Privacy-Preserving Mechanisms in Resource-Constrained IoT-WSN Systems for Healthcare Applications

The exponential growth of IoT-enabled healthcare systems has revolutionized patient monitoring and diagnosis through real-time data collection. However, the integration of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in healthcare introduces significant privacy and security concerns, especially in resource-constrained environments. This paper explores contemporary privacy-preserving mechanisms tailored for IoT-WSN systems in healthcare. Through a critical analysis of recent advancements, we highlight various techniques, their strengths, limitations, and application domains. Our study emphasizes lightweight protocols, secure data aggregation, and end-to-end encryption techniques that address privacy concerns without overburdening system resources. We conclude by discussing open challenges and future directions in designing robust yet efficient privacy-preserving frameworks for healthcare IoT systems.