Security and Privacy Issues in IoT Healthcare Application for Disabled Users in Developing Economies

In this paper, we explore the security and privacy issues of Internet of Things (IoT) healthcare applications for special needs users. IoT enables health-related organizations to lift important data from diverse sources in real-time and this helps in precise decision-making. The transformation of the health sector, required enhancement and efficiency of protective systems, thereby reducing data vulnerability and hence, providing opportunities for secure patient data, particularly, for special needs patients. A quantitative method for purposive sampling technique was adopted and eighty-eight respondents provided the process of how the IoT technology was utilised. Data findings indicated that IoT monitoring devices have the detective ability for a person with special needs living alone with problems related to vital signs of diseases or disabilities. Personal patient health records are integrated into the e-health Centre via IoT technologies. For data privacy, security, and confidentiality, patients' records are kept on Personal Health Record Systems (PHRS). The research revealed suspected breaches of information due to cyber-attacks on the probability of false data errors in the PHRS, leading to special needs personal data leakage.