Vital signs act as an integral piece of communication for a clinician to understand a patient’s condition & disease severity. As patient monitors continuously observe and provide notifications in the case of a serious event, it is important that any anomalous values are alerted to clinicians and provide physiological input data to control connected life support devices in an emergency situation.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a Notice of Inquiry, as directed by the National Defence Authorization Act for FY2021, stating their interest in the management and regulation of connectivity for the Internet of Things, including meeting the needs of telehealth and remote patient monitoring platforms, as well as mHealth devices.
“As 5G wireless systems and low Earth orbiting satellites expand the availability of high-speed and high-capacity networks, we can expect the pace of innovation to increase…” Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in comments accompanying the notice. “Congress saw this very clearly and in the National Defense Authorization Act directed us to open an inquiry into the spectrum required to support the growth of IoT technologies,” she added.
The FCC promises availability to keep pace with demand for RPM. With more healthcare services being pushed out of the general healthcare setting and into remote locations, such as the home, connectivity becomes a significant issue – specifically as non-clinical platforms and devices seek access to the overall grid. If connectivity is in any way compromised, companies such as Telehealth and overall remote patient monitoring (RPM) will not be sustainable.
As these healthcare services are surfacing and considered “new”, and because the IoT is a developing concept, the timing seems right for a conversation on how connectivity could be regulated for healthcare uses. In synopsis, the Federal Communications Commission is clearing the path for telehealth providers to use the “Broadcast Internet” spectrum, providing more opportunities to expand their reach.
The FCC notice further discusses digital equity and inclusion – an integral aspect of a healthcare ecosystem. Encouraged by the rapid adoption of telehealth during & following the pandemic, healthcare providers are inferring as to how telehealth can assist underserved populations with access to care.
As Telehealth and RPM programs show a positive trajectory of growth whilst continuing to scale upwards, providers must be aware as to whether these connected devices and platforms will have a reliable path between the home and the hospital or clinicians office.
iData’s U.S. report includes unit sales, average selling prices, market growth, drivers and limiters, and a complete competitive analysis. Follow the link below to read more about the U.S. remote patient monitoring market which is a part of our U.S. patient monitoring device market report.
