The Internet Of Everything For Healthcare
The article discusses how Gartner's hype cycle places Big Data and the Internet of Everything at a peak of inflated expectations, highlighting Cisco's prediction of IoE generating trillions in economic value by 2020 and beyond, while emphasizing the transformative potential of IoE in healthcare through smart hospitals that enhance patient care by integrating people, processes, data, and things, likening this technological shift to a modern Industrial Revolution driven by mobile, cloud, and social innovations.
The recent Economist post, "Technohyperbole," examines IT analyst Gartner's annual "emerging technologies hype cycle"—a model that places new innovations on a timeline based on factors such as overall awareness, readiness/usability, and market penetration. This year's research places Big Data and the Internet of Everything (IoE), or "Things," in the "peak of inflated expectations" stage. This stage is defined as a period when early publicity produces a number of success stories—often accompanied by many failures. Some companies take action; many do not.
Cisco has high expectations, predicting that the Internet of Things will generate about $19 trillion USD by 2020, and double that amount over the next 10 years in combined savings and new revenue. The question remains: how long until we reach a period where truly everything can be or will be tracked by the Internet?
Perhaps the true excitement and usefulness of Big Data and the Internet of Everything are not yet fully understood by the general public. The concept of tracking "everything" can be unsettling for some. Beyond profits and business development, the real value of location-enabled data lies in the potential to achieve efficiency across all industries.
Efficiency is particularly important in healthcare. Smart or "wired" hospitals can substantially improve patient care by embracing ideas associated with the Internet of Everything. According to Cisco, the Internet of Everything Economy involves the interactions of four main categories: people, process, data, and things. For doctors and hospitals, the mobility of ideas, communication, and resources enables a greater focus on what truly matters: patient care.
Innovation leaders like GE compare the Internet of Everything to the Industrial Revolution, a period marked by immense growth in technology, manufacturing, and human-machine interaction. In 2014, the Tech Revolution has come to fruition with the help of mobile devices, cloud-based applications, and social media. Each of these technologies has played a transformative role in defining and internationalizing modern networking, creating a demand for further innovation.
In nearly every industry, there is a movement toward improving the immediacy and accuracy of interactions and services. In healthcare, the technology already helping to achieve this efficiency is Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS).
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The Internet of Everything for Healthcare is Already Here
The article discusses how the Internet of Everything, currently at the "peak of inflated expectations" according to Gartner's hype cycle, is poised to revolutionize healthcare by enabling smart hospitals that leverage interconnected people, processes, data, and devices to enhance patient care efficiency, with Cisco predicting massive economic impact and GE likening this technological shift to the Industrial Revolution.
What Is RTLS?
Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) in healthcare use IoT technologies like infrared, RFID, Wi-Fi, and BLE to track and manage the real-time location of patients, staff, and equipment within medical facilities, improving workflow efficiency, safety, and quality of care by providing precise location data through badges or sensors communicating with location servers and software dashboards.
About CenTrak
CenTrak is a leading healthcare technology company specializing in real-time location systems (RTLS) that enhance safety and efficiency across healthcare enterprises by providing actionable location and environmental data, supported by a diverse expert team, a strong commitment to sustainability through extensive recycling and energy conservation efforts, and recognized by multiple industry awards including Best in KLAS and IoT Health & Wellness Company of the Year in 2024.
CenTrak at Mackenzie Health: Canada's First Smart Hospital
CenTrak's real-time location system at Mackenzie Health's Cortolucci Vaughan Hospital, Canada's first smart hospital, enhances patient care and staff efficiency by enabling real-time tracking of medical equipment, staff, and patients, integrating seamlessly with clinical workflows to improve safety, operational management, and clinical outcomes.
The Secret To Gaining Staff Buy In For RTLS
The article explains that gaining staff buy-in for Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS) in healthcare hinges on clear communication to dispel myths and demonstrate benefits such as enhanced staff protection through discreet emergency alerts, improved efficiency via accurate location tracking, and better documentation of response times, all of which contribute to safer, more efficient patient care environments.
7 Tips to Improve Patient Flow in Hospitals
The article discusses how hospitals can enhance patient flow—the efficient movement of patients from arrival to discharge—by leveraging IoT technologies and strategies such as real-time location systems integrated with electronic health records, which reduce wait times, improve care quality, decrease costs, and increase staff satisfaction, exemplified by Oregon Medical Group's successful implementation of CenTrak's patient flow software to optimize workflow despite challenging facility layouts.