Last summer, Army Lt. Col. Mark Mellott discussed how the Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to change the dynamic of health care. In many ways that potential has now become a reality. 

“We have taken a massive leap forward,” said Mellott, the execution branch chief of the Defense Health Agency’s (DHA) Health Information Technology Innovation and Advanced Technology Development Division. “When talking about data and devices, we are at what one would call a ‘perfect storm’ of information technology transformation. This transformation has been going on for several years. We’ve looked at devices to help change knowledge, attitude and beliefs, as we’re moving from health care to health.” 

IoT is a network of physical objects—communication devices, vehicles, buildings, security systems and more—embedded with electronics, software and sensors that collect data. IoT technologies such as biosensors can use data integration to forecast a person’s current state of health and potential risks moving forward. 

Among other things, the IoT allows objects to be sensed and controlled remotely in an innovation ecosystem—a testing environment that provides an area for Military Health System innovators from external communities to access mock MHS tools in a safe and standard way to help accelerate the overall innovation lifecycle. 

“This is really an exciting time here at the DHA,” said Mark Goodge, deputy director of the Innovation and Advanced Technology Development Division. “IoT has opened a lot of opportunities to exploit the capabilities for enhancement of health surveillance, and it has empowered medical professionals, health providers and patients to have data at their fingertips, anytime and anywhere.” 

In addition, Goodge also spoke about fulfilling the vision of former assistant secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Jonathan Woodson. “To paraphrase something Dr. Woodson said, ‘We must remove the walls of where we think treatment is done, and start looking into the areas of home health care and other opportunities where we can care for our patients and shift our focus from health care to health. People should not have to come to a military treatment facility, we should be able to go to them, and we have the technology and systems to make this a reality.”

Lt. Col. Mellott has a clear concept of where the DHA will be in the next several years. “We should no longer be talking about mobile health care, and telehealth,” he said. “Mobile and telehealth will just be another integrated part of health care. The advances we’ve made, along with the potential that we have as an agency, will get us to that point.”