The Power of IoT in Post-Market Surveillance

Introduction

The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) has brought about major changes in the world of medical devices. With the help of IoT technology medical device companies are now able to improve their post market surveillance efforts, resulting in better patient outcomes and increased regulatory compliance. The impact of IoT on medical devices and the benefits it brings to the industry are discussed in the following sections:

What is The Internet of Things (IoT)?

IoT, or the Internet of Things, is a technology that allows devices to connect and communicate with each other through the internet. In the context of healthcare, IoT is revolutionizing post-market surveillance of medical devices by enabling the seamless transfer of data between devices and healthcare providers in real time. Rekonnect is an innovative platform that provides post-market surveillance services for MedTech companies. This allows for safer medical devices which facilitate timely diagnosis and treatment, promoting the delivery of optimal care to patients.

The Future of Medical Device Post-Market Surveillance is IoT

Adopting digitalized processes to achieve post-market success

The Role of IoT in Post Market Surveillance

Monitoring medical devices after their release into the market to ensure their safety and effectiveness is a crucial aspect of the medical device industry called post-market surveillance. By using IoT, medical device companies can gather data on device usage, patient outcomes, and any adverse events that may occur. The collected data is then analyzed and used to enhance the design of medical devices and guarantee their safety and effectiveness. With the implementation of IoT technology, medical device companies can promptly detect potential problems with their devices, resulting in faster response times and improved patient outcomes.

Benefits of IoT for Medical Device Companies

IoT technology offers a variety of benefits to medical device companies, a few of which are highlighted below:

1. Improved Post Market Surveillance: By utilizing IoT technology, medical device companies can collect real-time data on device usage and patient outcomes, providing valuable insights that can be used to quickly identify potential issues and make necessary improvements. This proactive approach to device monitoring and improvement not only helps to ensure the safety and effectiveness of medical devices but also facilitates the delivery of high-quality healthcare services
2. Regulatory Compliance: Medical device companies are required to comply with strict EU Medical Device regulations governing the design, manufacture, and distribution of their products. IoT technology makes it easier for these companies to ensure compliance, as they can collect device usage and performance data and can then report on this data more easily.
3. Enhanced Patient Outcomes: Medical device companies can enhance the quality of patient care by leveraging data on device usage and patient outcomes to identify areas for device improvement. By analyzing this data, companies can pinpoint specific areas of their devices that require enhancement, such as usability or reliability. These improvements can lead to better patient outcomes and increased patient satisfaction, ultimately supporting the overall goal of providing safe and effective healthcare services.

According to GlobalData's forecast, the market for IoT platforms used by healthcare providers is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 4.6%, reaching $13.3 billion in 2025, up from $10.6 billion in 2020. Similarly, spending on IoT in the medical devices market is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 6.6%, reaching $0.8 billion in 2025, up from $0.6 billion in 2020.

IoT Vulnerabilities

The ultimate risk attached to IoT technology usage in healthcare and medical devices is lack of security and privacy. Use of IoT in these fields requires a large amount of data and information on a patient's personal records which leads to privacy violations as sometimes this data is obtained without the patient's consent. Each medical device which is connected to the internet poses a security risk which can lead to a security threat and data breach. This can undermine people's safety and lower customer satisfaction.