The answer, according to health tech industry analyst Laurie Orlov (Aging in Place Tech Watch, Boomer Health Tech Watch) is…not really. Despite its massive size (76 million in the US), spending power (by 2017, 70 percent of US disposable income), breadth (1946-64) and need (despite living longer, by 2030 37 million will be managing more than one chronic condition), most health apps, especially fitness apps, don’t resonate with boomers despite over 50 percent having smartphones. The reasons are many–they’re complicated, often hard to follow, view, and abandonment across all ages is still high. Even among Fitbit purchasers, abandonment is fully one-half. As income decreases, smartphone access also becomes a cuttable budget item. Much more in this paper published by the California Healthcare Foundation.
Blood is drawn: Theranos responds vigorously to TTA re WSJ
From his very first interactions with Theranos, the reporter made abundantly clear that he considered Theranos to be a target to be taken down, and not simply the subject of an objective news story. The articles that appeared last week are the inevitable product of that approach.–Theranos Facts, 22 Oct
Breaking news. Blood is drawn. A spokesperson for Theranos (from FTI Consulting), Ms Shea Maney, has responded directly to this Editor regarding the content of the Wall Street Journal article, previously covered here (The $9 billion question mark) along with followup in primarily Fortune but also commentary in the Health Care Blog. Her note to me (which undoubtedly has gone to other press) is reprinted below in its entirety, save the standard closing line:
We read your coverage of Theranos with interest, and noticed you were particularly interested in accuracy and our finger-stick tests, among other themes. There have been a lot of inaccuracies in the coverage of these topics, which is why we have posted detailed information on our technology, accuracy, and conversations with The Wall Street Journal on our website: https://www.theranos.com/news/posts/custom/theranos-facts
On accuracy: Theranos’ technology is reviewed by regulators, proven in the field, and praised by leaders in the industry and doctors and individuals that we serve. We are confident in the reliability of our tests, because we have validated their accuracy. (more…)
‘Neuroprosthetic’ in development to ‘Restore Active Memory’ for PTSD, TBI
The continuing work in PTSD and TBI of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, better known as DARPA, is developing on two tracks. The first is memory manipulation for those with PTSD–altering how a memory is formed. An international team is already investigating optogenetics, a biological technique that uses a light tool (AS-PaRac1–Activated Synapse Targeting Photoactivatable Rac1) to change procedural (action) memories, which are located in specific parts of the brain. The other is restoring memory–developing a neuroprosthetic that fills in the gaps for those with TBI, which affects declarative (factual) memory–storing and retrieving. Two universities, UCLA and Pennsylvania, have received grants up to $22 million over four years for research on an implantable neuroprosthetic. UCLA’s approach is to focus on the entorhinal area of the brain which researchers previously demonstrated could be stimulated and with the hippocampus is involved in learning and memory. Initial research is testing brain electrodes for epilepsy and to develop a computational model of the hippocampal-entorhinal system. Medtronic is using those models and as the newest partner, evaluating a novel neural stimulation and monitoring system to restore brain memory function. A true neuroprosthetic–consider an assistance chip on or near the brain–is years away. In the meantime, HDIAC Spotlight, DARPA (from 2014) and Executive.gov on the program in 2015.
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Primary care ‘virtual health’ could save $10 billion annually: Accenture study
A newly-released Accenture study on US primary care estimates that savings of about $10 billion per year in US primary care could be achieved through use of ‘virtual health’, defined as “digital tools such as biometric devices, analytic diagnostic engine and a virtual medical assistant” that would allow much of the work of a typical office visit to be done prior to or separately from the visit, and follow up/check in tools such as video visits/telemedicine which would further offset costs. The cost savings were calculated by Accenture Insight Driven Health as a total of time-per-visit savings of five minutes–when aggregated, $7 billion, $300 million in telemedicine visits, telehealth self-management in diabetes alone $2 billion, health system savings $63 million. This could potentially solve the shortage of US PCPs now projected at 31,000 in the next ten years. Nary a mention of patient care savings, chronic care management or telecare for proactive behavioral home monitoring, however. Accenture release (BusinessWire), Accenture page and paper.
Will robotics lead to the ‘transcendent human’?
Hugh Herr heads the biomechatronics research group at the MIT Media Lab, designing bionic limbs that emulate natural human limbs. In his presentation for DigitasLBi’s New FrontUK conference last week, he wants to go them one better: “We will design nature and change nature under our own power. In the future people will be wearing robots. You don’t need a missing leg to exploit this technology – we will give ourselves new bodies.” He can speak from personal experience, having lost both legs in a climbing accident 30 years ago and designing his own prosthetic BiOM legs to be more powerful and exceeding his previous rock climbing ability. “With technology I am released from these shackles of disability. We will end disability in this century.” The need here is huge, including exoskeletons as assistive devices; the consideration is cost. Marketing (UK) Magazine
Related: his 2014 TedX talk.
The Theranos Kerfuffle: a setback, but is it for the best? (updated)
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/question_mark.jpg” thumb_width=”120″ /]Some clarity emerges from the controversy around Theranos and last week’s Wall Street Journal exposé [TTA 16 Oct]. Last week’s rebuttal/denial released by the company said remarkably little, which disturbed Roger Parloff, the Fortune writer who profiled the company in June 2014’s high-profile cover story. He failed to reach CEO Elizabeth Holmes, who on her break from an all-day with the Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows, taped a segment with CNBC stock tout Jim Cramer (a questionable priority indeed–Ed.) Fortunately he received more specific answers via email from General Counsel Heather King. It clarifies among other things that venipuncture, not finger stick, is used in the majority of their tests in practice, and that dilution of samples is within industry practice for use in third-party analyzing machines. There also seem to be two sides to the proficiency-testing story. (Oddly, no mention of the sensational claims around British biochemist Ian Gibbons who was key to Theranos’ patent development and the alleged legal threats to his widow.)
For those who have difficulty getting through the WSJ paywall, Mr Parloff’s summary of the WSJ article’s main points is helpful. His conclusion: Theranos is wisely ‘dialing back’ its USP on drawing blood through finger stick to “Smaller samples. Smaller needles. Better experience.” (A neat pivot from what Theranos ‘made their bones’ on and still features–tiny finger-sticks.) His open-ended question (for, presumably, the next article): can it profitably run its low-cost testing business when it’s using the same analyzing machines as the big testing labs; and while cheaper, can doctors and patients trust the Theranos tests (which are a matter of health, and perhaps life and death) if they’ve flunked their first test at transparency?
Another view from Health 2.0 supremo Matthew Holt over at his Health Care Blog is that for Theranos, this blow is eminently recoverable if they play their cards right. Witness the recovery made by 23andMe, now in the good graces of FDA after having blown it badly to near-shutdown. (more…)
Is Theranos a $9 billion question mark?
Breaking News. According to an exposé published yesterday in The Wall Street Journal*, low-cost and fast growing small sample blood testing company Theranos [TTA 28 Aug] is not ‘doing what it says it does’. Four former employees allege that Theranos’ testing system, dubbed the Edison, which processes small finger-pricked blood samples collected in ‘nanotainers’, only handles a fraction of the tests claimed–19 out of 205. In a complaint to regulators, one Theranos employee accused the company of failing to report test results that raised questions about the precision of their proprietary Edison system–and that most of the tests were being run on traditional testing machines which required dilution of the tiny samples. The article reports on serious questions which have been raised on the accuracy of the Edison testing versus conventional testing, including the integrity of finger-pricked blood and sample dilution. Gaps in results were seen last year on tests for vitamin D, two thyroid hormones and prostate cancer, though Theranos has been reporting its tests to CMS in a process that all labs go through called proficiency testing, and has one test for herpes that has been FDA cleared.
In a follow up article, Theranos reportedly is no longer collecting nanotainers except for the FDA cleared herpes test.
Theranos is currently valued at $9 billion and has raised over $400 million in VC funding.
According to the first article, British biochemist Ian Gibbons, (more…)
Philips Healthcare partners with Amazon Web Services, adds more IoT
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Philips_AWS-IoT-infographic.jpg” thumb_width=”200″ /]The once-quiet Philips is expanding its connectivity for HealthSuite through a partnership with Amazon‘s recently announced collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The objective in connecting through AWS is to expand to hundreds of million devices through a secure, stable IoT ‘device cloud’ that securely collects and analyzes data from apps (like the diabetes app in test with Radboud University, TTA 18 Sept), medical devices and EMRs/PHRs. The Philips HealthSuite Digital Platform is a product of Philips’ collaboration with Salesforce, and is also (for now) targeted to senior care for adults. Philips’ release and case studies are, unfortunately, buried in this very busy page. It’s another move for Philips that confirms their ‘Hospital to Home’ repositioning.
Tunstall’s security app for lone workers (Australia)
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/MyCareTrack.png” thumb_width=”150″ /]Tunstall Healthcare has released a smartphone app for the safety of ‘lone workers’ including community health nurses who, in Australia, may be traveling and working in isolation or at night. MyCareTrack is accessed by a lone worker with an individual ID, and provides check-in, check-out capability, activity reporting, GPS tracking and SOS emergency alerts. It leverages Tunstall’s existing 24-hour response centers for automatic check-up calls and SOS. We wonder if this will be marketed in other countries as, for instance, the US has many areas which are as isolated as Australia for health workers. Pulse + IT (Australia)
Care Innovations goes East–down home to Kentucky
Intel and GE’s joint venture, Care Innovations, is opening an IT and product development center in Louisville KY’s Norton Commons live/work community. According to reports, the 10-person office was opened to develop “software for medical monitoring systems that allow people to measure their vital signs in own homes and that will analyze the data for health care providers”, which sounds like a description of Health Harmony as mentioned further in the article. Also cited by CEO Sean Slovenski was the recent acquisition of several major clients in Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. Headquarters will remain in Roseville, California, northeast of Sacramento and far east of Silicon Valley. Why Louisville? It’s the headquarters of Humana, currently in the early stages of a merger with Aetna. Mr Slovenski is an alumnus of Humana who undoubtedly recognizes that there’s always talent which shakes loose with any merger, often proactively. He has reorganized the company top to bottom since the days in the doldrums under Louis Burns, and added initiatives such as the Validation Institute plus academic relationships with the Jefferson School of Population Health, Xavier University and the University of Mississippi. Louisville is also a lot closer to Washington DC (1.5 hour flight time) and all those wonderful Federal programs with lots and lots of funding. Louisville Business First, release.
Speaking of the Aetna-Humana merger, it now has a strong boss man to make sure it works–Rick Jelinek, CEO for a year of OptumHealth, 19 years at predecessor now unit UnitedHealthcare including leading the Medicare Advantage and Medicaid businesses. The stakes are high in that the merger will create the second-largest managed care company in the US. Mr Jelinek also will lead Aetna’s enterprise strategy division, and will report directly to Aetna’s CEO. The timeline, unless the Feds put on the brakes, is to close in second half 2016. The combined operating revenue is projected at about $115 billion, with about 56 percent from government-sponsored programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid. The plan, according to Louisville Business First, is to headquarter the combined Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare businesses in Louisville. But, as they say, the meal is still being prepared, and assuredly not everyone at either company will find a seat at this table, or one they want to sit in.
TECS Project Manager finds Situation Wanted!
TTA Situations Wanted poster succeeds! Back in August, Hannah Lowish, an experienced project manager formerly with one of the UK’s leading remote monitoring health providers, asked this Editor to run a listing posting her background in our ‘Who’s available?’ section (above). It was our pleasure to do so (and also revive this section under Jobs.)
Hannah has now written us advising that she has now started a new position with Tunstall Healthcare in their programme delivery team. Congratulations Hannah! And thank you for advising us.
And if you are seeking a new situation, or have a position to fill, we are listing–free as a service to our industry. Please write Editor Donna. We will post both confidential and identity revealed contacts.
Who’s hiring? mHabitat (UK) Who’s available? Industrial engineer with 20 years experience seeks Silver Economy company (Spain)
When disruptive healthcare tech disrupts the wrong things, including safety
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Thomas.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]Last week’s Health 2.0 conference was (of course) a three-ring circus of new technology and its corollary, a lot of hype. An astute writer new to this Editor, Michael Millenson, draws together the key points of two prominent, but not hyped speakers there: Robert Wachter, MD and Michael Blum, MD, both practicing in University of California San Francisco’s (UCSF) medical center. Dr Wachter, chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine, has been profiled in these pages earlier this year in a review of an excerpt from his book, The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine’s Computer Age. There he wrote about the example of Pablo Garcia, nearly dying from over-prescribed doses of an antibiotic that a chain of errors in their EHR started. Dr Blum is Director of UCSF’s Center for Digital Health Innovation. But their points are on the same track: “the danger of disruptive technology that disrupts the wrong things: upsets checks and balances that keep patients safe, makes working conditions more stressful and simply doesn’t play well with others.” His conclusions are on the money: #1, it’s not the technology but the adaptive change that front and back line clinicians will need to make; #2, entrepreneurs with whiz-bang tech that zips data to the clinician without fitting it into a care process are doomed to fail; #3 some kind of curation is needed. But whether that will be Care Innovations’ Validation Institute or Social Wellth (which purchased the late Happtique from GNYHA) is another story. Key for Health IT Entrepreneurs: Don’t Disrupt the Wrong Thing (Forbes)
Taking our own transformation medicine: how to integrate digital health into healthcare
An antidote to Dan Munro’s top-down and pessimistic vision of healthcare transformation (having much in common with Ezekiel Emanuel’s, see below) are two parallel prescriptions on integrating digital health into our healthcare systems and maybe, just maybe, transforming it.
The first acknowledges basic reality: we have all the health tech and funding we need right now. We are way beyond the fictional one device, app or service that will deus ex machina and transform healthcare. What we in the field need to do is integrate them, measure (and integrate) the data, get these systems and services into the home and–interestingly–seek out atypical early adopters. Your users/patients may not be the sexiest market for cocktail party chatter–older adults, the developmentally or cognitively disabled–and you’ll have to think beyond smartphone apps, but here is an opportunity to make an impact on a real, large, high-need and open market which can improve care, outcomes and reduce/redistribute cost over time. How The Digital Health Revolution Will Become A Reality (TechCrunch) Hat tip to reader Paul Costello of Viterion Digital Health.
The second analyzes a key point often neglected in healthcare discussions but well-known to students of behavior, like marketers: the patient’s perception of value. (more…)
Beyond Proteus, delaying medication release in the body–almost all the way
How to deliver medication reliably, well into the colon, to treat gastrointestinal disease most effectively? Purdue University researchers have developed an electronic drug capsule that delivers medication far into the digestive system. When triggered by the magnetic switch or electronic implant, it ‘detonates’ the capsule, releasing the medication. This delivery mechanism was tested through the stomach and into 20 feet of the small intestine. The promise is that it can deliver targeted medications farther into the colon, cost-effectively, to better treat IBS, Crohn’s and bacterial infections. The Purdue team is currently partnering with a biomedical company to take this into clinical trials. This takes the idea of Proteus’ ingested sensor to track medication one step further. Smart capsule to target colon diseases (Reuters)
Are we in the midst of healthcare disruption–or not at all?
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gimlet-eye.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]If you believe we are in the midst of a slow, tidal disruption of healthcare and the ascendancy of patient-centered care–to the point of Topolesque patient ownership–then you will be upset to tears by the contrarian assertions of Dan Munro in Forbes. He maintains that disruption isn’t what we think it is, but (and we cut to the chase here) it’s more like ‘process improvement’ and that it has to be driven by ‘K Street’ (translation: the street in Washington DC where Lobbyists Rule). Technology–patches on the flawed system. Doctors–desperately seeking to pay back their educational loans by picking the most lucrative specialties. (If they survive the internship and residency system without killing a patient or themselves; see The Misery of a Doctor’s First Days)
But..there’s more. (more…)
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