Editor’s note: Alena explains why it is worth supporting portable biosensors with a cloud application and shows how a high-quality cloud application can make sensors add more value through better data availability for medical staff and patients. If you are looking for a reliable vendor to offer an effective solution for your portable biosensors, check out ScienceSoft’s offer at medical device software development.
Recent studies show that the market for portable biosensors is growing and it will reach $ 2.86 billion for 2025. And my experience with portable devices and patient monitoring projects (e.g. in mobile heart rate monitoring app) shows that only producers of portable biosensors that augment their sensors with cloud applications will continue to be competitive in the growing market. However, many manufacturers are experiencing software-related technology gaps, so they are wary of adding a cloud app to their products, for fear of harming future users.
In the article, I explain why enriching your portable biosensors with a biosensor application in the cloud is a good idea, I refute the widespread concerns you may have about it and show how collaborating with a software vendor can be help with homework.
When I consult portable biosensor producers, I help them figure out if they should invest their time and money and expand into creating cloud-enabled applications with smart technology. In general, I mention the following benefits:
- By purchasing portable biosensors with a ready-to-use cloud application, end customers can integrate them with their clinical applications quickly and easily. Therefore, buyers do not have to look for a seller to create the necessary software and save a considerable amount of time and money. As a result, your product becomes more competitive in the market.
- The placement on the market of portable devices accompanied by a biosensor application in the cloud demonstrates maturity and experience in the sector and positively affects the image of the product and the company. This is a fruitful basis for sales growth, which will allow you to occupy the desired market share.
- A biosensor application in the cloud can help optimize the work of a portable device. For example, you can reduce power consumption alongside the software by controlling and adjusting the sampling rate and data transmission. As a result, portable devices will work without charging 50% more.
Below you can see the simplified architecture of a typical cloud application solution for portable biosensors that ScienceSoft offers to its customers. The standard IoT solution architecture is described in more detail in the article by my colleague Alex Grizhnevich.
The data collected by the biosensors passes directly to the HIPAA-compliant cloud biosensor application, where they are stored and analyzed. This cloud application feeds the analyzed patient data to the EHR systems of the care providers, where it can be accessed and managed. All data from the cloud biosensor application can be made available through web / mobile applications for patients / hospitals, making it easier to access clinical information for patients and medical staff.
You may have some concerns about developing a cloud application for your portable biosensors. For example, the most widespread concerns of ScienceSoft customers are concerned harming patients, violent personal data security, and bearing little awareness of the needs of the end customer. Let’s see how they can be mitigated in collaboration with a dedicated provider.
They are not likely to hurt patients
My clients are often concerned that incorrect data collection or errors in algorithms can lead to inaccurate actions of a portable device and incorrectly suggested treatment for patients. For example, the application connected to the portable glucometer detects an abnormal blood sugar level and warns the patient to inject insulin, but in fact, the blood sugar level is within normal limits.
First, I would like to point out that portable biosensor cloud applications should not replace physicians. Its main objectives are:
- Monitor patient activity and remote health conditions.
- Provide better visibility of patient data through live reporting.
- Appropriate notify a doctor about a possible problem increase the quality and speed of treatment.
However, data errors and low-quality algorithms can affect the quality of a physician’s decisions, in fact. To minimize this possibility, you can use recent advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data processing technologies to automate data recording / processing and support automatic monitoring with the help of a reliable provider. These technologies also help to achieve better sensor accuracy.
In addition, I insist on offering quality assurance at different levels (biosensor, data intake and algorithms). A comprehensive approach to quality control covering various types of testing (functional testing, performance testing, and compatibility testing) minimizes the possibility of harming patients.
Security issues are manageable
The problem of data security in the healthcare industry is acute, as, for example, the leakage of patient data can lead to large financial and reputational losses. To improve data security, I suggest adhering to one of the key well-formulated cybersecurity principles by Dmitry Kurskov, head of ScienceSoft’s information security department:
“Applying cybersecurity measures once and forgetting them forever is not a good strategy. The level of security of the system must be regularly monitored, evaluated, tested and improved. “
Below is a list of safety measures relevant to portable biosensor projects:
- Use security software architecture patterns first.
- Using the relevant permission settings.
- Regular performance vulnerability assessment and penetration testing.
- Continuous monitoring of the network.
Bad awareness of customer needs can be fixed
As my experience shows, it is difficult for portable biosensor producers to predict what functionality customers will need in portable sensor software, in addition to remote monitoring of patient health conditions and data collection and processing.
As a business analyst and healthcare IT consultant, I believe that a thorough analysis of user needs and prioritizing features can help make the solution work. establish viable. In addition, you should provide your portable biosensor software to meet the evolving needs and goals of healthcare organizations and their patients. Therefore, I advise you to make sure that your future biosensor application in the cloud can be easily customized so that buyers of portable devices can adjust the system to their particular requirements.
In fact, developing software ecosystems for portable biosensors is not an easy task that requires skills to build a secure, scalable IoT architecture, big data storage and analysis, cloud development, and more. I believe that with these competencies in place and with thoughtful software development and a quality control strategy, all important issues can be mitigated such as harming patients, violating the privacy of personal data and having little awareness of the needs. of the end customer. If you are not sure if your skills fit this list or if you want to know more details about how to avoid the main problems in your particular case, let me know.
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