Internet of Things (IoT) is not a new term. Nearly 20 years ago an MIT professor described a world where “things” are connected and able to share data. In healthcare, IoT is not a technology trend on the horizon, it is 
here today, and having an enormous impact on the healthcare industry.
Ninety percent of all of the world’s data has been generated the last two years and that statistic will be blown away in 2015 and the years to come as the IoT continues to grow. In fact, Gartner, Inc. forecasts that 4.9 billion connected things will be in use in 2015, up 30% from 2014, and will reach 25 billion by 2020. Leveraging the invaluable insights enabled by the connection of these devices is what the Internet of Things is all about.
IoT is a powerful force transforming the way healthcare organizations do business by allowing them to leverage the cloud to reduce operational costs and generate valuable data-driven insights. IoT starts with the data, devices and services within a healthcare organization including EHRs, claims and financial systems. The data from these various sources is combined with new sources of data like wearable devices and in-home monitors, providing a complete patient view across the entire continuum of care. Healthcare organizations are using the cloud to leverage the IoT to reduce operational costs with predictive maintenance and real-time monitoring of medical devices and to lower readmission rates with predictive insights that identify patients who need additional clinical intervention.
Healthcare organizations that implement a strategy to leverage the Internet of Things will improve efficiencies by spending less time managing processes and systems and more time delivering high-quality and cost-effective patient care. Check out 10 Trends Impacting Healthcare in 2015
