Smart health, new technologies of connected objects for the medical world

In a smart health system, health care delivery combines technological innovation and information systems to improve the quality of care through better information management and collaboration between caregivers, hospitals and care centres.

Tele-assistance provides better security for the frail and elderly who live alone or in an EPhad.
The new system is designed to enhance collaboration, efficiency and quality of care in many areas of health care. This system also allows for a transparent exchange of information that can be done quickly and easily.

Smart healthcare is a multifaceted socio-medical approach to healthcare delivery and management using information technology to deliver healthcare services more effectively and efficiently. It allows for interdisciplinary collaboration and information exchange.

These innovations open up new fields of application for medicine:

• Primary prevention (this is the domain of applications and PDAs)
• Computerized patient file (computer file containing medical data on patients)
• Medical practice management software
• Mobile health (in relation to smartphones)
• Teleconsultation (remote patient monitoring)
• Telecare
• Hospital Information Systems
• Decision support (therapeutic strategy support)
• Computer-assisted surgery

The development of a connected health system makes medical practice more efficient and allows medical providers and patients to better control their health conditions. The use of medical IoT systems and IoT objects also addresses the challenges of monitoring patients’ health at home, increasing convenience and efficiency for the various stakeholders: patients, physicians and hospitals.

For example, a connected object such as a blood glucose meter will allow patients to better control their blood glucose targets in a personalized way, and to have a personalized monitoring log on their smartphone with the doses of insulin injected, the meals (by time slot), and the activities performed.

As with diagnostics, smart health can be applied at the preventive level by systematically connecting a patient with their primary care physician to obtain timely information about their condition and to make rapid treatment recommendations if necessary.

This would not have been possible with traditional practices where each visit might have required a separate request for information from different departments.

Connected devices and technologies have opened the door to remote monitoring in the medical sectors (IoMT), enabling caregivers to provide superior healthcare and patients to stay healthy and safe. They have also increased customer satisfaction and engagement, as interactions between healthcare professionals have become much easier and hassle-free.

Connected devices offer a full range of solutions designed to transform the way healthcare professionals work with patients and address the stakes of the medical field. They also provide alerts in the event of an incident, such as for remote assistance.

Cell phones, watches, bracelets, scales, T-shirts, shoes… All these objects are now connected! They allow patients to be better informed and controlled, and thus promote prevention.

Moreover, it is possible to perform real medical measurements such as ECG (electrocardiogram) or measure blood pressure.

These connected objects, thanks to sensors, will collect data and allow :

• To have an optimized management of the patient’s health pathway
• To improve patient health by addressing the cost issues associated with the treatment of chronic diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular insufficiency, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, cancer or arthritis)

There are three main individual health benefits of these objects:

• Know yourself better, monitor and improve your health – “Quantified self”.
• Detecting and alerting
• Coaching and motivating

There are many connected objects used by individuals and professionals to help them stay healthier. Here are some examples of connected medical objects and devices:

• The connected scale
• The connected toothbrush
• The electronic bracelet
• The connected belt
• The connected pacifier
• Connected clothing
• Sleep sensors
• The slimming forks
• Stethoscopes
• The intelligent pillbox
• Tensiometers (objects that allow you to monitor your blood pressure)
• Oximeters (object allowing to measure the quantity of oxygen in the blood)
• Blood glucose meters (a device for calculating blood sugar levels)
• Watches that measure your heart rate
• A connected patch for Alzheimer patients