Comment: Hospitals and the ‘Internet of Things’

In this article, DARYL MILLER, vice president of Lantronix, explains how hospitals can implement innovative technology in the most stress-free, efficient and cost-effective way possible and how they can ensure that the hospital's infrastructure is prepared for the ‘Internet of Things’

The Internet of Things (IoT) allows devices to communicate and share information. If medical devices, such as monitoring systems, become connected to the IOT, hospitals can benefit from huge money and time savings. However, no hospital should consider implementing connected devices without proper planning.

Hospitals use hundreds of electronic devices, such as IV pumps, physiological monitors and vital signs monitors. However, very few of these are currently connected to the IoT. For example, just under a quarter (24%) of physiological monitors are connected, and only 7% of vital signs monitors.

Benefits

If these devices are connected to an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) the speed and accuracy of the data is much greater than if a nurse manually recorded it with a pen and paper. The quality and safety of care is also improved. Each of these Connected Medical Devices (CMDs) saves four to 36 minutes of nursing time, which could be spent on patient care, and prevents up to 24 data errors daily.

One of the main challenges is to ensure that all the devices speak the same language as the network – in other words, that the data collected can be read and understood. This is becoming increasingly difficult due to the growing number of network devices

CMDs can help doctors with diagnoses and decision-making tasks, such as drug selection and dosing. They can send alerts if lab tests requests are duplicated or if supplies of a certain drug are running low.

CMDs can also send global alerts for each type of device. For example, by adding older IV pumps, without safety alerts, to the network, hospitals can create their own real-time alerts based on current data. This can then be sent to nurses in order to avoid dangerous and costly errors.

In addition, CMDs will play a large role in patients’ homes, allowing for management of chronic conditions and prevention of hospital readmissions. It is naturally more difficult to gather data manually in the home environment, as there are no staff available to gather the information. Experts predict that this could cut costs significantly by allowing more patients to be treated at home.

Challenges

Despite the benefits, challenges arise for both the hospital and the medical device vendors when it comes to connecting medical devices to the Internet of Things.

Hospitals need to ensure that they use device manufacturers who support the hospital network’s security standards. Otherwise, security becomes compromised and costly work arounds will be needed

One of the main challenges is to ensure that all the devices speak the same language as the network – in other words, that the data collected can be read and understood. This is becoming increasingly difficult due to the growing number of network devices. However, some vendors are designing translation software into their modules.

Another issue is security. Hospitals need to ensure that they use device manufacturers who support the hospital network’s security standards. Otherwise, security becomes compromised and costly work arounds will be needed.

Similarly, devices need to be compatible with the wireless band used by the hospital.

Connected devices also need to be compatible with many ports, in order to physically connect into the network. There are many options used, depending on the function of the device. If a device is not compatible, it could affect performance and be costly to repair.

Summary

The benefits of medical device connectivity cannot be overlooked and the first steps have already been taken to add connectivity to medical devices. Hospitals and vendors have to work together closely to reap the benefits of the IoT. Hospitals must ensure their network infrastructure is up to the task of supporting these devices. Compatibility, scalability and flexibility are all key considerations that can be planned for. Otherwise healthcare providers could find they miss out on implementing the latest devices in the future.