Analog Devices will collaborate with startup Braveheart Wireless on an end-to-end remote patient monitoring system, said the companies Wednesday. Real-time and intermittent remote monitoring of a patient’s vital signs is possible through Braveheart’s wearable patch, paired with ADI’s sensor and signal-chain technology, they said.
Fifty-five percent of U.S. broadband households own at least one connected health device, said Parks Associates Tuesday. COVID-19 “significantly accelerated a digital transformation in healthcare,” which had already adopted more IoT-based medical devices and processes, said Chuck Sabin, Bluetooth Special Interest Group senior director-market development, citing an uptick in use of wearables and health monitoring devices for personal use and telemedicine. Bluetooth SIG expects shipments of Bluetooth-enabled devices in the category to reach 500 million yearly by 2025. “For years we have been talking about the promise of smart technologies empowering older adults to age-in-place, but until recently there hasn't been the infrastructure,” said CareBand CEO Adam Sobol: Introducing Amazon Sidewalk, Matter and Wi-Fi sensing could turn the promise “into a reality.” Parks plans a virtual Connected Health Summit Wednesday.
Some 64% of U.S. broadband households reported using a telehealth service this year, up from 15% in 2019, said Parks Associates Thursday. The COVID-19 pandemic was a “forced pilot” of digital health, driving many organizations to prioritize digital health programs, said Brian Carter, Validic chief operating officer. In the next phase, organizations are looking to create digital health management programs at scale, he said. The smart home has a role for insurers and providers, with potential to enable better proactive care and more sophisticated risk modeling, said Rob Deal, vice president, Healthcare Solutions, Everise. The executives are due to speak at Parks’ virtual Connected Health Summit Tuesday and Wednesday.
Cloud services and 5G connectivity are key to enabling local healthcare providers to benefit from remote teleconsultation technologies, reported Juniper Research Monday. The number of telehealth consultations performed globally is forecast to reach 422 million this year, 765 million in 2025, including interactions via healthcare portals, apps and consumer video calling platforms. For teleconsultation services to become an integral element of healthcare, platforms have to develop solutions that cater to differing capacities of regional healthcare sectors, Juniper said.
Teladoc had 3.5 million-plus telehealth visits in Q2, up 28% from a year earlier, the first full quarter of the pandemic, said CEO Jason Gorevic on a call Tuesday. It’s on track to surpass 13.5 million in 2021, he said. “Consumers are turning to our services for a broader array of conditions,” said Gorevic. More than 80% of member visits in Q2 “were related to noninfectious diseases,” compared with 50% in the “pre-pandemic period,” he said. “Demand for our mental health services remains especially robust as consumers and providers recognize the benefits of the virtual modality for mental health care.”
Sonde Health technology will be offered as part of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 and 778G 5G mobile platforms, bringing vocal biomarker capability to mobile and IoT, said the company Thursday. The technology uses audio signal processing and machine learning to identify changes in the human voice that may indicate a health condition. With a six-second voice sample, the Sonde product can detect symptoms of asthma and other respiratory illnesses, and it can be used as an early warning system for COVID-19, said the company. Sonde CEO David Liu gave examples of a car detecting whether a driver is impaired, a home hub that can detect the onset of depression or a phone making continuous asthma assessments. Because the capability is native to the device, users opt in to allow voice processing to occur on the phone, eliminating the need to send health data to the cloud and enabling faster results, said the company.
Two-thirds of U.S. broadband households have had a remote health consultation, said Parks Associates at its virtual Connected Health conference last week. More than half of 5,000 surveyed in Q2 reported owning a connected health or fitness device that captures biometric data, it said. Analyst Kristen Hanich cited a strong correlation for consumers between familiarity with telehealth and wanting the remote diagnostics and monitoring benefits offered by connected health technology. Health systems are increasingly using AI in patient navigation and clinical decision support, said Ada Health Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Cutler. Delivering the benefits of connected health requires a “holistic view of how to harness data, the cloud, and AI” to improve healthcare experiences, costs, and patient outcomes, said Karen Holzberger, Nuance Communications general manager-diagnostics. As virtual healthcare models evolve, “understanding patient vulnerability is critical,” said John Showalter, Jvion chief product officer, referencing lifestyle choices, activity level, health literacy, social supports and connectedness. AI can point to factors that will drive a better outcome, he said.
Best Buy Health introduced a smartphone ($149) geared to older adults with one-touch access to its Lively Health and Safety Services. The phone’s 6.2-inch screen has large text and organizes key features in one list for access to video chat, camera and directions, said the company Thursday. Services range from $19.99 a month for a basic plan to $34.99 for 24/7 urgent response to a button press, urgent care telehealth services, notifications to loved ones if there’s an urgent response event, and access to a personal operator who can search phone numbers, schedule a ride and give directions, it said.
Telemedicine will save the healthcare industry $21 billion a year globally by 2025, increasing from $11 billion in 2021, reported Juniper Research Monday. Savings will be confined to developed nations where access to required devices and internet connectivity is most prevalent along with the proliferation in telehealth services, it said. Juniper predicts that more than 80% of savings by 2025 will be attributable to North America and Europe. It estimates that 348 million telehealth visits took place in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, compared with 280 million in 2019. “The activities of third party healthcare service developers will be crucial in accelerating the deployment of emerging telemedicine services, and increasing the uptake amongst healthcare providers,” said Juniper.
Walmart will buy telehealth provider MeMD as a complement to its Walmart Health brick-and-mortar locations, said the retailer Thursday. “People expect omnichannel access to care, and adding telehealth to our Walmart Health care strategies allows us to provide in-person and digital care.” Walmart Health bills itself as offering primary care, optometry, dental and lab services at affordable prices. The MeMD transaction is expected to close in “coming months.” Transaction terms weren't disclosed. The company didn't respond to questions Friday about whether it plans to keep the MeMD branding after the transaction is complete.