Some of the most exciting opportunities for IoT are in healthcare. Like most things related to IoT, it’s a little bit of the old meeting a whole lot of new. For instance, medical alarms can now do a lot more than just call for help.

Spark’s Digital Health Lead Dr Will Reedy explains how the focus is moving from illness and disease to managing health and wellness. He talks us through a NZ-based project wherein sensors are checking movement, temperature, dampness and other markers. It's all to keep an eye on the wellbeing of 40 elderly residents of Waikato. Will himself wears a ring that continuously monitors his sleep and vital signs, giving data that helps him know when he needs to take it easy.

This sort of data is not only useful at a personal and individual level, but it also can be collected and analysed across a population to improve resources and outcomes for everyone.

IoT has been a game-changer for St John Ambulance, one of the most enthusiastic early adopters. In this episode, Customer Director Pete Loveridge explains how St John is implementing IoT tech in the front line of healthcare.