How edge computing is pushing the boundaries of medicine

Edge computing has been one of the key digital transformations in recent years and it’s taking medicine in a new direction. The most forward-thinking organisations are adopting edge computing to help better analyse and collect data, and to improve the accuracy and speed of diagnoses.

Faster technologies like artificial intelligence and 5G are paving the way for edge computing systems to drive healthcare forward. Edge computing simplifies and automates data collection, and there’s a range of benefits for medical devices and the health care environment. Below, we discuss in more detail how edge computing is playing an integral role in medical treatments.

What is edge computing?

As digital technology has become more advanced, we’ve moved into the era of cloud computing. A large percentage of all companies now rely on cloud computing to access their platforms and applications. Cloud computing is fully established and an accepted approach for managing data – but “edge” is now on the rise. While edge computing isn’t exactly new, there’s been an increasing demand for edge computing in the past few years.

Edge computing is a form of computing that supports new applications near the source of the data, unlike the “cloud”, which relies on dozens of network centres to process data. With edge computing, organisations can reduce the need for large amounts of data between devices, applications and services, ensuring improved latency. All of this has major benefits for the healthcare and medical sectors.

Transforming healthcare

There’s huge potential for edge computing to drive advancements in medicine and create a truly interconnected healthcare system. While large-scale adoption of edge computing is years away, it’s already having an impact on healthcare. For example, many hospitals and healthcare institutions are using edge computing remote devices to quickly gather and analyse patient data.

This data can then be used for ultra-fast and more accurate diagnoses, quickly alerting doctors about any problems. Therefore, edge computing can enable real-time management of medical devices and automate the delivery of medicine. It’s the combination of IoT and edge computing applications that provide quality healthcare, overcoming connectivity issues that traditional databases often face. As a result, edge computing will create a more streamlined experience for patients and clinicians.

Data management and security

The rise of remote monitoring and IoT devices have led to an increase in data security threats. Healthcare data, in particular, is a prime target for cybercriminals due to the highly sensitive information. So, the massive amounts of data being produced by IoT devices present a major challenge for healthcare facilities.

However, edge computing can improve the security and protection of patient data . For example, there’s always been a challenge of transmitting data across countries due to the long distances. Edge computing minimizes transition time and ensures lower latency on a strong network. Reducing the distance of data transmission can lower the chances for cybercriminals to intercept it. Therefore, edge computing can pave way for the highest levels of medical security and regularity compliance.

Supply chain

Edge computing is also having a major impact on the medical supply chain. Having real-time data and analytics means organisations can optimise the supply chain and improve its effectiveness. For example, edge computing applications and IoT devices have the potential to redefine the way facilities manage their devices.

Using predictive analytics and big data can enable healthcare facilities and determine when problems are likely to occur in the hardware. The ability to track and monitor medical devices across the supply chain can give medical institutions a competitive advantage, as well as save costs. The healthcare industry can benefit massively from edge computing and it’s most certainly pushing the boundaries of medicine.

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