The emergence of smart hospital is an imminent consequence of the development of smart technology. Research have shown that smart healthcare system in the 5G era is going to be sustained by the existence of machine-to-machine communication, IoT, and cloud computing. Recent trends in healthcare show that new innovations such as virtual health, patient-oriented treatment, and the utilization of machine learning has provided great assistance for healthcare workers and patients.

Global healthcare system’s trend of incorporating technology keeps on growing because of the benefits that these technological upgrades bring. One of the most important advantage of integrating a smart system for a health care is that it saves a lot of time and cost. But another important advantage of utilizing smart technology is the capability of a healthcare system to access (big) data analytics through the use of IoT and cloud computing. Here are several examples of how IoT can sustain, secure, and develop a healthcare system.

Health Apps

As a somewhat common practice nowadays, health apps and their importance cannot be understated. These apps allow patients to book a hospital appointment quickly, make a telemedicine consultation, order medicines, and get health-improvement tips. For security purposes, these apps are also often equipped with A2P SMS to help patients and healthcare providers input, process, and verify the data that they need from each other. The integration of A2P SMS to these apps also facilitates and secures payment.

Asset Inventory Management

Internet-connected devices can also help healthcare manage their assets and inventory. In a smart hospital, medical equipment usually comes with tags. These tags transmit data that are processed through cloud computing processes, which allow healthcare professionals to know not only the number of available equipment, but also the equipment’s condition in real-time. During moments of crisis, these data will help professionals locate necessary equipment and use the ones that have been disinfected.

Patient Tags

In addition to item tags, patient tags are also important IoT application in a smart healthcare system. During treatment, doctors and nurses would need to quickly access a patient’s data in real-time. These tags can help medical professionals to monitor different aspects of a patient’s conditions such as blood pressure, heartbeat, temperature, and glucose level. Patient tags can also help healthcare workers to assign patients to correct rooms. A sensor in the room will crosscheck the signal emitted from a patient’s tag to verify the patient’s ID.

All-Connected Ambulance

Another application of IoT in smart healthcare is the utilization of smart, all-connected ambulances. In some countries, these ambulances have been 5G-connected that they can provide virtual healthcare or remote treatment in real-time. In the case of a pandemic, this also helps medical professionals to treat patients without having to be physically present. Gmap-connected smart ambulances also can promptly respond to an emergency situation and reach the exact location of a person who is in need of immediate treatment.

Other Intelligent Medical Devices

Aside from the above-mentioned examples, the possibility of IoT application in healthcare is endless. Sensors and Bluetooth have been used to check oxygen saturation. Smart surgical equipment such as a smart drill has helped doctors to perform surgery with better precision. AI-powered insulin pump has helped patients suffering from diabetes. In general, these applications of IoT, with the help of cloud computing, have allowed smart hospitals to give exceptional healthcare services for their patients.