Comprehensive Up-to-Date Impact of the IoMT in Healthcare and Patients

Health Informatics - An International Journal (HIIJ) Vol.13, No.3, August 2024
DOI : 10.5121/hiij.2024.13301 1
COMPREHENSIVE UP-TO-DATE IMPACT OF THE
IOMT IN HEALTHCARE AND PATIENTS
Guy Mouanda
Computer Science and Informatic Oakland University, Rochester MI
ABSTRACT
The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is a quickly expanding field that intends to develop the features,
effectiveness, and availability of healthcare services by applying numerous technologies to gather and
diffuse medical data. IoMT devices incorporate wearable sensors, implantable devices, smart home
methods, telemedicine policies, and mobile applications. IoMT applications range from chronic disease
administration, remote patient monitoring, emergency response, and clinical decision support to health
promotion and wellness. This paper aligns on the advantages, defies, and outlook directions of this
developing domain. The paper also examines the ethical, legal, and social implications of IoMT, as well as
the possible risks and vulnerabilities of the IoMT environment.
1. INTRODUCTION
The Internet of Things (IoT) can be explained as a term that labels the network of physical
objects implanted with sensors, and communication resources, granting them the ability to
substitute data and proceed together with other devices, structures, and humans. IoT has been
instructed in numerous domains, such as smart cities, smart agriculture, smart manufacturing, and
smart transportation. He has exponentially grown to approximately 10 billion connected IoT
devices at present, with a predicted increase to about 25 billion by 2025. [1] One of the most
certifying and impactful fields of IoT is the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), which examines
the network of organized devices, sensors, and software that gather and communicate medical
data. IoMT has the potential to reform the health care segment by granting advanced solutions for
the diagnosis, treatment, anticipation, and management of numerous health conditions. IoMT can
also improve patient involvement, decrease the health care costs, and advance health results and
quality of life of individuals and populations.
According to a report by Grand View Research, the global IoMT market size was valued at USD
44.21 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of
21.2% from 2024 to 2030.[2] The growth of IoMT is motivated by numerous aspects, such as the
growing prevalence of chronic diseases, the mature population, the increasing request for remote
healthcare services, the development of wireless technologies, the propagation of smart devices,
and the rise of big data and artificial intelligence.
Therefore, IoMT is a complicated and multidisciplinary area that needs the partnership and
management of diverse stakeholders, such as scientists, designers, contributors, regulators, and
users. This paper aims to give a complete and up-to-date indication of the IoMT field, covering
its primary applications, enabling technologies, the ethical, legal, and social implications of
IoMT, and open issues. Furthermore, the paper recounts some smart future directions for IoMT
research, such as edge computing, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and 6G. The paper is
planned as follows: Section 2 presents the main applications of IoMT in healthcare; Section 3
describes the enabling technologies of IoMT; Section 4 discusses the open issues and challenges

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of IoMT; Section 5 talks about a benefit of IoMT, Section 6 highlights some future directions for
IoMT research; and Section 7 concludes the paper and gives some recommendations
2. THE MAIN APPLICATIONS OF IOMT
In this section, we will investigate some of the primary applications of IoMT in healthcare, such
as remote patient monitoring, chronic disease management, telemedicine, smart hospitals, and
wearable devices. In the healthcare area, IoMT has many applications in which remote/self-health
monitoring of numerous fundamental purposes such as heart rate, skin temperature, movement
monitoring [3], monitoring of usual health conditions, nutrition status, and recovery of elderly or
contaminated patients are more prominent to an improvement in life expectancy and a reduction
in illness and death. [4]
2.1. Remote Patient Monitoring
Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is the use of IoMT devices to trace and transfer patients' vital
signs, warning signs, and actions from their homes or supplementary spots to their healthcare
providers. RPM can decrease the requirement for hospital appointments, reduce healthcare costs,
and increase patient results and compensation. Examples of RPM tools are blood pressure checks,
glucose meters, pulse oximeters, electrocardiograms, and smart scales. These tools can send out
real-time data to the cloud, where it can be saved and investigated by healthcare specialists, and
then run feedback, warnings, or involvements as required.
2.2. Chronic Disease Management
Chronic disease management (CDM) is the use of IoMT tools to support patients in their long-
term health situations, such as diabetes, asthma, heart failure, or chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease. CDM can enhance patients' faithfulness to cure proposes avoid barriers and improve
their condition of life. Examples of CDM devices are insulin pumps, inhalers, medication
dispensers, and smart patches. These devices can supervise patients' dose intake, symptoms, and
biomarkers, and specify remembrances, notices, or modifications as needed. They can also
associate with mobile apps or web portals, where patients can retrieve their health data, talk with
their providers, and obtain training and help.
2.3. Telemedicine
Telemedicine is the use of IoMT devices to facilitate remote discussion, analysis, and healing
between patients and healthcare providers. Telemedicine can improve the availability and cost-
effectiveness of healthcare examination, specifically for rural, aging, or deprived populations.
Examples of telemedicine devices are digital stethoscopes, otoscopes, thermometers, and
cameras. These devices can obtain and transfer best-excellence audio and video data to the
providers, who can then investigate, assess, and specify prescriptions or recommendations as
demanded. They can likewise apply telemedicine platforms, such as video conferencing,
messaging, or chatbots, to cooperate with the patients and give assistance and advice.
2.4. Smart Hospitals
Smart hospital technologies involve the use of IoMT devices to improve the surgical procedures,
workflows, and ecosystems of healthcare areas. Smart hospitals can increase the security,
effectiveness, and excellence of healthcare services, as well as the happiness and arrangement of
patients and staff. Some examples of smart hospital devices are smart beds, infusion pumps,

3
surgical robots, and ecological sensors. These devices can screen and modify the patients'
environments, medications, and relaxation levels, as well as the hospital's warmth, lighting, and
air circulation. They can also link with each other and with the hospital's information structures,
such as electronic health records, record supervision, and security systems, to match up and plan
responsibilities and actions. It is distinguished that by making the hospitals ‘smart’ equipment
expenses might also be decreased due to the early discovery of irregularities that could distress
the accuracy of exact interpretations from the medical devices, which could then lead to advanced
maintenance expenses.[5]
2.5. Wearable Devices
The use of IoMT devices can be worn on the body, such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart
glasses, and smart dressing, which are described as wearable devices. Individual health data like
physical motion, heart rate, sleep quality, and stress levels can be gathered and evaluated with
wearable devices. They can also facilitate users upgrading their health and wellness by granting
feedback, proposals, or involvements. When a smart necklace notices a poor position it sends a
notice to the user's smartphone, having a mobile app to fix his or her posture. [6] Wearable
devices can also link to other IoMT devices, such as smartphones, tablets, or smart speakers, to
improve their functionality and user capability.
3. ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES OF IOMT
In this section 3, we will sketchily propose some of the important supporting technologies of
IoMT, such as wireless communication, cloud computing, edge computing, artificial intelligence,
and blockchain.
3.1. Wireless Communication
Wireless communication is the spine of IoMT, as it allows the devices and sensors to connect
with each other and with the cloud or edge servers. Wireless communication can be categorized
into two categories: short-range and long-range. Short-range communication is a technology that
enables communication within a local area network (LAN), such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ZigBee,
and Near Field Communication (NFC). These technologies are appropriate for low-power, low-
cost, and low-data-rate applications, such as wearable devices, implantable devices, and smart
home devices. Long-range communication authorizes communication over a wide area network
(WAN), such as cellular networks, satellite networks, and low-power wide-area networks
(LPWANs). These technologies are appropriate for high-data-rate, high-dependability, and high-
exposure applications, such as remote monitoring, telemedicine, and smart city devices.
3.2. Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is a technology that assists in the integrated adaptation, treatment, and study of
the data collected by IoMT devices and sensors. Cloud computing proposes various advantages
for IoMT, such as scalability, flexibility, accessibility, and cost-efficiency. Cloud computing can
also facilitate highly developed analytics and artificial intelligence functions, such as data
mining, machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing, that can obtain
appreciated perceptions and information from the data. Nonetheless, cloud computing also has
some restrictions for IoMT, such as inactivity, bandwidth, defense, and confidentiality. Cloud
computing compels the data to be collected over the internet, which can establish delays, use
system resources, and leak the data to possible attacks and violations. Consequently, cloud

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computing alone may not be enough for some IoMT applications that demand real-time, low-
latency, and secure data management and decision-making.
3.3. Edge Computing
Edge computing is the technology that grants the storage, management, and investigation of the
data at the periphery of the network, near the source of the data. Edge computing can match cloud
computing by focusing on some of its restrictions for IoMT. Edge computing can decrease the
potential, bandwidth, and security dangers of data communication, as well as facilitate local and
context-aware data handling and assessment. Edge computing can also augment the consistency,
flexibility, and independence of the network, as it can work separately from the cloud in case of
network collapses or troubles. Edge computing can be applied by numerous devices and stages,
such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, gateways, routers, and servers, that can act as edge nodes
and deliver the essential computation, storage, and communication competencies for the IoMT
devices and sensors.
3.4. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the technology that presents the intelligence, learning, and reasoning
proficiencies for the IoMT devices, sensors, and functions. Artificial intelligence can be used in
numerous purposes and structures for IoMT, such as data combination, data density, data quality
valuation, data anomaly detection, data organization, data forecast, data visualization, data
reference, data feedback, and data action. Artificial intelligence can also assist in various
treatments and services for IoMT, such as diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prevention, wellness,
education, and investigation. Artificial intelligence can be functional at dissimilar stages of the
IoMT network, such as the device level, the edge level, and the cloud level, subject to data
accessibility, data difficulty, data privacy, and data expectancy constraints. AI can enable
discovery, large-scale screening, monitoring, resource provision, and prediction of potential
interactions with the new anticipated therapies. [7]
3.5. Blockchain
Blockchain is the technology that supports the dispersed record, agreement, and cryptography
methods for the IoMT network. Blockchain can recommend some advantages for IoMT, such as
security, privacy, faith, clarity, and liability. Blockchain can guarantee the confidence and
discretion of the data by encrypting it and saving it in a distributed and permanent record that is
allocated and proved by the network users. Blockchain can also warrant the confidence and
clarity of the information by presenting a visible and auditable record of the data dealings and
procedures that appear in the network. Each record contains a cryptographic hash of the previous
records to chain the records together and make them resistant to modifications.[8] Blockchain can
also make sure the liability of the data by allowing smart agreements and inspirations that can
inflict the rules, policies, and contracts of the data revealing and control between the members of
structures.
4. ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
This section presents the risks, vulnerabilities, challenges, and issues of the Internet of Medical
Things. IoMT poses significant challenges that need to be addressed, such as data security,
privacy, regulation, and ethical issues.

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 Data security and privacy: IoMT mechanisms create and diffuse significant quantities of
complex health information, which can be susceptible to cyberattacks, data violations,
unlawful approaches, and exploitation. IoMT devices also increase privacy worries, as
patients may not have maximum control or knowledge of how their data is stored, shared,
and used, and by whom. IoMT devices may also cause threats of identity theft, fraud,
discrimination, and abuse. Due to the sympathetic nature of the information it contains
about a person's health, it is very vital to keep healthcare data protected and stop
unapproved people from gaining access to your network. [9]
 Data consistency: IoMT devices frequently run on diverse policies, rules, and designs,
which can delay the incorporation and interchange of information between diverse devices,
coordination, and stakeholders. IoMT devices also lack conventional principles and
regulations for data excellence, authenticity, consistency, and equivalence. This can impact
the truth, entirety, and usability of the data and limit the capabilities of data analytics and
artificial intelligence.
 Data regulation and governance: IoMT mechanisms are exposed to dense, and changing
governing and lawful frameworks, which alter across nations and regions. IoMT devices
also increase
 Moral and social concerns, such as data proprietorship, permission, responsibility,
precision, dependence, and justice. IoMT devices complement and provide steady
guidelines and methods for data gathering, storage, communicating, and use, as well as for
data safety, accordance, and management.
 Accountability and liability: Internet of Medical Things tools encounter complex
accountability and liability situations and involve relationships between humans and
machines, which can establish uncertainty and doubt about who is accountable and liable
for the significance of the devices. For example, if an IoMT device crashes or fails due to a
design fault, a software bug, a human error, a cyberattack, or a natural disaster, who should
be held responsible and accountable for the losses or damages produced by the device?
How can causality and fault be decided and developed in such events? How can the rights
and advantages of the users and the sufferers be covered and rewarded?
 Equity and justice: IoMT devices can establish new prospects and benefits for some
groups of people, but also new dangers and damages for others. For example, IoMT
devices can increase the approach and affordability of healthcare for people in remote or
underserved zones, but they can also aggravate the digital divide and the health inequalities
for people who lack the income or knowledge to use the devices. IoMT devices can
likewise facilitate identified and protective healthcare for people, but they can also create
additional methods of prejudice and humiliation based on the information gathered and
evaluated by the devices. How can the advantages and damages of IoMT devices be spread
honestly and rightly among different groups of people? How can the beliefs and favorites
of users and society be displayed and respected in the design and distribution of IoMT
devices?
These are a portion of the major moral, legal, and social ramifications of IoMT that involve
significance and reflection by all partners engaged with the turn of events, guidelines, and
utilization of IoMT gadgets. The challenges and prospects in the IoMT field are continually
shifting and increasing. Akhbarifar et al. (2020) explained a lightweight block encryption
technique for remote health monitoring with conditions for the security of health and medical
data in a cloud-based IoMT setting. [10]

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The field is still developing. Consequently, it is vital to encourage a cooperative and
multidisciplinary way to deal with and address the moral, legitimate, and social issues of IoMT
and guarantee that IoMT gadgets are planned and utilized in a capable, reliable, and useful way
for the individual and the public.
5. BENEFITS OF IOMT
This section provides a brief overview of IoMT benefits. Developed patient commitment and
authorization: IoMT gadgets can permit patients to watch their personal health specifications,
read their health histories, correspond with their health care providers, and contribute to their
personal care choices. IoMT gadgets can also plan feedback, learning, and incentives for patients
to follow their medicine proposals and implement healthy behaviors. Many IoMT improvements,
rights, and healthcare resolutions may probably benefit healthcare routines [11]. IoMT can
suggest countless advantages for health care, such as:
 Developed excellence and effectiveness of care: IoMT gadgets can grant real-time, true,
and inclusive information on patients' health significance, warning signs, medicine
obedience, and response to interferences. This can facilitate health care providers to detect,
handle, and block diseases, as well as to raise care paths and resource provision. IoMT
devices can also enable remote care release, dropping the necessity for hospital
appointments and charges and refining admission and accessibility for patients and
providers.
 Decreased health care budgets and waste: IoMT devices can decrease healthcare budgets
by permitting immediate revealing and involvement, dropping hospitalizations and
readmissions, developing care organizations, and decreasing mistakes and repetition. IoMT
gadgets can also facilitate lower healthcare waste by reducing the use of unnecessary
analyses, trials, and medicines and by adjusting the application of healthcare tools and
infrastructure.
6. FUTURE DIRECTIONS OF IOMT
This section highlights the future direction of the IoMT and presents some essential issues and
allegations for healthcare stakeholders. IoMT is still growing and confronts indecision about its
future directions and waves, IoMT is still a promising and vibrant field, that is persuaded by
numerous issues, such as technological improvement, marketplace challenges, consumer
inclinations, health care needs, and governing and guidelines improvements. Some of the viable
future directions of IoMT are:
 Enhanced acceptance and diffusion of IoMT gadgets: IoMT devices are presumed to be
more extensive and varied, as extra health care providers, payers, patients, and users
accept and use them for several objectives and venues. IoMT gadgets are also estimated
to develop additional reasonable, available, and user-friendly, option as well as more
included and interoperable devices and systems.
 Improved functionality and intelligence of IoMT gadgets: IoMT devices are predicted to
become more innovative and classier as they integrate new structures and abilities, such
as biometrics, biosensors, nanotechnology, robotics, 3D printing, and amplified and
virtual reality. IoMT gadgets are also believed to become smarter and more independent,
as they control information analytics and artificial intelligence to grant extra
personalized, analytical, and regulatory health care solutions.

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 Developed capacity and power of IoMT devices: IoMT devices are assumed to have
expansive and meaningful effects on healthcare as they facilitate new prototypes and
styles of care distribution, such as correctness medicine, population health, and value-
based care. IoMT devices are similarly anticipated to have broader and deeper
inplications for health care, as they touch on the roles and relations of healthcare
stakeholders, the quality and products of health care, and the health and well-being of
individuals and groups.
Another future direction of IoMT is to implement a security-by-proposal philosophy and models
for IoMT gadgets, such as encryption, authentication, and patching. Apply strong guiding
principles and procedures for data security and privacy, such as educated permission, data
minimization, and anonymization. Obtain successful power and oversee processes for IoMT
devices, such as certification, auditing, and reporting. Instruct and teach consumers and workers
about the advantages and threats of IoMT gadgets, as well as the best methods for their use and
protection. Final steering; nonstop investigation and assessment of influence and consequences
of IoMT devices, as well as the developing risks and encounters.
The sixth generation of wireless technology, or 6G, is predicted to be available in the 2030s, and
it will pose outstanding abilities for IoMT. 6G will facilitate ultra-high-speed, ultra-low-latency,
ultra-reliable, and ultra-massive interaction, as well as improved aspects such as artificial
intelligence, holography, and quantum computing. 6G will also strengthen new models of
networking, such as terahertz, orbital, and underwater communication, as well as their
combination with satellite and drone techniques. 6G and IoMT will transform healthcare in the
future, by allowing new and better-quality applications and situations that will improve the
quality, competence, and convenience of healthcare services, as well as the authorization and
well-being of patients and providers.
7. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
IoMT is a quickly changing and growing field that suggests excellent prospects and argues for
health care and humanity. IoMT gadgets and applications can raise the supremacy, availability,
and effectiveness of health care, as well as persuade patients and health care providers with
supplementary, identified, and appropriate data and involvements. Conversely, IoMT furthermore
proposes substantial ethical, legal, and social encounters that demand to be talked about by
several stakeholders, such as healthcare professionals, patients, regulators, manufacturers, and
researchers. These challenges comprise warranting the safety, security, and dependability of
IoMT devices and applications; protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and agreement of health
data; ensuring the fairness, accountability, and transparency of IoMT algorithms and decisions;
appreciating the independence, self-respect, and favorites of patients and health care providers;
and matching the profits and dangers of IoMT for individuals and society. IoMT needs a
multidisciplinary and cooperative style that includes ethical, legal, and social analysis, valuations,
and governance, as well as public engagement and teaching, to warrant that IoMT is advanced
and used in an accountable, beneficial, and supportable way. One way to improve the quality of
care given to patients and their general health is to employ the handful of pieces of medical
technology and applications that have been barely built for the medical field. [12]
Some of the suggestions for future research and advancement of the IoMT are:
 Extend and approve mutual specifications, procedures, and structures for the IoMT to
ensure data interoperability, compatibility, and quality.
 Employ and impose strong security and privacy rules for the IoMT to defend data
confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

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 Construct and estimate user-centric and human-centric IoMT results to guarantee user
belief, compensation, and confidence.
 Investigate and direct the moral, social, and legal consequences of the IoMT to confirm
user self-respect, independence, and integrity.
 Cooperate and align with several participants, such as patients, providers, researchers,
developers, regulators, and policymakers, to guarantee the configuration of the IoMT
with the requirements, prospects, and beliefs of the society.
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