How connected medical devices are transforming healthcare
In the last two decades, connected medical devices have revolutionized the way healthcare is delivered by providing real-time monitoring and personalized care to patients. A 2023 report by Grand View Research expects this growth to continue, predicting that the internet of medical things (IoMT) market will grow 16.8% from 2023 to 2030.
This article explains connected medical devices, identifies what their benefits and risks are, and explores what the future of medical devices may bring.
What are connected medical devices?
Connected medical devices, also referred to as smart medical devices or internet of medical things devices, provide real-time monitoring of a patient’s vitals, interactions, and medical conditions. These devices include medical wearables, implantable devices, health apps, diagnostic monitors, and therapeutic devices.
The benefits of connected medical devices
Big picture benefits of smart medical devices include improved patient outcomes, human error avoidance, reduced healthcare costs, enhanced patient engagement, and high-resolution patient records. It all stems from the ability to provide real-time monitoring of a patient’s vital signs. This capability allows for early detection of medical issues. For example, connected heart rate monitors can detect irregularities and provide early indications of more severe heart conditions. Those warnings can lead to a reduction in hospitalizations and improved quality of life for patients with cardiovascular diseases or conditions.
Another benefit of smart medical devices is the ability to improve patient engagement with their healthcare plans. These devices can empower patients to take control of their health by providing them with personalized information and actionable insights. For example, digital health apps can track a patient’s medication adherence, send reminders, and provide alerts to family members to ensure that the patient never misses a dose. This can also improve patient treatment outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
Connected medical devices and their risks
Connected medical devices also carry risks. A 2022 report by Cynerio found that 53% of connected medical devices may contain critical cyber vulnerabilities that could potentially result in data breaches and privacy concerns. Because connected medical devices collect and transmit sensitive information, it’s critical that proper IoMT security measures are in place to protect patient data. Fortunately, cybersecurity in these IoT healthcare devices is significantly improving. Devices such as TPMs (like NXP’s EdgeLock SE050) and secure processors are used to provide momentous improvement in the IoT, especially in the medical sector.
The future (and challenges) of IoT healthcare devices
Today, connected medical devices are primarily blood glucose monitors, heart rate monitors, pulse oximeters, blood pressure monitors, breath analyzers, and insulin pumps. There are also fall detection monitors that utilize accelerometers similar to ADI’s ADXL365.
Future advancements such as miniaturization, low-power sensors, wireless communication, battery technology, and enhanced security will allow for even more value from connected medical devices. For example, Silicon Labs recently announced a new Bluetooth SoC and MCU, similar to the EFR32, that is ideal for small form-factor devices such as “connected medical devices, wearables, asset monitoring tags, smart sensors, and [general] consumer electronics.” The xG27 SoC is the size of a pencil eraser and can enable compact connected medical devices such as medical patches, continuous glucose monitors, and wearable electrocardiograms (ECG).
Advancements in miniaturization and communication such as the Silicon Labs xG27 series will enable product expansion, cost reduction, and product diversification in the connected medical device industry. However, there are still several technical challenges to address. Interoperability of devices — or the ability for device-to-device communication — must be dependable and secure. Smart medical devices must seamlessly share data and action without fault; otherwise, the lives and wellbeing of patients may be subject to the device’s failure. The safety and efficacy of these devices will continue to increase as standardization protocols and regulations are established and followed, but the current landscape of connected medical device safety and security is relatively underenforced.
Smart medical devices and the internet of medical things have the potential to revolutionize modern healthcare by providing personalized care, real-time monitoring of patients, and improved medical accuracy. While there are risks associated with these devices today, connected medical devices are poised to flourish as the technical challenges of safety and efficacy are addressed and overcome.
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