Distributed Healthcare and Medicine: Technological Feasibility and Future Scope for Redirecting the Current Centralized Model to Benefit Remote Areas

Distributed healthcare and medicine has been studied to aim for preventive healthcare and early disease discovery, rather than the current system of medical treatment after serious symptoms: Small scale and flexible distributed systems with minimal investment, rather than the current large and rigid centralized structure. This is described as "the redirection". The study has expanded the scope of our paper at PICMET 2016 on active health improvement through sensor networks to the medical field. It has been demonstrated that this redirection can be realized by flexible distributed systems on Internet of Things (IoT) sensor networks. In this paper, as the first step, the vision for such systems has been clarified and the technological feasibility has been assessed. The conceptual system has been designed by integrating currently available technologies under the principle of self-responsibility, which allows system construction with minimal investment and low-cost management. The IoT sensor networks allow for response at the stage of pre-symptoms or developed symptoms and lead to an effective response with much lower cost, compared with traditional central hospital based rigid systems. The distributed system would greatly benefit remote areas of advanced countries as well as developmental countries. The unique point of the study is new business creation by activated residents; to enhance positive economic cycles in addition to reducing healthcare and medical cost. A social experiment has been planned for a remote village in the west of Tokyo prefecture to be proposed to the local government and residents. The experiment would offer evidence of the advantages of distributed systems under the principle of self-responsibility. The next step is to implement the system in the region and accumulate knowledge to deploy the system to wider areas.