A Novel Architecture for Internet of Things Based E-Health Systems

Abstract

The emerging Internet of Things (IoT) technology has revolutionized existing medical devices to act smartly towards creating digital world related to health. IoT endeavors an enormous promise in the area of electronic health (e-health) where existing technologies have been deployed to provide rapid access to patient care. IoT based e-health systems involve significant technologies and connected things to monitor, identify, track, manage and store patients' information for ongoing healthcare. A mechanism is required that assures interoperability between devices for processing and use of resources in an efficient manner for the successful deployment of IoT within e-health. The study has coined a unique idea through an exclusive induction of e-governance layer in the concept and implementation of IoT based e-health systems. Therefore, the study targets to develop a novel architecture for incorporation of IoT in the e-health systems by intensively focusing its different layers i.e., sensing, application, transmission, fog and e-governance for having emphasis to get quick response and secured transmission with improved healthcare services. An exploratory study has been conducted to investigate existing literature regarding cutting-edge developments in the arena of e-health. The proposed IoT based e-health architecture is extremely impressive novelty with much comprehensiveness of the concept with the inclusion of very a crucial but previously unnoticed component of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) having its integration through blockchain technology. Another novelty has been presented with the idea of explicitly defining the e-governance layer that encompasses all layers of the proposed architecture in order to achieve quality healthcare services.