IoT has massive potential in healthcare, from fitness trackers to funeral directors. Yet other industries are much quicker to see the core value proposition. Consider that a hospital, like an airport, is a small city. Compare how both sectors operate to move people through a system. It is a valid comparison, as we shall see.
Locatery
What are the pain points? Well, a really big one for hospitals is losing bits of equipment. Whether it is the stealing of medical supplies, spoilage of vast quantities of food or simply losing track of piles of expensive equipment, hospitals are chronic cases. In comparision airports are locked down tighter than Adolf’s Berlin bunker. IoT is superb at real-time tracking. Airports are a crucible for video, x-ray, documentation and people tracking across multiple vectors.
Beds
Another easy crossover is the airport hotel and your overnight stay. While a hospital might not be characterised as a pleasant stopover, the basic service is very similar. The option to check in anytime, pay online and expect a clean, well turned down bed, with a potentially decent meal might not be the expectation, but it can be delivered.
You might think the comparison is a cheap shot at hospital catering, but it is not that. It is about the ability of a genuinely sick person to get a bed, amid a slew of randomised, competing priorities and ward politics. This is logistics optimization disguised as healthcare innovation.
Alarm Calls
This one is tricky; nurse fatigue, medication rounds and persistent alarm calls. Depending on the ward you work on, this can be a constant nightmare or passing phases. Psych units sometimes have very dangerous intoxicated individuals in close proximity who are a danger to nursing staff, themselves and others.
Airports deal with that issue early, but hospital staff “manage” what comes through the door. Staff security training in airports is high level and consistent. Don’t miss the key point that “being forewarned is being forearmed, ” airport security measures rely on a screen of connected technologies. They’ve pulled your history long before you become a terminal case.
Parking
We already addressed the “city” aspect. Consider that parking at airports is usually good and a big revenue driver, but hospitals seem to create chaos for highly stressed “users.” It might be the city center locations, but not always. We can easily fly from ambulances to airside vehicles. Ambulances are fleet vehicles, so they rely on consistent maintenance schedules and secure parking facilities. It stands to reason that you would develop an overall vehicle management strategy around speed of movement for all parties.
Forms and Billing
Documentation and self service processing is often a headache in hospitals. Much airport related documentation has been transferred to the client, including the “risk” associated with incorrect form filling. Payment, billing and documentation for patients (and insurers) is an area where hospitals can make massive strides. It is not just in the admin side, it is in automated tracking tools; the frequency of use for equipment, addressing staff costs, adjusting room fees, medication costs & supplies, based on real-time tracking.
Conclusion
IoT resolves the big pain points by making hospitals:
🟦 Observable instead of chaotic
🟦 Predictive instead of reactive
🟦 Transparent instead of foggy
🟦 Efficient instead of wasteful
🟦 Patient-centric instead of process-centric
