The ‘doc-in-box’ an idea that won’t die–but maybe it’ll work this time?? OnMed, which pioneered a telemedicine kiosk that TTA last reported on in October 2019 with placements at Tampa General Hospital, will be debuting it five years later (!) at CES this January in Las Vegas. The “Clinic-in-a-Box” offers a telemedicine live virtual consult with a virtual clinician working with the patient to assess vital signs such as weight, blood pressure, temperature, oxygen levels (SpO2), and thermal imaging. Unlike the Tampa Hospital kiosks, these will not dispense medications but the clinician can e-prescribe to a pharmacy of the patient’s choice. The one – or two booth self-cleaning kiosk has been placed in Tampa, Auburn, Tuskegee, Milam County, Connecticut, and Georgia in multiple settings including a homeless shelter, sheriff’s office, universities, public buildings, and supermarkets. Their website has demonstration videos here. Their target has also changed from five years ago to concentrate on underserved areas, citing the 80% of U.S. counties lacking sufficient primary care and 83 million Americans living in healthcare deserts.
Our Readers will be reminded of Forward’s recent implosion [TTA 14 Nov, 15 Nov] after two CarePods installed, and in the Wayback Machine, HealthSpot Station which managed to get to 50 placements before fading to black in mid-2016 [TTA 17 Nov 2023]. Like HealthSpot, OnMed’s kiosk is dependent on a synchronous virtual consult, but is more compact and self-cleaning. It also does not have the claustrophobia concerns that plagued Forward and HealthSpot–the clear windows ‘fog’ only when the consult starts. OnMed release, HIStalk Monday Morning 9 Dec
Moving smartly to the courts, a group of former HealthTap employees and shareholders have sued the company. Four plaintiffs have filed in Delaware Chancery Court (as the California company is incorporated there) against controlling VC Mohr Davidow Ventures (MDV) and five board members and executives. The suit charges that going back to 2018, MDV took over the company, replaced the CEO with Bill Gossman, a MDV partner, and switched the telehealth provider from an enterprise-focused to a direct-to-consumer model. At the time, they had a contract with UK’s Bupa. Walking away from corporate contracts drastically reduced the value of the company, driving it from what the plaintiffs claim was a billion-dollar valuation to the brink of insolvency, in a strategy to drive out other investors and repel outside funding, leaving MDV as the only other source of funding. MDV purchased notes in what is depicted as repeated self-interested financing and is now issuing millions of shares in this private company which further dilute the value of existing shares. The company is now controlled by MDV and allied entities.
In May 2018, when CEO Ron Gutman was fired by the board, accused of “acts of intimidation, abuse, and mistrust, and that [he] repeatedly mistreated, threatened, harassed and verbally abused employees”, the plaintiffs claim that HealthTap “had tens of millions of dollars in cash and accounts receivable and was nearing profitability.” They seek an order declaring that the plaintiffs breached their fiduciary duties and award damages. The lawsuit was dated 24 October 2024. Mobihealthnews
In this time of year that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, let us celebrate two partnerships that promise safer pregnancies and births.
- In Malawi, PeriGen‘s perinatal software and Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) are partnering with the Area 25 maternal health centre in their capital, Lilongwe, for diagnosing high-risk pregnancies and developing fetal conditions. Area 25 is the only clinic equipped with PeriGen in the joint program with TCH. In three years of the program, the number of stillbirths and neonatal deaths at the centre have fallen by 82%. PeriGen’s AI-based ‘early warning system’ requires less time, equipment and fewer skilled staff, which is critical for areas without sufficient health workers and high rates of fetal abnormalities. The Guardian, HIStalk Monday Morning 9 Dec
- Back in the US, Austin’s Ouma Health and Minnesota’s Marani Health are partnering with their respective maternal health technologies to create an integrated solution. Ouma offers 24/7 maternity telehealth and Marani has devices and an AI-powered platform for remote patient management. They are targeting areas that are underserved or without access to maternity care. Ouma currently works with over a dozen Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) nationwide. Release
Previously, the two companies jointly submitted a proposal to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Prevention Research Center. In October, they were awarded a $5 million grant to fund community-engaged research to address maternal and child health disparities in Wisconsin. Release In March 2023, Ouma also partnered with in-home care provider MedArrive an in-home care provider, is partnering with Ouma Health, for maternal-fetal care of women on Medicaid coverage.
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