IoT has opened up a world of possibilities when it comes to healthcare. Ordinary medical devices can now collect extremely valuable and additional data, which in turn gives more insight into symptoms and trends and enables remote care. The result is more autonomy for patients and better monitoring of often serious conditions. Here are just a few of the ways IoT is creating smarter healthcare.

Remote Medical Assistance

One of the biggest and fastest growing areas of healthcare and IoT is remote medical assistance, in which connected devices monitor a patient’s conditions at their homes. Smart devices take readings and observe behavioral patterns (often automatically) and can alert medical professionals when there is a discrepancy. This is particularly applicable for elderly patients, as well as vulnerable patients or patients with long term chronic conditions. It reduces in-person visits and lets patients manage their care from home.

Smart Glucose Monitoring

Around one in ten adults are affected by diabetes, requiring continuous monitoring and treatment.  A Continuous Glucose Monitor helps diabetics monitor their blood glucose levels by taking readings at regular intervals. The data is then sent to a smart phone app and allow for remote monitoring – perfect for parents of diabetic children or relatives or elderly or vulnerable patients. Smart insulin pens automatically record the time, amount, and type of insulin dosage, and store long-term data on a smartphone app.

Connected Inhalers

Asthma kills around 1000 people each day and affects around 339 million people globally – a number that is rising steadily. Smart inhalers offer increased insight into and control over symptoms and treatment, helping those who suffer understand what might be causing their symptoms, tracking use of medication, and also allergen forecasts. One of the biggest benefits is that people using connected inhalers take their medication more consistently and are more likely to use their medication as prescribed, which leads to improvements in their condition.  There is also a wearable asthma monitor that detects symptoms of an asthma attack before its onset.

Connected Pills

According to the World Health Organization, around 50% of medicines are not taken as directed, which can lead to serious health consequences. Ingestible sensors are pills containing microscopic sensors – about the size of a grain of rice – that send a signal to an external sensor worn on the body, ensuring both proper dosage and usage. The data is then relayed to a smartphone app, which helps patients keep on top of their meds. This not only improves adherence to doctor directives, it also allows patients to have a more informed dialogue with their healthcare provider about treatment. Making sure patients take their medication at the right time is also an issue, particularly among elderly patients, who tend to be prescribed a cocktail of medications that are to be taken at certain times of the day.  Connected pill dispensing machines ensure that not only does the patient take the pill at the right time in the right dosage through the use of prompts, it also alerts healthcare providers if something is wrong.

Hand Hygiene Compliance

Proper hand hygiene is the single biggest defense against spreading disease, yet research shows that one out of every 20 patients in the US get infections from lack of proper hand hygiene in hospitals, with some losing their lives as a result.  Connected hand-hygiene stations monitor hand hygiene compliance in real time: any time a healthcare professional comes near a patient without washing their hands a sensor beeps, reminding them of their duty to treat their patients with clean hands.

Hospital Operations

Optimizing a hospital or healthcare center can take many forms; cutting unnecessary costs and streamlining daily functions are just two ways IoT has real value in a medical facility. Millions of dollars are lost annually due to lost or stolen equipment, which has a real knock on effect when it comes to patient treatment and resources. Attaching sensors to equipment allows hospital staff to track any piece of equipment in real time, which not only reduces theft but also allows tracking of the overall use of equipment. And by tracking usage, administrators can more easily understand when to replace or perform maintenance, thus avoiding equipment downtime.

Research

Much of today’s medical research lacks critical real-world information, instead using controlled environments and volunteers.  IoT opens up a sea of valuable data and information through analysis, real-time field data, and testing, delivering far superior, more practical, reliable data. This, in turn, yields better solutions and discovery of previously unknown issues.

Healthcare is one of the fastest growing IoT areas. If you’re interested in creating smarter healthcare, get in touch.

IoT is one of the driving technologies behind the smart city concept and is poised to be a key component in facilitating sustainable urban development. More than half of the world population lives in urban areas today and cities account for more than 70 percent of global carbon emissions and 60-80% of energy consumption. As urban populations have increased, services have overall deteriorated in terms of both quantity and quality, with rapid urbanization giving rise to increased challenges around things like traffic congestion, water contamination, and most importantly, social inequality.

Municipalities are leveraging IoT technology to connect devices, infrastructure, and people. It is being used to address challenges that range from waste management and water conservation to traffic, air pollution, and power grids. By leveraging IoT technologies, cities are able to successfully manage their growing populations by improving quality of life and the efficiency of urban operations and services, while also increasing competitiveness and addressing economic, social, environmental, and cultural needs.

Let’s take a closer look at a few areas where cities are leveraging IoT technology to address challenges, and how things could play out as solutions evolve:

Transportation & traffic

Among the key goals of any public transport system are greater efficiency and reliability – and smart technology is the key to enablement. There are a number of areas where IoT is particularly helpful:

• Toll & ticketing

More people in our cities means more vehicles on our roads – and an increase of vehicles means queues at toll booths. While automated tolls, using an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, have already improved the flow of traffic, further improvements are possible through the use of IoT technology. Many of today’s vehicles come equipped with IoT connectivity, which allows a car or truck to be detected up to a kilometer away from a tolling station. What this means in practice is that the car or truck can be identified long before it approaches a toll booth – so when the vehicle finally gets there the barrier automatically raised for the vehicle to pass through. For older vehicles, a registered smart phone could serve the same purpose, taking automatic payment from the phone’s digital wallet.

• Connected vehicles

As mentioned, many vehicles today are already connected and are equipped with sensors and devices that monitor everything from brakes and the engine to tire pressure and exhaust. Going forward, connected vehicles will use in-vehicle networks, radar, and cameras to help detect and communicate with one another, prevent collisions, and promote smooth traffic flow. Vehicle tracking systems are already being used within the freight and rental segments, monitoring driver behavior and collecting data on things like idling time and fuel consumption.

• Public transport management

IoT technologies are already widely used in public transport, including for integrated ticketing and automated fare collection, passenger information, and display systems. IoT can also be used for real-time vehicle tracking, which allows public transport agencies to communicate better with customers about things like arrival and departure times. Datal analysis and real-time management allows transit agencies to monitor progress in real-time and make adjustments for unpredicted incidents, such as accidents, roadworks, station closures, etc.

Smart lighting

The majority of city dwellers spend more time indoors than outdoors, which can have a significant impact on energy consumption. The use of electricity for lighting can be significantly optimized with the use of intelligent systems. Natural light cycles can be mimicked by incorporating light and temperature sensors, while light sensor-based applications can be used to manage the orientation of solar panels for optimal usage of natural resources.

If we look at street lighting, the savings and benefits are clear:

• Dynamic dimming

Intelligent streetlights adjust light levels based on specific times and events. When paired with motion sensors, light levels can be further refined. Dynamic dimming based on time, event, or human presence can result in a more than 60% reduction in energy consumption, while the use of motion sensors means when no human presence is detected, streetlights illuminate at a low, predefined level, reducing energy usage, CO2 emissions, and light pollution.

• Maintenance optimization

Intelligent streetlights mean near real-time information on each light, allowing almost instant notification of faults or errors, which allows city managers to take informed actions, while at the same time reducing the need for manual checks. This can reduce maintenance costs significantly.

• Increased public safety

Smart motion sensors trigger streetlights only when humans are detected, for example when a pedestrian or cyclist passes by, encircling them in a ‘circle of light’.  This increases overall public safety, as statistically speaking criminals avoid committing crimes in well-lit areas.

Additionally, smart streetlights offer an ideal point from which a diverse range of smart city applications can be launched, collecting a wide array of data on everything from air quality to street security to traffic patterns. Streetlight poles have an uninterrupted power supply, making it easy to power IoT devices and sensors. They are also generally spread uniformly across cities and are consistent in height, making them idea for hosting all kinds of IoT sensors and systems, removing the need to set up ad hoc infrastructures.

Healthcare

Combine a global pandemic with ongoing populations growth, inefficient patient flow, swindling staff, and a host of other challenges in healthcare and it’s clear that healthcare can use all the help it can get. Through the use of IoT, authorities can collect data to gain valuable insights, which in turn can be used for better public healthcare planning.

For patients, devices such as smart insulin pens, connected inhalers, asthma monitors, blood pressure monitors, etc. allow them to better manage and address their own health needs, as well as provide more accurate data to their healthcare providers – and also quickly access help if there is trouble. Additionally, data collection allows observation and treatment to take place, something that was previously only possible in an institutional setting. Smart devices and other connected sensors can also help with early detection.

Here are several of the ways IoT can enable better healthcare:

• Remote monitoring

Customized software and devices gathers data from remote devices in real time, allowing for a better analysis of patient’s health – and thus improved outcomes.

• Enhanced supervision & reporting

Remote supervision through connected devices can collect essential health data and transfer it to a health professionals in real time, allowing a quick response to medical emergencies such as heart failure or asthma attacks.

• Reduced costs

Connected devices and other IoT devices such as tele care allow patients to connect with their health professionals from how, reducing the need for visits to the doctor’s office for tests and checkups.

• Medication Management

There are a number of IoT solutions already helping patients better track their medication schedule, including smart pill bottles and in-home medication dispensers that also alert both healthcare professionals and concerned friends and family if there is a problem.

• Data Analysis

Data-driven insights not only speed up the decision-making process of healthcare professionals, they also allow for better public health decisions overall, whether that is where to allocate money or where to build a new hospital.

Essentially, IoT can play a pivotal role in the future of healthcare, with many solutions already available today.  It is a vast area, though, so please download our IoT & Healthcare White Paper to learn more.

Retrofitting existing building stock

Every year, nearly 5 billion square meters of buildings are retrofitted. Retrofitting existing building stock is an effective approach when dealing with limited budgets, aging structures, and energy accountability, as it helps reduce energy costs, improves equipment performance, and extends the lifetime of the building.

If we look closer at energy, in the EU, buildings are responsible for 40% of total energy consumption and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions. Retrofitting ageing building stock presents a major opportunity to not just reduce carbon emissions, but to also reduce operating costs and provide more comfortable and healthier buildings for citizens. Retrofitting also has significant job generation potential.

Before IoT, tracking and collecting building performance data was a manual job – and it was tedious, inaccurate, and a slow process. Now, with IoT sensors and the data generated, it is possible to monitor and track a building’s performance in near real-time, giving crucial insights on the go, which leads to better outcomes.

When IoT sensors and smart technology are introduced into the picture, you can monitor and control the use and operation of building equipment, such as HVAC systems, lighting, and plug loads, you also get real-time data, all of which leads to detection and diagnoses of faulty equipment, energy efficiency, and even enhanced profitability.

These are just a few of the ways IoT is enabling smart, sustainable urban development. To learn more, download the Tele2 IoT Smart City White Paper, which covers this topic in depth. You are also welcome to contact us to learn more about how IoT can help your community address your challenges.

Adoption of IoT within healthcare continues to grow at a rapid pace, with one of the biggest growth areas being Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM). And while RPM was already taking off pre-Covid, the global pandemic has driven home the need for remote care. Nearly 90% of healthcare providers have invested in or plan to invest in Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM). Remote Patient Monitoring technologies improve patient and clinical experience, and lead to better outcomes and lower costs.

What is Remote Patient Monitoring?

Remote Patient Monitoring is a subset of telehealth that uses digital technology to facilitate the collection, transmission, evaluation, and communication of patient health data via electronic devices, which include wearable sensors, implanted devices, and handheld instruments. These monitor patient health outside traditional clinical settings, as well as collect medical and other forms of health data on everything from blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood oxygen levels to heart rate, sleep patterns, and bathroom usage.

The collection of patient data outside of medical centers facilitates care for conditions ranging from chronic diseases to recovery from acute episodes, and not only does RPM allow for better, more precise care, it is particularly beneficial to elderly and vulnerable patients and patients with multiple comorbid conditions as it allows these patients to continue living in their own homes for longer periods of time. Additionally, RPM reduces hospitalizations, readmissions, and length of hospital stay, which in turn improves quality of life and controls costs and enables doctors to act preventatively in regard to the correct medicine, which helps avoid complications.

Patient and provider buy in

Each year a multitude of innovations are brought to the market but many of these solutions don’t take off due to a disconnect between patient-provider needs and obstacles within healthcare systems that prevent the progression and successful adoption of RPM.

Remote Patient Monitoring programs are only successful when the patient understands and welcomes the value of the service and commits to doing their part. Devices must be easy to use, and their benefits clearly laid out to the patient. An easy, out-of-the-box user experience will go a long way towards smoothing the path of patient adoption.  If devices are too complex to configure, uncomfortable, or difficult to use, patients will not accept them.

Not all monitoring systems are created equal, though, and a multi-platform approach, such as apps that can handle multiple conditions across a wide range of devices, is key to fulfilling the potential of RPM. These devices need to be able to filter the incoming data in order to avoid alert fatigue, and they must be connected to an existing healthcare infrastructure. Additionally, security and communication standards must be prioritized in order to protect patient confidentiality.

The benefits

There are any number of benefits associated with Remote Patient Monitoring, and as the spread of RPM continues, these benefits will become entrenched:

• Improved patient compliance
• Improved patient outcomes
• Fewer hospital visits/stays
• Enhanced post-hospital care
• Improved medical staff efficiency
• Cost savings/better use of resources

Many of these benefits are obvious; for example, virtual check-ins allow healthcare professionals to schedule far more appointments than if they had to drive from patient to patient. Additionally, more regular check-ins can be scheduled, allowing patients to ask questions and providers to ensure patients understand and carry out instructions regarding medication, therapy, etc. This is particularly important when it comes to remote locations where travel between patients means only a few visits can be scheduled each day.  RPMs also allow the involvement of not just the patient, but also their loved ones, who can help monitor both the care provided and that the patient is following instructions without disrupting their day with in-office visits.

Why cellular connectivity?

When it comes to Remote Patient Monitoring, your IoT solution needs to be reliable, flexible, and secure. There are a number of connectivity options to consider and while no option is necessarily bad, some are better suited to RPM than others.

Connecting remote medical devices is not always as straightforward as it sounds. Available internet access in a patient’s home is not a given, particularly when it comes to the elderly, and unreliable and insecure networks can be a problem. Cellular connectivity is ideally suited to RPM because it is not dependent on in-home internet availability. Additionally, with the right IoT provider, you will have the benefit of roaming, which means you will always be using the best available network, something that is crucial when working with mission-critical solutions. And since healthcare applications require very high availability, it might come in handy to have multiple providers to improve that availability. That’s where eSIM capabilities can come in handy, as you have primary and secondary CSP IMSIs.

Another factor to consider is having available the right connectivity management platform in order to manage what could be a large number of devices on a local, regional, national, or even global scale.

There are three things to consider when it comes to realizing the full connectivity potential of your RPM solution:

1. The connectivity solution meets your requirements, including availability and security
2. The SIM management platform is easy to use and offers you the support you need
3. Real time visibility and management of your device connectivity

Security

And finally, when it comes to healthcare in any form, security and patient confidentiality are paramount.  Medical data is extremely sensitive, and it is important that it is kept secure when being handled, transferred, and read.

Because of the sensitivity of the data, every part of your IoT solution needs to be secure. It cannot be overstated how important it is to choose an IoT partner who is able to support the high level of security needed. Additionally, even the slightest hiccup could have major ramifications, so it is critical that your IoT provider is also able to provide a high-level of 24/7 support in order to swiftly mitigate any potential issues.

If you would like to learn more about how IoT can enable your healthcare solution, please get in touch.

Today, 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, with that number expected to increase to nearly 70% by 2050. In the European Union, 68% of the population already lives in urban areas – by 2050 it will be 85%. At the same time, 70% of all energy used in the EU is consumed in cities.

According to the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Standards Association, rapid urbanization means there will be an increased demand for intelligent, sustainable environments that reduce environmental impact and offer citizens a high quality of life. Smart cities bring together technology, government, and society to enable a smart economy, smart mobility, a smart environment, smart living, and smart governance.

1. Smart Infrastructure

Smart infrastructure can mean different things to different people, but the basic idea is that a smart city uses smart infrastructure to optimize performance while reducing waste and energy consumption. In other words, smart infrastructure uses intelligent technology to be energy efficient and environmentally friendly. A good example of this is street lighting: smart street lights adapt to changes in their immediate environment, lighting only when movement is sensed. So, if a person is walking nearby the light turns on. When the person moves on, the light turns off, resulting in energy savings and cost reduction.

2. Smart Public Transport

Enhanced services and operational efficiency are the two big benefits on a connected and unified public transport system.

IoT-enabled transport vehicles like buses, trains, and ferries can, for example, provide data that leads to real-time information about schedules, delays, re-routes, etc.  For the operator, constant visibility into the system means optimization of things like staffing and routes. Additionally, predictive maintenance will lead to cost savings and higher performing vehicles. Smart apps connected to the system allow the public to plan their trip more efficiently and provide payment solutions.

3. Smart Healthcare

There is a global need for reliable, cost-effective healthcare, and technology can serve as a powerful facilitator. Populations are aging, and the number of chronic, non-communicable diseases are on the rise. While headway is being made when it comes to affordable and efficient care, there are still a number of challenges to be addressed.

IoT technologies are already having an enormous impact on the global healthcare system. From smart sensors and medical device implantation to expediating the delivery of care and allowing physicians to spend less time on administration and more time on consultation and treatment, IoT technologies are changing how we deliver healthcare.

The most common use of IoT technology in healthcare is patient monitoring, followed by remote operation and control, and location-based services. Energy meters, imaging devices, and x-rays are also benefiting from IoT, and increased innovation is cited as a top benefit, along with visibility and cost savings.

8. Smart Parking

Research shows that 63% of drivers have avoided going to a destination due to the challenge of finding a parking space, 30% of urban traffic is caused by drivers looking for a parking space, and drivers waste 17 hours annually looking for a place to park.

Driving around trying to find a place to park leads to excessive emissions and wasted fuel, not to mention some very irritated drivers.

There are a number of smart solutions that address this problem. Parking bay sensors provide real-time information on where available parking spaces can be found via an app and public signage, while also allowing parking authorities to analyze data to optimize parking spaces and adjust parking policies. The end result is less congestion, less fuel consumption, higher parking revenues, and happier drivers.

9. Smart Air Management

The ability to analyze air pollution data means the ability to forecast emissions for the coming days with a relative degree of accuracy.  In the long term, having this kind of data on air quality means steps can be taken to reduce pollution through a variety of means.

Due to technology advances, IoT sensors are increasingly small and low-cost and because they are mobile, can be deployed where needed across cities and towns, providing a much broader picture of air quality levels in near real time than one would get with traditional fixed monitoring stations. The benefits of near real time information are clear: optimization of traffic routes and traffic lights, as well as faster response to changing weather conditions. In the longer term, analyzing the data can highlight causes of and changes to air pollution. This understanding can in turn lead to actions that will improve air quality.

10. Emergency Preparation & Disaster Management

While IoT technologies can’t stop disasters from happening, they can be instrumental when planning for emergencies, as well as addressing the aftermath. Prediction and early warning systems are greatly enhanced by IoT-enabled sensors, which can send regular updates on current conditions.

If we look at the example of flooding, sensors can act as an early warning system, alerting the appropriate authorities when water levels rise. Sensors can measure temperature, moisture, and a host of other factors that can lead to early prediction and response. And when emergency workers arrive on the scene, they will have much more information in regard to location and scope of the problem.