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Healthcare IOT standards will be key for scalability

In SearchHealthIT's #chatHIT, experts agreed that the key to making IoT scalable and affordable in healthcare is standardization.

Kristen Lee, News Writer

Published: 03 Aug 2015

Lack of standardization isn't a new barrier in the world of health IT. The absence of standards slowed the adoption of health information exchanges (HIE) early on, and it is currently an obstacle when it comes to big data analytics in healthcare.

Similarly, lack of standardization and common platforms are barriers to healthcare IoT. Experts agree standardization will need to be achieved to make healthcare IoT scalable and affordable.

A2 Key to making #IoT scalable = standardization #chatHIT @HITExchange
— Rasu Shrestha MD MBA (@RasuShrestha) July 23, 2015

@WHMeanor Good point. Standardization will make adoption and integration costs much lower than they would be currently. #chatHIT #IoMT
— Bill Bunting (@RealBillBunting) July 23, 2015

.@WTBunting @WHMeanor Standardization should be a TOP priority in #IoT. Better now than later! #chatHIT
— Rasu Shrestha MD MBA (@RasuShrestha) July 23, 2015

A2. @RasuShrestha Standardization is #1. Protocols MUST be standardized n all LOC. UCSF published diabet.pre-surg protocols online. #chatHIT
— Linda Stotsky (@EMRAnswers) July 23, 2015

@Resultant @rasu @WTBunting Isn't lack of standards or common platforms stunting #IoT in #healthIT? #chatHIT
— Shaun Sutner (@ssutner) July 23, 2015

Yes>Gotta have~ RT @ssutner: @Resultant @rasu @WTBunting Isn't lack of standards or common platforms stunting #IoT in #healthIT? #chatHIT
— Bernadette Keefe MD (@nxtstop1) July 23, 2015

After standardization, another important step to scaling healthcare IoT is deriving meaning and producing positive outcomes from the flood of data that will inevitably come with IoT.

A2 It is critical to bring semantics to #IoT. Remove ambiguity across data from different sources. #chatHIT @SearchHealthIT
— Rasu Shrestha MD MBA (@RasuShrestha) July 23, 2015

A2: Semantics can bring a globally interpretable significance to data from #IoT #chatHIT @SearchHealthIT
— Rasu Shrestha MD MBA (@RasuShrestha) July 23, 2015

Rasu Shrestha, M.D., chief innovation officer at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and host for SearchHealthIT's #chatHIT tweetchat, previously pointed out to SearchHealthIT that there are obstacles galore when it comes to IoT in healthcare, including data management, privacy and security issues, and the lack of interoperability.

A2 Widespread adoption of #IoT devices needs support for end-to-end #interoperability between different devices. #chatHIT @SearchHealthIT
— Rasu Shrestha MD MBA (@RasuShrestha) July 23, 2015

A2 I fear we ain't seen nothing yet when it comes to challenges in #interoperability when it comes to #IoT! #chatHIT @WTBunting
— Rasu Shrestha MD MBA (@RasuShrestha) July 23, 2015

Next Steps

Learn more about healthcare IoT:

Improving the patient experience with IoT in healthcare

The potential of data analytics and healthcare IoT

Video: Emerging healthcare IoT technologies

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Kristen Lee asks:

How do you think healthcare IoT could be made scalable and affordable?

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Kristen Lee - 3 Aug 2015 6:29 AM

How do you think healthcare IoT could be made scalable and affordable?

abuell - 3 Jan 2016 11:05 AM

New technology always costs. My concern is that costs for healthcare services in the U.S. are already absolutely crazy, and as a healthcare consumer I don't want any more costs passed on to me.

agareev - 4 Jan 2016 10:12 AM

I see that line up of Twitter comments in the article and wonder: do they realize that it takes experimentation to form a standard? Right now it's the area of field studies that may produce results needed to set the standards.

Healthcare IOT standards will be key for scalability