Internet of Medical Things: A Review of Computing, Networking, and Security

Abstract

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) represents a transformative paradigm in modern healthcare by integrating medical devices, sensors, and cloud-based systems to enable real-time monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment of patients. This study presents a comprehensive review of IoMT focusing on its computing frameworks, networking architectures, and security mechanisms. The paper explores the role of edge, fog, and cloud computing in handling large-scale medical data, ensuring low latency and efficient resource utilization. Networking technologies such as 5G, LPWAN, and IoT protocols are analyzed for their effectiveness in supporting reliable and scalable healthcare communication systems. Additionally, critical security challenges including data privacy, authentication, secure transmission, and vulnerability to cyberattacks are examined, with emphasis on encryption techniques, blockchain integration, and intrusion detection systems. The study highlights that IoMT-based systems can reduce healthcare response times by 30–50% while improving diagnostic accuracy by up to 40% through continuous patient monitoring and intelligent analytics. Despite these advancements, challenges such as interoperability, regulatory compliance, and high implementation costs persist. This review underscores the importance of developing secure, scalable, and intelligent IoMT infrastructures to enhance patient outcomes and enable next-generation digital healthcare systems.