From the December 2015 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
This is what is driving the need for an IoMT platform that can connect with the patient and collect data for meaningful clinical decisions. Several major industry groups and governance bodies have emerged to establish standards-based guidelines and security for connected health technologies such as sensors, remote monitoring devices, tablets and smartphones, and gateways, as well as networked and cloud solutions.
Continua is an international not-for-profit industry group and the leading organization promoting global technology industry standards to develop end-to-end, plug-and-play connectivity for personal connected health. Continua’s design guidelines, based on global industry standards and test tools, enable more efficient, standardized development, and create new market opportunities for interoperable personal health devices and services used to collect and relay vital health information and education.
Consumer-centric Design Approach
Currently, the main issue for medical device manufacturers is the ability to design and build IoMT as part of the product design and development cycle. Companies such as Amazon, Nike and Uber have shaken up the competitive landscape by raising the bar on consumer expectations. They don’t just provide useful products and services, they create unique experiences that people love. They do it by applying a user-centered perspective that unearths opportunities to create products and services that delight and empower customers. It is important to launch smart wireless medical devices for IoMT that can be used by patients without any setup or learning curve.
The medical device companies have to design every product with user experience and personalization in mind. The devices are going to be increasingly used by patients at home in an unsupervised environment. The device must work the moment the patient gets it, with no setup, no assembly, no downloads and no syncing required. The device should be used in the exact same way as the regular, non-connected version of the device, so it’s simple for the user. The battery in these devices should last for multiple months without needing to be recharged.
The IoMT is transforming the way medical devices are used for delivering personalized care. Patients will be the group that ultimately decides which devices will be adopted, so we must always remember to design these devices and tools for patients above all else. It is also remarkable that IoMT is getting much more established with wide adoption of connected devices in the health care industry. The future is focusing more on a network of smart medical devices, and health care is adopting IoMT platforms with an aim to improve personalized care overall.
About the author: Bipin Thomas is a renowned global thought-leader on consumer-centric health care transformation. Thomas is an editorial advisory board member of DOTmed HealthCare Business News and chairman of ICURO, a consumer-centric digital care outcomes research and management organization, where he is redefining personalized care delivery by connecting all stakeholders in the emerging health care ecosystem.Back to HCB News
