The "MediBuddy" is an Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) device, designed to be kept in the home, that would facilitate improved TeleHealth visits by utilizing remote patient monitoring. This means that medical providers would be able to view accurate, phycological data in real-time, with reduced possibility for human error.

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is a practice that utilizes technology in order to facilitate the transmission of medical data from patients, outside of the traditional health care environment, to medical providers.

Remote patient monitoring through technology is a relatively new topic. Our research suggests that it first came into practice around 1999, with devices geared towards low power consumption and data transfers using radio waves. (Crumley et al.) These early devices would allow for simple maintenance activities to be performed remotely. An example would be some pacemakers that could be remotely accessed to assess battery power and operational status. Having the ability to monitor vitals in real-time without the inconvenience of an onsite medical facility visit offered patients the ability to continue their daily living activities while health professionals monitored their health status.

One early device, nicknamed the “Wearable Wireless Wonder,” was developed by a team of researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology. To ingest data, the team developed a fabric interwoven with conductive fibers and made it into a T-Shirt and utilized wireless technologies like Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 local area network protocols (Wolf). More useful applications for remote patient monitoring continue to be identified in various areas such as chronic diseases, heart failure, elderly care, and more recently as a diagnostic tool for the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is a growing array of medical devices that communicate with the internet as a means of transmitting information. These devices can be found in the form of wearable devices that can be taken home with a patient, or larger devices used in medical facilities to chage the way medical data is transferred.

Innovation into the Internet of Medical Things is truly just in its infancy, but it has opened a new realm of possibilities for integration that it al ready being widely used. The terminology only began to be used around 2014 and possible uses were already being widely theorized. One of the greatest concerns that has slowed the adoption of IoMT devices is the "What If" scenarios. When something as critical as human safety is on the line, IoMT devices potentially introduce a variety of additional risks, especially hacking. Early innovators were constantly met with pushback from the Medical Design field worried about the unknown risks of connecting medical devices to the internet. But the opportunity for medical advancement has been so great that these new risks have begun to be accepted. Security has not been completely disregarded however, "Developing methods with which to address device safety and security must be paramount for developers of these new technologies." (Fenske) And in the United States the FDA which regulates the development of medical devices ensures that they be rigorously tested before receiving approval.

Remote Patient Monitoring and Internet of Medical Things are becoming synonymous terms as their uses continue to expand. RPM has seem substantial use for monitoring elderly patients as well as patients with chronic illnesses. IoMT devices have become widespread enough that the high volume of data is becoming a concern in some situations.

A study out of Bucharest University published in July 2020 utilized a wearable internet of things (IoT) device that monitors temperature, heart rate, and GPS location to provide insight into users’ whereabouts in correlation to COVID outbreaks (Cacovean et al.). That research delved into the network processes, showing the variety of platforms that could potentially facilitate remote patient monitoring. As described above, Bluetooth and LAN connections have been historically used to provide connectivity for remote patient monitoring devices. The team from Bucharest University identified that Bluetooth and LAN are still relevant, but that new personal area network protocols like ZigBee and UltraWideband, along with WAN technologies are being frequently adopted. These network protocols offer lower power consumption in some cases, which is particularly useful in medical devices (Cacovean et al. pg. 76).

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5	Crumley, G. C., et al. “On the Design and Assessment of a 2.45 GHz Radio Telecommand System for Remote Patient Monitoring.” Medical Engineering & Physics, vol. 20, no. 10, Feb. 1999, pp. 750–55. ScienceDirect, doi:10.1016/S1350-4533(98)00083-6.
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11	Wolf, J. “Wearable Wireless Wonder. Remote Monitoring Transmits Data for Patient Assessment in the Field.” Health Management Technology, vol. 21, no. 12, Nelson Publishing Inc, Dec. 2000, pp. 30–31. 11141992.
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12	Cacovean, Dan, et al. “IoT System in Diagnosis of Covid-19 Patients.” Informatica Economica; Bucharest, vol. 24, no. 2, INFOREC Association, July 2020, pp. 75–89. ProQuest, doi:http://dx.doi.org.cobalt.champlain.edu/10.24818/issn14531305/24.2.2020.07.
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13	Fenske, Sean. “Design Innovation vs. The ‘What If?’” Medical Design Technology, vol. 18, no. 6, Advantage Business Media, Aug. 2014, pp. 6–6.
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