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Let’s ask Jo! She’ll know!
Q: I think my friend is punking me. He says the future of health care lies in the Internet of Medical Things. It sounds made up.
A: Nope. The Internet of Medical Things is a thing. It began as the The Internet of Things (IoT), which is technology that transfers data without the intervention of humans, evidenced by more objects than persons now hooked up to the Web (think driverless tractors and smart home security systems). That has evolved into the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). Examples are wearables and implants that monitor vitals, and personal safety devices for fall detection. Oh, it's a thing alright.
Should we be hopeful or wary?
Both. Will advanced health care technology, such as AI, potentially jeopardize individual rights? We can hope that patient privacy will be maintained, but get real. If you access the Internet at any level (like reading this email), your personal info has already left the station, because the many ways to protect data are mostly not being used. The good news is that our ability to digitize the collection and application of medical information may be the cure-all for this crisis of access. Envision virtual patient care; AI speech-to-text clinic notes; and detecting a heart attack in real time. Of course, less than half of all U.S. homes have high-speed internet and only half of seniors have smart phones. Saving that for another post...
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