healthcare is underscored by its capacity to facilitate remote patient monitoring solutions, optimize hospital operations, and improve the accuracy of diagnoses and treatments. All of these developments clearly show that IoT connectivity is vital in the healthcare delivery system to enhance its ability in the future.
In this article, we will explore the multifaceted benefits and applications of IoT in healthcare for 2025, shedding light on how IoT is used to enhance various aspects of the sector. From asset tracking to the sophisticated use of IoT medical devices and healthcare IoT devices, the applications are extensive and transformative. We will discuss key IoT healthcare applications, including remote patient monitoring solutions by various healthcare IoT companies and the use of Internet of Things medical devices that contribute to comprehensive health management.
Moreover, the focus will be directed towards the security risks associated with IoT applications in healthcare environments, the difficulties in protecting patients’ information, and existing solutions. Finally, the article will consider future trends and innovations in the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) highlighting the direction for further development and the continuous growth of IoT in the healthcare industry.
The Internet of Things or IoT is defined as a vast network of physical objects that can communicate with each other and the broader world using the Internet. These devices are preprogrammed with software, electronics, and network connectivity features that allow them to interact and exchange data with other systems or applications.
Smart devices have brought about the ability to monitor patients without physical contact, therefore transforming the healthcare industry to ensure patients can be safely and efficiently monitored from a distance while doctors are helped to provide the best care to their patients. IoT is revolutionizing health care by changing how devices and individuals engage in health care delivery to patients, their families, physicians, and hospitals. Explore Aionys’ full range of IoT solutions for senior care facilities.
The current state of the Internet of Things (IoT) in healthcare is marked by significant advancements and widespread adoption, alongside notable challenges. IoT technology, especially IoMT, has positively impacted the health sector to monitor and track the patient’s data by using wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers. The integration has proven beneficial to patient care by increasing patient recovery rates, reducing hospitalization periods, and automating treatment procedures through continuous monitoring of vital signs and health markers throughout the day.
Despite its potential, IoMT faces several critical challenges, including data security, privacy concerns, and the reliability of edge devices. The vast amount of personal health data being collected raises significant concerns about unauthorized access and data breaches. Furthermore, IoT devices should be accurate and reliable because any error may lead to wrong diagnosis and treatment recommendations. In addition, other concerns like energy use, response time, compatibility with devices, and the capacity to adopt IoMT have to be considered to maximize the potential of IoMT.
Improved Accessibility to Healthcare. The implementation of IoT technology has greatly impacted the availability of healthcare via telemedicine. Telemedicine involves a scenario where a patient can consult with a healthcare provider without necessarily being physically present with the provider. Telemedicine can include consultations via video calls, remote examinations, and monitoring of patients’ conditions without having to attend a clinic. See how Aionys builds connected healthcare platforms for elderly safety.
Better Decisions with Accurate Data. Wearable devices interact with others in the environment, providing the necessary data to healthcare providers to ensure they provide the best treatment to patients, especially those with chronic illnesses. Chronic diseases affect over 133 million Americans, and 73 percent of seniors have two or more chronic health conditions. These patients need constant management and tend to exhibit symptoms of the disorder in the long run. Physicians and other healthcare givers can then identify from the data collected by the connected health devices signs of possible relapses. They can treat such diseases early enough before the situation worsens for their patients. The healthcare professionals who take it upon themselves to gather and analyze data for each patient know that no matter how hard they try, there cannot be enough data gathered to allow for such a unique approach for everyone. The IoT in healthcare can capture nearly all data needed for the formation of such profiles, and most data capture is done by the solutions. This can help them provide appropriate treatments based on the specific needs of every patient they are attending to.
Automation of Routine Processes. Smart technologies used in IoT assist in minimizing clinical processes and thus improve the effectiveness of healthcare systems and minimize bureaucracy. Smart devices and sensors can perform specific functions and tasks, monitor and collect data, and also notify healthcare workers. This process automation and data integration enhance the clinical processes, reduce human-related errors and delays, and improve the timely delivery of patient care. Clinical workflow optimization can benefit healthcare organizations by enabling healthcare professionals to dedicate more time and effort to other, more valuable, and complex activities.
Workflow Optimization. Workflow solutions are about eliminating the many factors that reduce productivity. The vitally important meaning of workflow solutions in hospitals and clinics is to spend more time with patients. Thus, the endpoint of workflow solutions in healthcare settings is patient health and satisfaction. Healthcare workflow solutions tend to focus on how staff spend their time: how effectively and efficiently they accomplish priority tasks. A related and inseparable focus is patient flow: how well-managed is the movement of patients from admission to discharge?
An important question for moving toward healthcare workflow solutions is how much nursing staff time is spent with patients and how much time is spent on administrative tasks and coordinating (often just finding) personnel and equipment. With RTLS that locates patients, staff, and equipment with 99 percent accuracy down to room level; asset data sent to mobile devices such as cellphones; and with notifications sent to other staff members, the time spent on 'go get' and 'go see if you can find' is markedly reduced. RTLS enables patient flow and hospital workflow optimization, empowering caregivers and givers with information, at any given moment, on the location of their colleagues and their patients. That is time that can be spent on direct patient care.
Remote Patient Monitoring. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a key trend in IoT healthcare for 2025. According to the remote patient market report, the RPM market is expected to grow from USD 4.4 billion in 2023 to USD 9.1 billion by 2028, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.6% during the forecast period. This growth is fueled by the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, the aging population, and the need to reduce healthcare costs through preventive care and early diagnosis.
RPM solutions encompass wearable devices, mobile health applications, and telehealth platforms, and thus keep track of patient’s vital signs and deliver medical care as soon as possible, enhancing the quality of the patient. Some of the emerging trends in the RPM market include: the incorporation of AI and machine learning in the RPM market to make data analysis more efficient, the use of the cloud for data storage and access, and the use of 5G to improve connectivity and real-time RPM data transfer. However, some of the issues that include data security and privacy, the requirement of specific regulatory standards, and high initial costs of implementation are still some of the concerns that have hindered the large-scale adoption of RPM technologies.
Despite these challenges, the RPM market is looking for substantial growth, driven by ongoing technological innovations and increasing recognition of the benefits of remote patient monitoring in enhancing healthcare delivery and patient care.
Big Data Analytics. The introduction of Big Data Analytics (BDA) in healthcare will allow the use of new technologies both in the treatment of patients and health management. Big Data Analytics in healthcare can help enable personalized medicine by identifying optimal patient-specific treatments. This can influence the improvement of life standards, reduce waste of healthcare resources, and save costs of healthcare.
Big Data Analytics in healthcare allows for analyzing large datasets from thousands of patients, identifying clusters and correlations between datasets, as well as developing predictive models using data mining techniques. The success of Big Data analysis and its accuracy depends heavily on the tools and techniques used to analyze the ability to provide reliable, up-to-date, and meaningful information to various stakeholders.
It is believed that the implementation of big data analytics by healthcare organizations could bring many benefits in the upcoming years, including a decrease in healthcare costs, better diagnosis and prediction of diseases and their spread, improved patient care, and the development of protocols to prevent re-hospitalization, optimizing staff, optimizing equipment, forecasting the need for hospital beds, operating rooms, treatments, and improving the drug supply chain.
Smart Wearables. Remote patient monitoring is an increasingly prevalent trend transcending traditional healthcare boundaries and permeating mainstream culture. Smartwatches and fitness trackers have become ubiquitous tools for many individuals, offering continuous monitoring of vital health metrics such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and irregular heartbeat detection.
Within healthcare, practitioners are increasingly turning to such devices to assist patients by continuously monitoring their health conditions. This approach enables proactive decision-making based on data trends and predictive analytics. For instance, connected inhalers represent a smart healthcare technology that significantly impacts patient care by aiding users in tracking medication usage and providing timely reminders for dosage administration, thereby facilitating adherence to treatment regimens and potentially saving lives.
An array of wearable devices and items are available to both healthcare providers and patients, offering avenues for enhancing overall healthcare outcomes. These include Biosensors, Smart thermometers, Connected, Smartwatches, Fitness trackers, ECG monitors, Blood pressure monitors, Oximeters, Weight scales, Medication management, Smart drug pumps, and Blood work at home.
Medical Systems Management. Medical systems management involves coordinating and operating healthcare facilities to ensure smooth communication and data exchange among different medical devices and systems. With IoT, healthcare providers can use interconnected devices and advanced analytics to improve the accuracy, reliability, and speed of medical services.
Another advantage of IoT that is especially important for medical systems management is real-time asset tracking and equipment management. IoT-enabled devices can monitor the location, status, and usage patterns of critical medical equipment, such as ventilators, infusion pumps, and diagnostic machines. This real-time visibility ensures that medical facilities can optimize the utilization of their assets, reduce equipment downtime, and prevent costly maintenance issues.
IoT also helps to effectively manage patient traffic and resources within healthcare organizations. By integrating IoT sensors and data analytics, hospitals can monitor patient movements, bed occupancy rates, and staff availability. It also leads to dynamic scheduling to ensure that patient’s time is well utilized, and overall operation efficiency is improved. For instance, IoT can be used to anticipate the peak hours of operation for emergency departments and, therefore, ensure that sufficient resources are provided before congestion occurs.
Smart Hospitals. Smart hospitals leverage cutting-edge information technologies and advanced hardware to optimize or completely redesign traditional clinical processes. These hospitals implement digital infrastructure to optimize clinical processes, manage resources effectively, and provide real-time data for better decision-making. By utilizing digital infrastructure, smart hospitals enhance patient care, boost operational efficiency, and elevate the overall healthcare experience. IoT medical solutions play a pivotal role in transforming conventional hospitals into smart healthcare facilities.
The shift towards smart solutions in traditional hospitals is primarily driven by two factors: increasing demand for high-quality healthcare services and mounting pressure on healthcare systems due to population growth. Both elements contribute to rising costs, which can be partially mitigated through the implementation of smart hospital technologies.
Smart hospitals offer a wide array of benefits for all stakeholders:
1. Reduced Waiting Times. Efficient patient flow management systems minimize wait times for both patients and healthcare providers.
2. Improved Patient Experience. Digital infrastructure significantly improves the overall patient journey within the hospital.
3. Precise Location Services. IoT technology enables accurate tracking of patients, staff, and medical equipment throughout the facility.
4. Self-Service Options. Patients can access user-friendly kiosks and applications, streamlining various processes.
5. Heightened Security. IoT-powered features such as facial recognition, intelligent data analysis, smart door locks, power regulation devices, and fire detectors ensure top-tier security and surveillance.
Smart hospitals focus on optimizing several key areas:
By addressing these areas, smart hospitals are revolutionizing healthcare delivery, improving outcomes, and creating a more efficient and patient-friendly environment.
IoT Device Security to protect patient data and reduce the risk of cyberattacks is a top priority for healthcare leaders. In 2022, healthcare organizations worldwide experienced an average of 1,463 cyberattack devices per week against their IoT, a 74% increase from 2021. IoT devices can be a point of access to steal valuable information, sabotage medical activities, or even endanger lives if these devices are not well protected and secured.
Healthcare has a stringent policy on the protection of information and data. Hackers can gain access and compromise a facility’s database, resulting in massive data loss of confidential patient records that may be sold on the black market. This stolen data can be exploited to create fake IDs for purchasing drugs and medical equipment, which are then sold illegally. Such security breaches are a top concern for approximately 40% of healthcare providers.
Furthermore, hackers and other dangerous groups may try to assume command of IoT devices. If successful, such an approach could be harmful, which is potentially dangerous for patients as well as the general stability of healthcare systems. The potential for such attacks underscores the critical need for robust data security measures in safeguarding patient information and maintaining trust in healthcare services.
Ensuring data security involves implementing advanced encryption, regular system audits, and continuous monitoring of IoT devices. By prioritizing these measures, healthcare providers can mitigate risks, protect patient data, and maintain a secure, reliable healthcare environment.
In the healthcare sector, regulatory compliance is paramount, especially when dealing with sensitive patient data facilitated through IoT devices. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe set strict guidelines to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of patient information.
Compliance with these regulations is not just a legal obligation, but also a critical component of maintaining patient trust and safeguarding against data breaches.
The security of IoT in healthcare is a complex process that entails a combination of protecting data both in transfer and storage. Implementing robust encryption methods is important in protecting patient information, which is often sensitive to other people’s eyes. Encryption of data in storage and while transferring over the network along with proper authentication mechanisms does not allow unauthorized access to the data.
Security assessments are crucial in establishing any deficiencies in the IoT structure and how they can be prevented. This can be achieved through the establishment of proper authentication measures, proper communication security measures, and network security measures such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems.
There is also the issue of monitoring the threats in real-time, and this is where continuous monitoring systems come in handy. Thus, the members of organizations have to make sure that their security and compliance solutions are updated to meet new threats. Education of healthcare personnel, particularly in HIPAA regulation and data privacy, is also another important factor in improving IoT security.
Adopting a zero-trust approach, where all connections, even those from within the organization, are authenticated, can further enhance security. Network segmentation helps control the flow of traffic between network segments, reducing the risk of breaches. Additionally, data management systems tailored to maintain privacy and compliance are indispensable in the evolving landscape of healthcare IoT.
Digital health is a broad term that represents the use of digital technologies in all sectors of health services, which entails a transformation of healthcare delivery and management. These involve the enhancement of EHR, telemedicine, IoT, AI, and others that are all in line to transform the healthcare system to be more efficient and patient-centered. Digital transformation enhances the patient experience by enabling more personalized and proactive care. It optimizes healthcare operations by streamlining workflows, improving resource management, and facilitating data-driven decision-making. The result is a more efficient healthcare system that can better meet the needs of patients and providers alike.
IoMT, or the Internet of Medical Things, is a central element of the digital transformation. IoMT enables the integration of different healthcare devices and systems to have smooth communication and data sharing, leading to innovation that enhances the quality of patient care and organizational effectiveness.
Digital transformation is an ongoing process that requires systematic management, the right guidance, and a commitment to adapt. Key aspects of managing the digital environment include customer orientation, operational effectiveness, innovation, and cybersecurity, which help organizations adapt to the digital environment and become sustainable.
The integration of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) is a crucial aspect of digital transformation in healthcare, particularly within the IoMT environment. ML and AI can aid in early detection by rapidly analyzing large amounts of medical data, providing error-prone and insightful diagnostics for more effective and efficient decision-making. These technologies drive digital transformation by enhancing predictive capabilities and streamlining high-risk clinical tasks. Medical robots, powered by AI, can streamline high-risk clinical tasks like surgery and radiation therapy, predicting disease progression and outcomes based on historical data patterns. Additionally, AI and ML facilitate real-time data collection and analysis, enabling telemedicine and remote patient monitoring.
However, the accuracy of ML- and AI-driven applications heavily depends on the quality of the training data. Biased training or learning data can lead to unreliable results, and ML models are prone to overfitting or underestimation problems. The collaboration issue between machines and humans also constrains the successful implementation of ML and AI in the IoMT environment.
The combination of AI and IoT can help create truly personalized medicine, tailoring treatments based on data collected from IoT devices. AI algorithms combined with IoT wearables can help monitor patients in other settings and prevent readmission to hospitals. AI's data processing capability is speedy, enabling the development of unique care plans for each patient.
AI-based systems are also customizing the most effective treatment paths along with precise medications for individuals based on medical records and patient history. Wearable health tracker devices can easily monitor and provide data on patients' heart rates and activity levels to health services. As the amount of data is enormous and comes from many sources, AI-based solutions are used to process data and find anomalies for individuals.
The IoMT has revolutionized the healthcare industry and demonstrates an effective healthcare and monitoring system, connecting devices to machines, doctors to doctors, patients to doctors, objects to objects, patients to machines, doctors to machines, sensors to mobile devices, and mobile devices to humans effectively. This interconnectivity is one of the pillars of the constant digitalization process, allowing for the free exchange of information between the entities of the healthcare system.
The effective usage of IoT device data is critical and key to success. In this context, ML has proved to be one of the most suitable computational paradigms, offering embedded intelligence in IoT devices for predictive and prescriptive diagnosis in healthcare. Existing systems are mostly limited to predicting one chronic disease without considering computing layers. To overcome such issues, an ML-based predictive model can improve the diagnosis of multiple chronic diseases based on a conceptual framework of three different computing layers: edge computing, fog computing, and cloud computing.
Beyond direct patient care, the combination of AI and IoT can also positively impact hospital operations, from managing patient flow to ensuring timely maintenance of medical equipment. The data-driven insights provided by this combination can streamline processes and improve efficiency.
Integrating AI and IoT can make remote consultations more effective, with real-time data collection and analysis enhancing virtual patient-doctor interactions. AI algorithms can process the massive amounts of data generated by IoT devices faster and more accurately than human beings, ensuring timely interventions.
With machine learning, AI systems can learn from the data they process, continuously improving their accuracy. This means fewer false alarms and better diagnostic capabilities. Instead of merely reacting to health events, the combination of AI and IoT allows for proactive care. AI can recognize patterns and anomalies in the data collected by IoT devices, predicting potential issues and allowing for early interventions.
Some countries, like Norway and Denmark, are already using healthcare system analysis to highlight treatment mistakes and workflow inefficiencies, reducing the burden on the healthcare system, avoiding wrong diagnoses and unnecessary patient hospitalizations, and saving money and time for patients by avoiding unnecessary appointments. Explore Aionys solutions for assisted living safety.
Adopting AI in robotic surgeries, especially spinal surgery, is also a point of interest for healthcare industries. AI-based robots can analyze data from previous surgical procedures to develop new surgical methods, performing surgery more accurately with reduced accidental movements. AI also finds applications in minimally invasive surgery, surgeries assisted by robots, and post-surgery care, such as calculating recovery time.
The integration of IoT in healthcare is a potent catalyst for transformative change, underscoring a shift towards a more interconnected, efficient, and patient-centric model of care. Through the lens of this article, we have navigated the substantial benefits IoT brings to healthcare, including enhanced patient monitoring, improved diagnostic precision, and operational efficiencies. These advances not only highlight a significant shift in health management but also demonstrate the potential of IoT to address critical healthcare challenges, setting a new standard for care delivery and patient engagement.
As we progress, the combination of IoT and healthcare holds great promise for innovation and improved patient outcomes. The call to action now lies in harnessing these technologies responsibly while safeguarding against potential security threats to ensure that the benefits of IoT are fully realized in a manner that is secure, sustainable, and patient-focused.
To realize the benefits of IoT in the healthcare domain, it is essential to develop technological solutions and maintain a consistent focus on patient safety. This is the beginning of a new era of patient-focused and sophisticated health care.
Alexey
Co-Founder & CEO
Ivan
Co-Founder & CTO
alexey.grebennikov@aionys.com
ivan.korytin@aionys.com
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