ANB App: Exploring IoT for app development in healthcare domain for senior citizens

The Internet of Things (IoT) today is omnipresent in all industries. Developments in IoT in recent years have profoundly impacted the healthcare industry and revolutionized it for the better. IoT has made possible remote monitoring of critical patients, and evidence-based early diagnosis of various diseases, and apart from enabling access to excellent medical advice in remote areas, it also enabled physicians and patients to engage proactively. IoT has proved beneficial not only for patients but also for physicians and hospitals. This paper discusses the ethos and philosophy behind the design and development of A tma N ir B har (ANB), a Hindi language word meaning ‘self dependent’ IoT application (App) for ease of access to healthcare for elderly citizens and patients. The App can serve as a communication channel between the users and professional doctors through which they can contact in times of need. Seniors can benefit greatly from the ANB-IoT App since it enables them to get medical care and consultations from the convenience of their own homes. It makes healthcare more accessible, convenient, and effective for older persons by reducing the need for frequent hospital visits through the facilitation of online communication with doctors. ANB App is built using, a cross-platform framework, Flutter, and uses Firebase as a backend. Its accessibility feature was tested using a tool known as Axe-Core DevTools by Deque. The results have been positive and encouraging.