Conditions for the diffusion of the internet of things in the healthcare sector in South Africa

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) makes everyday devices the ultimate building blocks in the development of cyber-physical smart frameworks. The IoT has a variety of application domains such as healthcare. This IoT transformation is redesigning modern healthcare with promising technological, social, and economic prospects. This study examines the conditions allowing for IoT to be diffused in the healthcare sector of South Africa. Using qualitative research techniques, the study identifies major conditions that constrain, and major conditions that favour its diffusion in South Africa. The study uses data collected through semistructured interviews with representatives of 19 participants in the sector, including government institutions, private healthcare institutions, healthcare insurance organisations, vendors of IoT products and IoT service providers who provide IoT solutions in the South African healthcare market. The participants were identified using purposive sampling, and the data was analysed using thematic content analysis. The study found that the diffusion of IoT in the healthcare sector of South Africa is constrained mainly by the healthcare regulatory environment. It is constrained also by lack of global standardisation and interoperability, lack of IoT networks, lack of cost effective IoT solutions, privacy and security vulnerabilities, the high cost of data, socio-economic factors, low level of entrepreneurial activities, lack of transition in the healthcare sector and lack of skills. There are also several conditions that favour the diffusion of IoT in the healthcare sector. These include the proliferation of smart phones, availability of the Internet, accessibility and availability of the cloud infrastructure, and innovation in the healthcare sector. The study concludes that, on balance, conditions allowing for the diffusion of IoT in healthcare are favourable. However, the pace at which it is diffused will depend on the extent to which the identified constraints can be overcome, and the factors that favour its development effectively exploited.