Doctors: 3 Easy Steps to a Smart Home based IoT Healthcare Network

As a doctor, immense opportunity knocks on your door as the convergence of IoT and HealthCare becomes a reality. This is further fueled by the rapid global availability of high quality yet affordable smart IoT medical/wellness devices, Smartphones, Internet & Wi-Fi. In other words, a ‘perfect storm’ of an opportunity is being set-up.  As an IoT practitioner over the past few years, I will describe the 3 key components needed to build a robust smart home based ‘DIY/Self-monitoring Diagnostic Capability’ by harnessing the power of IoT  HealthCare.

In my last blog, titled Doctors:3 Key Reasons to Adopt Internet of Things(IoT) based HealthCare, I had referenced an article published by Deloitte University Press, titled “No appointment necessary: How IoT and patient-generated data can unlock healthcare value” by RJ Krawiec, Jessica Nadler, Peter Kinchley, Elan Tye & Jennifer Jarboe.  The article goes on to describe how Patient-Generated Data(PGD) via ‘smart health & wellness device’ technologies can positively impact specific areas of healthcare & wellness, such as Short Term Care(at home), Chronic Disease Management and Senior Citizens(living independently). So, in practical terms to achieve positive impact in the specific areas implies that we need to create ‘DIY/Self-monitoring Diagnostic Capability’ at the point-of-care; in this case the home is the point-of-care.

Here is how we build that capability....

To build a home based ‘DIY/Self-monitoring Diagnostic Capability,’ we need 3 key components:-

"Secure Smart Home IoT HealthCare Network"
(Source: Diagram created by Shamsheer Ahmed with images from www.123rf.com)

1.    IoT/Mobile based DIY Home Diagnostic Kit – Identify your list of regulator approved(such as FDA) smart devices across the health & wellness landscape that will form part of your Home Diagnostic Kit(HDK). These could be fitness devices, ECG on-the-go devices, Blood-Glucose devices, vital signs devices and many others. Examples: Withings, Qardio, Alivecor. The output from these devices can be aggregated and presented in a useful format  by a user friendly Mobile App. 

2.    Secure IoT enabled Home Network – This is a critical cog in the set-up as it forms your own low power, reliable & secure Personal Area Network(PAN) within the confines of your home. Most devices in the HDK should form part of the PAN. The PAN is controlled by a small, versatile & very secure IoT hub. The hub helps connect to the external cloud network via secure Wi-Fi or other similar connectivity options that are available or may emerge in the future. Example: Cubical Master(Hub) from Cubical Labs, India

3.     Secure Cloud Network – The cloud network is what enables Patient-Generated Data(PGD) to be shared and stored with Doctors, Hospitals, Care Providers  and others as the case maybe - anytime, anywhere & any device.  Please remember access to the cloud network is not needed for any of the devices in the Diagnostic Kit to function.

Starting today, as a first step you need to identify your high-value target segment such as Cardiac Care, Cardiac-Diabetic Care, Senior Citizens, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y or any other and then begin to explore applicable device & service options needed to serve your identified high value target segment.

"Identify Your High Value Target Segment"
Image Source: www.123rf.com

Quote for the Day: “As an entrepreneur, your two BEST COMPANIONS are Failure & Persistence” – Shamsheer Ahmed

My name is Shamsheer Ahmed and I am a very active supporter of entrepreneurial activity in diverse fields such as IoT, Health & Wellness, ecommerce, Social Media & others. Please feel free to connect with me at @shamsheerahmed.