We will be so interconnected through many interoperable devices such as personal health monitors and networks that in ten years, we won’t even notice their presence, says the findings of a study conducted by Pew Research. The report posed an open-ended question to 1,600+ technology experts about the future of the Internet.
The majority of respondents think that by 2025, “there will be a global, immersive, invisible, ambient networked computing environment” which will be achieved through the continually increasing use of smart sensors, cameras, software, databases, and massive data centers spanning the whole world, which will be known as The Internet of Things.
Many components of the network are already in use, for example, thermostats powered by mobile applications. The scope is not limited only to healthcare, but to other health and wellness-related devices like home and personal health monitors. These will allow people to stay connected to the Internet and constantly monitor their health, fitness and activities. “As you learn to live longer, the burden of care will reduce as a result of far better monitoring of, and response to, your physical and emotional state, in terms of healthcare,” said J.P. Rangaswami, chief scientist for Salesforce.com.
Technologists anticipate a lowering of costs and time associated with health data monitoring and diagnostics brought on by this “ubiquitous computing,” which will be necessary to meet the needs of aging baby boomers