Smart Health Based on Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart Devices

It is foreseen that the trends for the next decade in healthcare will include more patients requiring care, increased use of technology, need for greater information storage capacity, development of new healthcare delivery models, error reduction, more emphasis on preventative healthcare, faster disease diagnosis, and innovation driven by competition. It is not only important to improve patient care processes, but to also decrease costs while maintaining quality. With the advancement of technology, it is possible to develop reliable and cost‐effective methods to promote the sharing of electronic medical records, obtaining rapid referrals and appointments, and improve practice guidelines and standardization. It is anticipated that patients will become more proactive in their own healthcare by utilizing information available on the internet and with home‐use healthcare technology becoming increasingly available. Patients are beginning to benefit from advanced telemedicine, such as tele‐consultations, telediagnosis, and tele‐monitoring. This enables faster collection of test results and improved follow‐up on diagnosis. Internet‐assisted communication with medical practitioners is now widely used, and can help minimize time‐consuming visits to a practitioner's office. This is important for elderly or disabled patients, who may not be able to travel but have inexpensive and simple internet access which they can take advantage of with video‐call consultations. However, smart health based on internet of things (IoT) and smart devices is not without its challenges. IoT‐based devices capture huge amounts of data, including sensitive information, giving rise to data security and privacy concerns. This chapter reviews the benefits and challenges of innovations in healthcare, with emphasis on IoT and smart devices such as smart meters.