The internet of things for combatting antimicrobial resistance

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the internet of things (IoT) is “a proposed development of the internet in which many everyday objects are embedded with microchips giving them network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data”. A recent report dated February 2020 states that “The global internet of medical things (IoMT) market is expected to swell to a $158 billion valuation in 2022, up from $41 billion in 2017”. Additionally, in a recent report from Research and Markets “The entire healthcare industry is poised to undergo an unprecedented transformation as a result of technology advances and healthcare access concerns due to the recent coronavirus pandemic” and “We see substantial growth in the healthcare industry largely propelled by IoT technology”. Therefore, although the majority of IoT devices are unlikely to be specifically designed for microbiology-based purposes, there is still scope for the use of IoT in helping to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This short Expert Opinion article provides a few insights.