A comprehensive review on key technologies toward smart healthcare systems based IoT: technical aspects, challenges and future directions

Abstract The unexpected death of humans due to a lack of medical care is a serious problem. Additionally, the number of elderly people requiring continuous care is increasing. A global aging population poses a challenge to the sustainability of conventional healthcare systems for the future. Simultaneously, recent years have seen remarkable progress in the Internet of Things (IoT) and communication technologies, alongside the growing importance of artificial intelligence (AI) explainability and information fusion. Therefore, developing smart healthcare systems based on IoT and advanced technologies is crucial. This would open up new possibilities for efficient and intelligent medical systems. Hence, it is imperative to present a prospective vision of smart healthcare systems and explore the key technologies that enable the development of these intelligent medical systems. With smart healthcare systems, the future of healthcare can be significantly enhanced, providing higher-quality care, improved treatment, and more efficient patient care. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the key enabling and innovative technologies for smart healthcare systems. To this end, it will cover the primary goals of each technology, the current state of research, potential applications envisioned, associated challenges, and future research directions. This paper is intended to be a valuable resource for researchers and healthcare providers. Ultimately, this paper provides valuable insights for both industry professionals and academic researchers, while also identifying potential new research avenues.