In the not-too-distant future, every person will be able to track every facet of their own health by leveraging devices that passively capture data. People will be able to monitor the health of their loved ones (parents, children, spouses, etc.) easily through a connected, interoperable data platform or network. That day is coming.
We know that the Healthcare Internet of Things is beginning to take shape now due to several drivers:
Technology is becoming more sophisticated: As connectivity expands, new mobile devices and wearables - that offer far more sophisticated biometric, fitness and wellness tracking - are entering the market. For example, these more advanced technologies are tracking and reading muscle activity; utilizing spectrometers to measure nutrition in food; keeping tabs on electroencephalogram (EEG) levels; and measuring exposure to ultraviolet light. What is even more interesting, however, is the fact that consumer electronics, wearables and clinical devices are continuing to take on new physical forms - including digital tattoos, under-skin implants and smart contact lenses.
Additionally, devices are beginning to better communicate with one another, as we build out interoperable networks. This is the key principle behind the Internet of Things, in general. The possibilities for this growing interconnected network of devices are endless and include:
· Connected refrigerators monitoring food input and output;
· Connected thermostats that self-adjust temperatures to body heat metrics;
· Televisions that can connect to real-time data dashboards breaking down your health and recommending consultations with your physician, dietician, therapist or personal trainer;
· Light bulbs that automatically adjust the emission of UV light to stress levels and time of day.
As these innovative technologies collect a broader array of clinical and fitness data, the information gathered is becoming even more vital for health care companies.
Data is being integrated and converging to create a holistic picture. Devices passively capturing more data (biometric, activity, etc.) will continue to integrate together to give a comprehensive overview of a person's health. In the future, when bringing together biometric data with detailed activity data that extends far beyond what wearables and devices currently offer, insights not previously thought possible will emerge. For example, data from a car related to erratic driving combined with speech patterns from a smartphone can provide detailed insights on a person's stress level. Taken a step further, analytics programs could integrate that data to help predict a manic episode in a person with mental health issues.
Technology partnerships are proliferating. Technology partnerships are vital to creating an interconnected world of devices and interoperability. Companies are relying on specialized technology vendors to add increased capabilities to their products instead of building it all on their own. Case in point: Polo Ralph Lauren created a connected t-shirt. But the company did not build the sensor technology that already exists. Instead, they focused on their core competency, apparel, and partnered with a technology vendor to add the health tracking sensors.
Non-technical and consumer companies will continue to partner with technology companies to add health-focused capabilities to their product or services. We have seen these partnerships are regularly emerging with phone companies, sports teams and automotive companies. Even the biggest consumer electronics companies in the world have made serious plays in the connected health space: Google, Apple, Samsung, Microsoft as well as LG, Epson, and Sony are getting in the mix.
The Healthcare Internet of Things promises consumers that their devices work together in a way that can holistically improve their life - making them more fit, fashionable, efficient, productive, and healthier individuals.
About Chris Edwards
Chris is the Chief Marketing Officer at Validic, the industry's leading digital-health platform. Validic connects actionable data from clinical devices, fitness wearables and wellness applications to hospitals, payers, pharma, wellness companies and health IT vendors. Chris has been running global marketing and strategy for healthcare technology B2B and B2C companies for over 20 years. He has a passion to put the "health" back into "healthcare," and can be followed on Twitter @chrissedwards. For more information on Validic, please visit www.validic.com or follow on Twitter @validic.
