Interoperable Internet of Medical Things platform for e-Health applications

Abstract

The development of information and telecommunication technologies has given rise to new platforms for e-Health. However, some difficulties have been detected since each manufacturer implements its communication protocols and defines their data formats. A semantic incongruence is observed between platforms since no common healthcare domain vocabulary is shared between manufacturers and stakeholders. Despite the existence of standards for semantic and platform interoperability (e.g. openEHR for healthcare, Semantic Sensor Network for Internet of Medical Things platforms, and machine-to-machine standards), no approach has combined them for granting interoperability or considered the whole integration of legacy Electronic Health Record Systems currently used worldwide. Moreover, the heterogeneity in the large volume of health data generated by Internet of Medical Things platforms must be attenuated for the proper application of big data processing techniques. This article proposes the joint use of openEHR and Semantic Sensor Network semantics for the achievement of interoperability at the semantic level and use of a machine-to-machine architecture for the definition of an interoperable Internet of Medical Things platform.