M2M communication in healthcare: Wireless connection via SIM cards in telemedicine

Whether for AI-supported analyses, remote patient monitoring or general process improvement in hospitals - telemedicine technology, the IoT and devices networked within it are transforming our healthcare. M2M SIM cards are an important component for networking telemedical applications. 

Modern health economy: M2M applications in the healthcare sector

Machine-to-machine communication (M2M communication) refers to the automated exchange of data between devices, between each other or from a device to a central system. However, not only devices, but also robots, vehicles, machines or production plants can collect and share data thanks to M2M technologies.

M2M applications in medical technology include, for example, some ECG devices or emergency vehicles. Without human intervention, these transmit data so that information is available on demand on another end device. M2M solutions are now also increasingly being used in home care. These technologies transmit data from measuring devices on the patient, for example, and thus help with patient monitoring from a distance. The data is usually transmitted via the internet.

For this purpose, the medical devices can be connected by cable, for example, or they can be equipped with M2M SIM cards that enable wireless data transmission. Especially with M2M SIM cards for telemedicine applications, the expansion of 5G will play a major role. With 5G, it will be possible in future to exchange high data volumes almost in real time.

Advantages of M2M medical technology in healthcare

Regardless of whether the connection is made by cable or M2M SIM card: In medical technology, the communication of devices brings considerable advantages. For one thing, the automated exchange of data from machine to machine is always faster and more effective as well as less error-prone than the manual transfer of information. For example, the networking of surgical instruments or devices on wards that would otherwise have to be monitored by personnel.

But telehealth is not always about speed. Telemedicine applications have been driven primarily by situations where doctor or specialist and patient are physically separated. This includes residents of remote towns as well as space travel with astronauts in space and researchers on an expedition in the Arctic. Sensors that monitor selected bodily functions in implants or portable patient devices also offer great potential. The values collected are in turn automatically transmitted to patient databases. Other advantages that can be achieved through automation and digitalisation through M2M applications in healthcare are:


Selected advantages of M2M for Telehealth at a glance:

  • Accelerated emergency communication
  • Increased flexibility for medical staff
  • Locating patients in emergencies
  • More efficient organisation & management e.g. of free beds
  • Cost reductions through time savings
  • Faster access to patient data
  • Patient monitoring for more safety
  • Reduction of error sources through increased automation


More flexibility through telemedicine & M2M applications

Reduced budgets and fewer and fewer urgently needed staff are unfortunately becoming the order of the day for hospitals and care facilities. One way to enable medical and nursing staff to provide high-quality patient care remotely is M2M-based medical technology. This not only relieves specialist staff, but can also save money and time through optimised processes. With e-health and telemedicine, patients can learn to measure values such as pulse or blood pressure on their own and forward this data directly to their doctor's system.

The advantages in practice through M2M communication: The way to the doctor or patient is saved. Patients enjoy a higher quality of life due to fewer exhausting visits to the doctor and the minimisation of long waiting times and journeys from rural areas. In the same way, medical staff are relieved and have to spend less overtime or can concentrate on other patients.

Data transmission: M2M SIM cards in telemedicine

Mobile communication between devices, apps, practice or hospital systems and central offices or databases only works through the use of different radio technologies. For example, we offer you an M2M SIM card for telemedicine applications that enables devices at any location to transmit data securely.

Our M2M SIM cards enable your devices to connect to the mobile network and transmit data automatically. Unlike SIM cards for smartphones, for example, our M2M SIM can use the mobile networks of different network operators nationally and worldwide. It is therefore often referred to as a multi-network SIM or roaming SIM. Since a large number of M2M SIM cards are usually in use, our M2M SIM cards are managed via an online portal, tailored to the requirements of M2M communication. For the transfer of data directly into your own systems, you can use our comprehensive API.

M2M SIM cards for Telehealth: The best connection everywhere with national roaming

Mobile radio for M2M telemedicine has the advantage that the technology is established, standardised and the infrastructure is available almost nationwide. And not only in Germany, but worldwide, across national borders. This nationwide availability of mobile radio is particularly important for sensors that are located on patients, for example, and are therefore constantly on the move.

But not all mobile radio is the same. The Federal Network Agency has come to the conclusion that there is a great need for individual network operators to catch up in terms of network coverage: only one of the mobile phone networks of the major network operators is available in the 4G standard on about 7.2 percent of the total area of Germany. The risk of connection interruptions and failures is high there. If sensitive health data has to be transmitted quickly, this becomes dangerous. In addition, the availability of the networks varies in individual federal states. In Bavaria, for example, network availability is worse than average: on 15.5 percent of the entire area, the network of one mobile phone operator is available at most. This patchy coverage shows the relevance of using appropriate M2M SIM cards for IoT and M2M projects in healthcare. Because these can use the mobile networks of different network operators. In the case of our M2M SIM cards, these enable IoT devices to connect to the strongest network at a location. So it is not the network provider that counts, but only the network strength.

The right M2M SIM for telemetry and telemedicine

Independence and flexibility are of great relevance in the medical field of M2M technology. Whether a patient is located in the countryside or lives in the middle of the city: in order to be able to react to changes in condition or emergencies in real time as far as possible, data must be reliably transmitted everywhere at all times. We offer you the right IoT SIM cards for this, in combination with flexible M2M tariffs - always geared to the needs of your project. Our M2M SIM cards are available in all common SIM formats as well as Industrial M2M SIMs and fixed eSIMs.

Do you have questions about our M2M & IoT SIM cards?

Write to us, or call us - our team of experts is looking forward to hearing from you.

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