Internet of Things and smart objects for m-health monitoring and control

Abstract

Internet of Things combined with Radio Frequency IDentification technology enable a whole new context for smart objects that are able to combine their physical and virtual existences. Radio Frequency IDentification, putting an identification label into every object, enables a smart system to get information, either real-time or virtual-linked information, without any physical contact. Information retrieved from such an object, turns it into a potential smart object, certainly able to auto identify itself and, if security problems are suitably treated, most probably able to connect to the global Internet. This way, one can get an ubiquitous framework to access, monitor and control any of those smart objects over an Internet of connected things. RFID tags in medical context enable a rapid and precise identification of each smart entity, enabling a ubiquitous and quick access to Personal Health Records over an Internet of Things. The use of smart phones with Internet access, along with strong security concerns - such as authenticity, privacy, confidentiality, integrity, data origin authentication, entity authentication and non-repudiation - turn this whole context into a decentralized and mobile healthcare system. Using the simple IoT architecture presented, combining smart objects, the security solution and mobile communications, one may remotely take care of patients’ well being, establishing an ubiquitous Ambient Assisted Living for Mobile Health applications. As an application example, a prototype m-health service, its security mechanisms and web based application, establish a use case scenario for the evaluation of the proposed architecture.