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.
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 (or “Things”) at the “peak of inflated expectations” stage, 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 hopes, 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.
So how long until we reach a period where 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. Beyond profits and business development, the importance of location-enabled data lies in its potential to achieve efficiency across all industries.
Efficiency is particularly crucial 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. GE compares the Internet of Everything to the Industrial Revolution, a period marked by immense technological, manufacturing, and human–machine interaction advancements.
In 2014, the Tech Revolution has come to fruition with the help of mobile devices, cloud-based applications, and social media. Each technology has played a transformative role in defining and internationalizing modern networking and has created a demand for innovation. Nearly every industry is moving toward improving the immediacy and accuracy of interactions and services. The technology already helping healthcare achieve this efficiency is Real-Time Location Systems.
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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.
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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.
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