The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Internet of Things holds promise for NHS board
Health: Seminar to hear technology could improve efficiency in Highlands
The Internet of Things (IoT) offers the potential to “save staff time and crucial resources” for NHS Highland, a seminar in Inverness will hear today.
Experts believe the technology, which allows hardware devices to connect remotely to the internet, collecting and transferring data between different appliances, can help tackle the challenges of providing health and social care across large areas such as the north.
Its possible applications in the area and other parts of the country will be the subject of today’s event, hosted by Censis, Scotland’s centre of excellence for sensor and imaging systems and IoT, and NHS Highland.
Leaders from the social care sector, local authorities and the NHS are expected to attend the seminar.
Censis said potential uses of IoT technology ranged from communication networks to help people live independently as long as possible to easy ways of tracking expensive portable pieces of equipment in hospital buildings.
NHS Highland innovation consultant Alan Whiteside said: “IoT will be crucial in improving the way we plan our estate in the NHS.
“From monitoring water temperature to alerting us when bacteria could be present to gathering data remotely so that staff don’t need to spend as much time travelling, the opportunities are vast.
“Given the size of our estate, being able to gather data remotely will save staff time and crucial resources for NHS Highland, all resulting in a better service for patients.”
Censis business development manager Stephen Milne added: “It’s appropriate that this event
“IoT will be crucial in improving the way we plan our estate”
be held in NHS Highland, which covers an area the size of Wales – making it the largest geographic health board in the UK.
“As such, it has unique challenges which IoT technology can help tackle.
“Increasing the efficiency of estates in the NHS and social care could improve sustainability and save public money.
“Understanding better how rooms are used, what buildings are in need of repair at an earlier stage, and being able to track expensive, portable assets are all real-world examples of where IoT could have a significant impact.”