A process modelling and analytic hierarchy process approach to investigate the potential of the IoT in health services

Abstract

E-health’s ultimate vision is to empower stakeholders, such as patients, families and societies to engage in the decision-making and management of their own health status. The proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to change the way that health services are designed, implemented and delivered. However, little research has been done to investigate the IoT potential in the health sector. The IoT represents a significant technological field with enormous implications for both patients and health organizations. This paper combines process modelling and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) multicriteria analysis method in order to investigate and assess the potential of the IoT in health services quality. First, this paper, utilizes process modelling in order to capture the workflow of delivering health services to patients. It suggests that workflow modelling provides the conceptual foundation for the systematic consideration of the opportunities stemming from the IoT deployment. Further, this paper utilizes the AHP, in order to measure the potential of the IoT opportunities that can be identified along the workflow, in terms of its contribution to health services quality. An AHP questionnaire was structured and data were collected and analyzed from a group of health care experts. The results advocate the wide use of IoT in health services and argue for the applicability of the suggested approach as a means for medical organizations to design and deliver quality health services.