Khari
Meet Khari. He lives in New York. Khari has Type 1 diabetes and has been recently diagnosed with heart arrhythmia, which his doctor has asked him to monitor for a week to determine a baseline for his treatment.
Given his history, he works very hard to stay healthy. He eats well and exercises, and his doctor monitors his health to make sure that they catch any health issues early.
Click on each device to see how Khari and his doctor stay on top of his health.
Since Khari has a recent diagnosis of heart arrhythmia, he currently wears a continuous monitoring device. This device will continuously read Khari's electrocardiogram (ECG) data for a week, when he will visit the doctor to have it removed. The doctor will be able to download the data from the device to help determine what treatment is appropriate in the future.
Once Khari has finished the continuous-monitoring period, his doctor may prescribe a portable ECG device for him to use on a periodic basis. These devices are relatively inexpensive and record and report heart activity to an app on the user's phone when the user places one or two fingers (depending on the model) on the device.
Khari wears an over-the-counter activity tracker on his wrist. This device counts the steps that Khari takes and monitors his heart rate and blood oxygen levels, but is not as accurate as a medical-grade device. He uses it instead of a standard pedometer primarily because he finds it more comfortable.
Khari wears a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). A tiny sensor inserted under Khari's skin monitors his interstitial glucose levels every few minutes around the clock and sends this information to a monitor and to Khari's smartphone. Khari can view his interstitial glucose levels, that is the levels in the fluid that surrounds the cells of the tissue below his skin, with a quick glance. Khari needs to use a finger prick blood test only twice a day to ensure that readings on both devices are similar.
Khari's CGM sends him an alert when his glucose levels need to be adjusted. These real-time glucose level readings help Khari and his doctor make more informed choices about the types of food, physical activities and medication Khari needs on an ongoing basis; however, since glucose usually moves from the blood vessels and capillaries then into interstitial fluid, interstitial glucose levels generally lag blood glucose levels. Khari knows that he needs to respond to an indicator from his sensor immediately to ensure correct insulin levels.
Many companies now make "smart" insulin pens that can track dosage, keep automatic records of when and how much insulin they've dispensed, and keep insulin fresh much longer than single-use pens. When Khari gives himself insulin, his Bluetooth-enabled smart pen calculates the amount that he needs (known as the bolus) and sends the dose information to an app on his phone.
The router makes it possible for the data that IoMT devices transmit to be accessed. This makes router security essential in ensuring the safety of IoMT devices as well as other devices like computers, smart appliances, and smart security systems.
Many in-home health devices, especially those that use Bluetooth or WiFi, provide features that improve healthcare and increase the ability of healthcare providers to treat patients. These same features also increase the risk of potential cybersecurity threats. Medical devices, like other computer systems, can be vulnerable to security breaches, potentially impacting the safety and effectiveness of the device. Malicious actors exploiting security weak spots in the communication procedures of some gadgets could allow unauthorized sharing of personal data with third parties. These include online retailers and marketing agencies.
Since Khari's continuous ECG monitor only stores data and doesn't transmit, it is more difficult to hack and provides Khari's data more protection.
