Background
The emergence of healthcare technologies has rapidly transformed the healthcare industry, with the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) being a recent example. According to Vishnu, Ramson, and Jegan (2020), it is a network of medical devices, wearables, and applications connected to healthcare information technology (IT) systems via the internet. IoMT enables real-time monitoring and analysis of patient data, improving patient care and reducing healthcare costs. The technology includes fitness trackers, blood pressure monitors, glucose monitors, and other medical devices that can track patients’ vital signs and collect data on their health status. This data can then be transmitted to healthcare providers or analyzed by algorithms to detect potential health issues or trends. This essay discusses how IoMT technology can be used to improve patient outcomes, the impact of IoMT technology on nursing practice, outcomes, and quality of care, as well as the ethical and legal issues associated with its use.
Safety/Health Promotion/Disease Prevention
The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) has the potential to improve safety and promote health and disease prevention by providing real-time monitoring and analysis of patient data. IoMT technology allows for collecting vast amounts of data on a patient’s vital signs, activity levels, and other health metrics (Qureshi & Krishnan, 2018). This data can track a patient’s health status over time, detect early warning signs of disease, and identify potential health risks. By continuously monitoring patients, IoMT technology can enable the early detection of diseases, allow for more targeted interventions, and improve patient outcomes.
One area where IoMT technology can improve safety and promote disease prevention is managing chronic diseases. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and asthma require continuous monitoring and management to prevent complications and improve outcomes (Razdan & Sharma, 2022). IoMT devices such as glucose monitors, blood pressure monitors, and inhalers can provide patients and healthcare providers with real-time data on a patient’s health status, enabling early detection of potential health issues and allowing for targeted interventions to prevent complications.
Another area where IoMT technology can improve safety is detecting and preventing adverse drug events (ADEs). ADEs occur when patients experience negative reactions to medication, either due to incorrect dosages or interactions with other medications. (Vishnu, Ramson, and Jegan (2020) confirm that IoMT technology can help to prevent ADEs by allowing for real-time monitoring of medication administration and dosages. Barcode Medication Administration (BCMA) systems, a type of IoMT technology, use barcodes and scanning technology to ensure that patients receive the correct medication and dosage, reducing the risk of ADEs.
Effects on Outcomes
The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) has the potential to significantly impact nursing practice, outcomes, and quality of care. IoMT technology enables the collection and analysis of real-time patient data, allowing for more targeted interventions and improved patient outcomes. One way that IoMT can impact nursing practice is by improving communication between healthcare providers and patients. IoMT devices, such as wearable sensors and remote monitoring devices, can transmit real-time patient health status data to healthcare providers, enabling them to make more informed decisions about patient care (Qureshi & Krishnan, 2018). This can lead to improved patient outcomes and reduced hospital readmissions.
IoMT can also improve nursing practice by enabling more personalized and proactive patient care. Ashfaq et al. (2022) argue that IoMT devices can detect potential health issues or trends by continuously monitoring patients and alerting healthcare providers, allowing for early interventions to prevent complications. This can improve patient outcomes and quality of care and reduce healthcare costs by preventing hospital readmissions and other adverse events.
In addition, IoMT can impact nursing practice by improving medication management and reducing medication errors. Barcode Medication Administration systems, a type of IoMT technology, use barcodes and scanning technology to ensure that patients receive the correct medication and dosage, reducing the risk of adverse drug events (ADEs) (Jain et al., 2021). This can improve patient safety and reduce healthcare costs by preventing ADEs and medication-related complications.
Ethical and Legal Issues
Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) technology raises ethical and legal issues concerning patient privacy, data security, and informed consent. One ethical issue related to IoMT is patient privacy. IoMT devices collect and transmit personal health data, including sensitive information such as medical conditions, treatments, and medication use (Vishnu, Ramson, & Jegan, 2020). It is important to ensure that patient privacy is protected and that authorized individuals only access and use data for legitimate purposes. Patients have the right to know what data is being collected about them and how it will be used and to give informed consent for collecting and using their data.
Another ethical issue related to IoMT is data security. According to Razdan & Sharma (2022), IoMT devices transmit data wirelessly over the internet, making them vulnerable to hacking and cyberattacks. It is important to ensure appropriate security measures are in place to protect patient data and prevent unauthorized access.
In addition to ethical issues, there are legal issues related to using IoMT technology. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) provides regulations and guidelines for collecting and using personal health data, including data collected by IoMT devices. It is important to ensure that IoMT devices and systems comply with HIPAA regulations and that patient data is collected, stored, and transmitted securely and privately.
Conclusion
The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is an emerging healthcare technology that has the potential to significantly impact nursing practice, outcomes, and quality of care. By enabling more personalized and proactive patient care, improving communication between healthcare providers and patients, and reducing medication errors, IoMT can improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and enhance the overall quality of care. However, IoMT technology raises important ethical and legal issues concerning patient privacy, data security, and informed consent. It is important to address these issues in developing and implementing IoMT devices and systems to ensure that patient data is protected and that the benefits of IoMT are fully realized.
References
Vishnu, S., Ramson, S. J., & Jegan, R. (2020, March). Internet of medical things (IoMT)-An overview. In 2020 5th international conference on devices, circuits and systems (ICDCS) (pp. 101–104). IEEE.
Qureshi, F., & Krishnan, S. (2018). Wearable hardware design for the internet of medical things (IoMT). Sensors, 18(11), 3812.
Razdan, S., & Sharma, S. (2022). Internet of medical things (IoMT): overview, emerging technologies, and case studies. IETE technical review, 39(4), 775-788.
Ashfaq, Z., Rafay, A., Mumtaz, R., Zaidi, S. M. H., Saleem, H., Zaidi, S. A. R., … & Haque, A. (2022). A review of enabling technologies for Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) Ecosystem. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 13(4), 101660.
Jain, S., Nehra, M., Kumar, R., Dilbaghi, N., Hu, T., Kumar, S., … & Li, C. Z. (2021). Internet of medical things (IoMT)-integrated biosensors for point-of-care testing of infectious diseases. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 179, 113074.
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