The Future of "Smart" Medical Devices

In today’s blog, I wanted to touch on the topic of “smart” medical equipment. Recently, I was reading an article posted on Sioux City Journal entitled “Smart Infusion Pumps help prevent medication errors” and it got me thinking, when exactly will “smart” devices become completely commonplace.  These days, you can watch Netflix on your iPad, select from an endless archive of novels on your Kindle, record every step you take on your smartwatch, or even Facetime from your smartphone. Unless you are a professional photographer, chances are your only camera now a day is the one on your phone. It is safe to say that technology never seems to slow down. In fact, in my opinion, it seems to be speeding up. How many of you bought the iPhone 3 the first day it was available for preorder only to hear about Apple already planning the drop of the iPhone 4, then the 4s and so on.

Having stated the above, how long do you think it will be before “smart” medical devices replace the current, dare I say “dumb”, ones being predominantly used at this time? After all, very few people these days are carrying around library cards when they have their brand new Kindle Fire. Even less people seem to be purchasing cameras when they can easily access the ever-improving one on their phone. I know that these “smart” medical devices have already started becoming slightly more common in hospitals, but my question is this, “when will “smart” medical devices be as common place in hospitals and healthcare facilities as iPhones are in the general public?”

Click here to read the entire article “Smart Infusion Pumps help prevent medication errors” for a great insight on how “smart” infusion pumps are protecting patients by preventing fatal medication errors.