IoT in healthcare can be defined as an interconnected system of various medical devices and sensors that healthcare organizations use for chronic disease management, remote monitoring, wellness, and preventive care. The concept of IoT in healthcare has revolutionized the way healthcare organizations interact with their patients and helps them in increasing operational efficiency and optimizing healthcare outcomes. The healthcare industry is undergoing a huge transformation in a bid to move toward affordable, accessible, and quality care. New applications and use cases, and the results of cutting edge technology innovations are being developed to address the changing industry needs. This model of healthcare, which heavily relies on patient participation, and subsequent data analysis by microprocessors and microcontrollers, is changing the way health services are delivered. The connectivity between sensors and devices enables healthcare organizations to streamline their clinical operations and workflow management, and aids in real-time patient care, even from remote locations.

Securing personal data and devices in an IoT system from manipulation or control by unauthorized entities is crucial to the healthcare market. Various solutions, such as PKI, encryptions, and other security measures are being implemented to secure healthcare IoT systems. IoT, along with cloud computing and big data, is creating lucrative opportunities in the healthcare sector. The increasing number of connected medical devices and the proliferation of smartphones have contributed significantly toward the growth of IoT security in healthcare. The reduced cost of care, improved healthcare outcomes, and evolution of high-speed networking technologies are driving the growth of IoT in the healthcare sector. With this growth, the occurrences of fraudulent activities are also increasing to counteract which several safety mechanisms, such as device authentication and management, secure communications, and DDoS protection are being deployed. Furthermore, concerns over patient data security and privacy are restricting the adoption of IoT in healthcare. These concerns are triggered by an alarming increase in cyber threats, such as hackers gaining access to a patient’s medical records. IoT solution providers are prioritizing digital security for medical devices and software within the IoT infrastructure to tackle these threats. Lack of common standards on governance or interoperability is another factor that limits the adoption of IoT in healthcare. Various alliances and organizations are joining forces to eradicate or minimize interoperability issues and streamline further product development.