Applications and Challenges of Cloud Integrated IoMT

Abstract

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) refers to the medical devices and applications that connect healthcare information technology (IT) systems via computer networks. This chapter focuses on different aspects including the strengths, weakness, prospects and challenges of the IoMT integrated cloud computing. First of all, a gap analysis has been performed which indicates that there are some limitations in the existing computation capability, communication protocols, scalability, infrastructure, data security, etc. of IoMT. Secondly, different characteristics of cloud computing including resource polling, on demand services, access network, and security as well as privacy issues are discussed. Thirdly, a framework for IoT healthcare network (IoThNet) is presented which illustrates how hospitals at access layer can collect user information at data persistent layer. Next, the local storage and cloud storage platforms of IoThNet are briefly explained. A communication system is described then where a patient is monitored by the transmission of medical data via the wearable sensors on the patient. We propose a cloud integrated IoMT framework and compare it with the existing frameworks reported in the literature. Patients and their relatives, doctors can use this framework to get the health status of the patients and get alert in case of emergency conditions. Next discussion is provided on a number of healthcare services for instance adverse drug reaction, and on healthcare applications such as glucose level sensing and wheelchair management. A description is also provided on how IoMT can help support different diseases with the help of sensors for example, glucose, pulse, temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, force, etc. sensors. Finally, smartphone applications (apps) for diagnosis, drug reference, medical education and clinical communication are reported.