Another IoT-driven invention is the creation of virtual hospitals/wards. In hospitals ‘without walls’, outpatient and long-term care can be delivered to patients remotely. This frees up vital bed space for those patients who need more intensive care. In such a model, patients are equipped with medical devices like pulse oximeters- to measure oxygen saturation levels and armpit patches- to measure body temperature. The data gathered from these devices is then transmitted to the staff at the virtual hospital via an app on patients’ phones. The concept of virtual wards or virtual hospitals has been tried in various places like the UK, Australia, and the Middle East. Many of these attempts were due to the situation in the pandemic, forcing countries to utilize smart solutions. However, the successful running of these virtual wards has highlighted their potential of enabling remote care and easing the burden on hospitals in the longer term.
