Vendors

Q&A: Waquaas Al-Siddiq

June 27, 2017 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

‘As technology paves the way toward remote care, we will be able to consume a large chunk of health services on-the-go’

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Waqaas Al-Siddiq is CEO and founder of Biotricity, a medical technology company focused on remote patient monitoring for chronic illnesses. His company is riding the wave of a market boom that, some experts say, could reach $1.9 billion by 2025.

HHTN: What does the rapid growth in the remote patient monitoring device market tell us about the impact of technology on the way home health care is being delivered?

AL-SIDDIQ: It illuminates the future trajectory of health care. As more and more remote solutions become available, we will see diagnoses and ongoing care delivery become integrated within a home delivery package, with the focus on driving costs down by remote delivery and improving quality by bringing data and long – term insight into the patient’s condition. As technology paves the way toward remote care, we will be able to consume a large chunk of health services at work, at home or on-the-go.

HHTN: What are some of the most important technological developments in the remote patient monitoring market?

AL-SIDDIQ: The three biggest developments are: sensors; data access/interoperability; and telemedicine/telehealth. As sensors are becoming smaller and mobile, we can remotely collect diagnostically relevant medical data, allowing us to deliver more diagnostic tests in a remote setting. Developments around Big Data and access to multiple streams where we can see a holistic view of a patient are becoming huge value-adds in determining outliers to an individual’s condition, along with pinpointing the key issue itself or determining what treatment doesn’t fit. This type of data also enables systems to quickly compare and contrast patients with similar conditions but with different outcomes. Telemedicine and telehealth solutions are the foundation upon which all of these factors sit. Without a proper telemedicine/telehealth solution, delivery of remote care becomes problematic. Such solutions have focused on integrated devices, Big Data and real-time streaming of information. It is essentially the highway upon which all the other pieces run.

HHTN: How do you see the future of home health care shaping up in the next five years?

AL-SIDDIQ: Home health will become a center point for care delivery, focused on prescreening/diagnoses; recovery; and post-diagnosis and long-term management. For example, if you experience heart pains, you will be delivered a prescreening test which will cause you to either be called in immediately or delivered a diagnostic test that you can use at home to collect your data. Once the diagnostic decision is made, a therapy is applied—medicinal, surgical or otherwise—and you go into the recovery phase, where you are provided remote digital tools that help you collect your information and relay updates to your physician remotely. You then transition into long-term management, where you get a different set of digital tools that are utilized by you to manage your condition and provide feedback.

Validic powers Microsoft project to understand patient engagement data

June 27, 2017 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

DURHAM, N.C. – Data connectivity provider Validic is powering a Microsoft project designed to gain a better understanding of patient engagement data.

“If patients have the ability to understand the implications of the decisions they are making regarding their health, they may see improved outcomes,” said Ashley Rae Needham, director of corporate initiatives at Validic.

Validic’s data connectivity platform will enable as many as 400 clinical and consumer devices to connect to Microsoft’s HealthVault Insights project, where the data from these devices will be combined with the patient’s electronic health record data, to be analyzed by machine learning capabilities. Based on the results, the patient will receive trends and correlations to help them improve the management of their general wellness and certain chronic conditions.

Clinicians will also be able to remotely view the patient’s adherence and engagement with their care plan to track progress and monitor outcomes.

While patients will begin to understand their own health data, providers will gain context around a patient’s lifestyle, activities and health data.

The project is still in its early stages and Microsoft is working on the details of getting people involved. A start date isn’t confirmed yet, but Needham said the companies began talking about working together on the project two years ago.

Microsoft was using Apple Health and Google Fit for its HealthVault Insights project, but began partnership talks with Validic because the connectivity provider allows for a greater number of devices to be connected.

“Validic provides a core data channel for HealthVault Insights—enabling device data connectivity to hundreds of devices,” said Heather Jordan Cartwright, general manager of artificial intelligence and research at Microsoft, in a statement when the partnership was announced.

“Microsoft and Validic share a commitment to improving care delivery and patient outcomes through technology innovation and integration,” said Needham. “This project will help us define what data is most impactful—empowering the patient to better self-manage their health.”

Intent Solutions hires Ward Broom

June 26, 2017 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

ATLANTA – Intent Solutions, creator of the TAD (Take As Directed) smart medication dispenser, has named Ward Broom as its chief operating officer. He brings a background in the business end of health care. “TAD is poised for commercialization and I enjoy the startup community and challenges it presents,” said Broom in a statement. In his role at Intent, Broom will develop the operational strategies for the organization as it grows. He will focus on internal processes like customer interfacing, implementations and product management.

Emocha to use grant for adherence study

June 23, 2017 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

BALTIMORE ‑ Medication adherence startup emocha Mobile Health has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research award by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to demonstrate the feasibility of video directly-observed-therapy (DOT) for patients undergoing the initiation phase of buprenorphine treatment through office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) programs.

The company will be developing the technology for partnerships with the University of Washington School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center.

“This project with emocha will allow us as clinicians and researchers to examine a new platform that has potential to expand our medicine bag with a technological aid that helps patients achieve a successful recovery,” said Dr. Jeffrey Samet, chief of general internal medicine at Boston Medical Center, in a statement.

Through the NIH Fast-Track mechanism, the Phase 1 award will total $225,000, with an additional $1.5 million for Phase 2 granted upon achieving milestones.

Outcomes of interest will include adherence, retention in care, measures of illicit opioid use and abstinence, and medication diversion.

emocha’s video-based DOT technology is used in several public health departments monitoring TB patients and those with hepatitis C. In a recent Johns Hopkins study of emocha’s platform for TB, patients achieved 92% average adherence to medication.

“I am excited for this opportunity to partner with emocha to learn if this new technology can support patients who are engaging in treatment for opioid use disorders with buprenorphine,” said Dr. Judith Tsui an associate professor of medicine at the UW School of Medicine, in a statement.

Honeywell upgrades telehealth software

June 22, 2017 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

ATLANTA – Honeywell Life Care Solutions has upgraded its telehealth software, introducing LifeStream 5.2 for home health agencies, patients, payers, employers and health care systems.

The newest version of the LifeStream software enables clinicians to remotely monitor chronically ill patients, improving their quality of care and clinical outcomes, while reducing healthcare costs.

“The launch of LifeStream 5.2 marks a significant milestone for Honeywell in bringing premier telehealth solutions that address the need to deliver greater value in healthcare at less cost,” said John Bojanowski, president of Life Care Solutions, Honeywell Home and Building Technologies, in a statement.

Honeywell’s LifeStream software powers the Life Care Solutions suite of telehealth solutions, which helps clinicians manage their telehealth programs. The latest version includes: a streamlined user interface and a mobile platform; an improved patient dashboard that allows clinicians to view expanded patient snapshots, prioritize patient care, respond to vital sign readings and more efficiently evaluate patient trends; advanced scheduling and reporting features; and enhanced default system settings.

LifeStream 5.2 has received clearance from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

“Honeywell telehealth solutions have been effective in reducing onsite visits, allowing us to connect directly with valued patients in their home, while also improving clinical outcomes,” said Lynnell Hornbeck, manager of home health at MultiCare Health System, which uses the LifeStream software, in a statement.

Honeywell Life Care Solutions is part of the company’s Connected Home portfolio, an integrated product and service line for remote patient monitoring and health management.

Nokia launches connected health products, completes Withings rebrand

June 21, 2017 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

ESPOO, Finland – Nokia has launched a line of connected health products, completing the rebranding of Withings products that it announced earlier this year.

“Nokia’s global expansion into digital health builds on Nokia’s unmatched track record of quality, reliability and trust, which are characteristics that are all critical to success in the health industry,” said Brad Rodrigues, interim president at Nokia Technologies.

The Nokia digital health product line includes activity and sleep trackers, scales, vital health devices and home products. The Nokia Health Mate app collects data from each device and provides insight and trends on weight, activity, sleep and blood pressure.

“Nokia’s line of digital health products delivers actionable insights, giving users the equivalent of a daily check-up,” said Cedric Hutchings, vice president of digital health at Nokia.

Nokia announced this spring that it would launch the Withings ecosystem of connected health products under its own brand.

General Devices follows care into home

June 20, 2017 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

RIDGEFIELD, N.J. – General Devices has focused its business for the past 25 years on mobile telehealth systems for hospitals and EMS, but it’s now setting it sights on the alternate care market.

An initial area of focus: long-term care facilities, says Andy Birnbaum, marketing manager for GD.

“We’re hoping to find some alternative markets this year,” he said.

One of GD’s flagship products is its line of e-Bridge mobile telemedicine apps, which enable the sharing of real-time, HIPAA-secure voice, texts, photos, videos and streaming video from smartphones, tablets and computers.

GD is targeting the alternate care market because it knows health care is increasingly moving into the home, Birnbaum says.

“We know that patients can get the care they need and stay in their own bed, then provider revenues can increase—everybody wins,” he said.

GD also offers the CAREpoint Workstation used by hospital emergency departments to manage all EMS-hospital communications on a single interoperable device. GD recently installed its 800^th CAREpoint Workstation at Holston Valley Medical Center in Tennessee.

Security is a big part of what sets GD apart, Birnbaum says, and its products are FDA-listed, which means the company successfully completed an online listing through the U.S. Food & Drug Administration Unified Registration and Listing System (FURLS).

“We see a lot of companies out there that don’t really care about the security piece, they are more focused on features or buttons,” he said. “We chose to take our products to the FDA level.”

GTCR, GreatCall partner for growth

June 20, 2017 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

‘The market is poised to explode,’ says GreatCall CEO David Inns

CHICAGO – When GTCR acquired connected health company GreatCall this month, the private equity firm looked at the transaction as the right move at the right time.

“We’ve been looking at the home health technology space for a long time,” said Dave Donnini, managing director at GTCR. “We’ve talked to a lot of companies in the space and believe this is the right opportunity for us.”

Headquartered in San Diego, GreatCall is one of the largest providers of connected health and personal emergency response services for active aging, serving more than 800,000 subscribers across the country. The company offers senior-friendly hardware combined with a call center with agents who can answer questions, dispatch emergency personnel and connect to family caregivers.

David Inns, CEO of GreatCall, said customers won’t notice any changes when the transaction closes in the third quarter of this year.

“It will be seamless for our customers,” he said. “There will be no change in the day-to-day operations at GreatCall.”

What will be different, said Inns, is the company’s growth strategy.

“My goal is to take what is already a fairly large company and maybe double its value over the next 36 months,” he said.

With backing from GTCR, GreatCall plans to expand into additional commercial and senior living markets, allowing the company to become more mainstream.

“We’re growth-oriented investors,” said Donnini. “GreatCall has plans we completely agree with, so we hope to grow them both organically and through acquisitions. We’ll work closely with them strategically.”

Inns believes the home health technology market is under-penetrated, with few brand names. He’s optimistic that will be changing soon.

“This is a nascent market that is really starting to accelerate,” he said. “It’s a great time to partner with GTCR because the market is poised to explode.”

athenahealth acquires Praxify Technologies for mobile innovation

June 14, 2017 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

WATERTOWN, Mass. – athenahealth, Inc., a provider of network-enabled services for hospital and ambulatory clients nationwide, will acquire health IT provider Praxify Technologies to advance its platform strategy and mobile capabilities.

“In combination with our cloud platform and services, Praxify’s team and technology will help us further reduce the many inefficiencies of health care’s clinical and operational workflows,” said Prakash Khot, chief technology officer at athenahealth, in a statement. “We will work together to surface new streams of knowledge in natural and mobile ways, so providers and care teams can be fully present, informed and efficient.”

Khot said the acquisition will accelerate research and development initiatives across athenahealth by adding significant expertise in mobile and user experience design. Additionally, the underlying technology on which Praxify is built will be integrated into athenahealth’s cloud platform, creating new opportunities for both internal and third-party developers to rapidly build and launch applications.

Together, the organizations will be better positioned to speed development and delivery of innovation at scale for the health care industry at large, he said.

Q&A: Eric Rock, Vivify Health

June 13, 2017 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

‘We could soon be seeing the mainstreaming of care delivered remotely in the home more often than in the traditional four walls of the hospital’

PLANO, Tex. – As CEO of Vivify Health, a digital health company that offers a remote care platform through consumer mobile devices, Eric Rock has seen firsthand how advancements in technology are changing the way people manage their health. He believes remote care is the future face of health care.

HHTN: How has technology impacted the way home health care is delivered today?

ROCK: When technology becomes widely adopted by consumers, it is almost always a sign that it has reached the tipping point of convenience, where simplicity and benefits outweigh the financial and time costs. We are clearly experiencing this today in areas like remote patient monitoring, where technology is simple enough for patients of any age to use, much lower in cost and easy to deploy. These advancements are allowing for people with even advanced heart failure or other chronic illnesses to stay out of the hospital, or at least reduce the number of readmissions. Between wearable and connected devices and heart failure medications, care teams can spot signs of deterioration in time to intervene with a modest tweak in medications to prevent an adverse event or costly trip to the hospital. Talk about a disruption in health care—this one is pretty revolutionary.

HHTN: What are some of the most important technological advances you have seen in home health care?

ROCK: Definitely the continued ease of use in biometric devices and remote monitoring software, as well as the tracking of data and the ability to stream it to care team members. These technologies have become simple enough that patients 90 years and older can, and do, successfully participate in their own health care. You can see how a process like this for managing chronic illnesses and other conditions, if widely adopted, will significantly alter how health care is delivered.

HHTN: What should we expect to see in home health care technology in the next five years?

ROCK: Home health care is going to grow exponentially, aligning with the consumerism of health care. Hospitals will continue to focus on “heads in beds,” but these new beds will be in the home, where many new health care services are going to be delivered. This will also transform the role of the informal caregiver in the home and workplace, who will use many of the same remote monitoring and intervention technologies to simplify their task as a significant member of the care team. We could soon be seeing the mainstreaming of care delivered remotely in the home more often than in the traditional four walls of the hospital, and this shift will increase the demand for virtual nurses, specialists that are skilled at intervening remotely and other new avenues of care delivery and expertise.