Sensors International (Jan 2022)

Towards emotive sensory Web in virtual health care: Trends, technologies, challenges and ethical issues

  • Elliot Mbunge,
  • Sipho'esihle Jiyane,
  • Benhildah Muchemwa

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3
p. 100134

Abstract

Read online

With fast-paced technological advancements coupled with increasing demands for virtual health care especially during the pandemic, health systems globally are on the cusp of transforming healthcare through emerging technologies. Such paradigm shift in digital healthcare requires effective integration of information, computing, communication, and connectivity technologies sharing health data through the web. The current technologies deployed in healthcare service delivery lack emotional competencies despite the growing demands for capturing and monitoring patients' affections, feelings and emotions. The importance of the emotive Sensory web has been gaining relevance in healthcare and society to remotely monitor patients’ emotional competencies during the pandemic like COVID-19 to minimize infections. In this respect, this paper discusses the significant benefits, trends, technologies, perceived challenges, and ethical issues of the emotive sensory Web in virtual health care. The study revealed that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, Internet of Medical Things, 5G technology, Industry 5.0, big data, cloud computing are paramount in the development and implementation of sensory emotive Web in virtual health care. However, the standardization and synchronization of communication protocols, as well as devices interoperability issues, threatens the integration of these technologies. While the need for emotive sensory Web in virtual health care continues to increase, there are social, technological, infrastructural, economic barriers, security and ethical issues that hinder its implementation. Therefore, there is a need for developing technological infrastructure that supports the integration of appropriate technologies; crafting regional and international legal and regulatory policy through WHO; and standardization and interoperability of sensory devices.

Keywords