Staples is following Amazon’s lead and getting into lines of business–including home health care and personal care–totally unrelated to its core merchandise of office supplies. E-commerce blog GetElastic takes a critical look at their business goals in driving towards over a million SKUs, bringing in third-party sellers (“marketplace”) and drop-shipping, plus sourcing and stocking an extended inventory. The news for us is that one of those marketplaces could be fitness tech/wearable items that employees use in wellness programs such as Fitbits, Jawbones and FuelBands, sensors for Samsung’s S Health program–or glucose meters and blood pressure cuffs. (Already Staples stocks DME, personal care, ostomy and respiratory supplies.) And since Staples already sells smartphones, the potential for cross-selling fitness add-ons and apps is excellent. Can Staples Succeed as an Everything Store?
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Staples-home-page.jpg” thumb_width=”400″ /]Apps World
22-23 October 2013, Earls Court 2, London
While this event is all about the apps and M2M in every area, the organizers are reaching out to the health tech area in both the exhibition and with speakers such as Subir Mondal, Deputy Director IS, NHS – Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, myHealthPal and BleepBleeps. Parts are free with registration, others are paid. Keynote speakers include Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple at the free Developer World. The free part also includes the 250-exhibitor expo along with 3 keynote talks within the 5 free-to-attend workshops (registration here). The Enterprise World speaker track on both days is free and includes the NHS speaker on security. M2M and Automotive is a paid track and includes content (Health & Wearables, Connected Car) relating to telehealth with myHealthPal and BleepBleeps. Passes range from £250 (networking) to £995 (2 day Gold). According to a posting on LinkedIn, there is a 25 percent savings when you use this code for registration: LINKEDIN25. More information here.
Health tech growing in Brazil
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Saude.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]We hear relatively little about health tech developments in Latin America–and in a region with huge healthcare needs and population at all income levels, it has great potential. EmpreenderSaúde (roughly ‘to undertake health’) is looking to change that with events (including Meetups, Twitter @EmpreenderSaude and a Facebook page) that present local healthcare entrepreneurs and help to educate them on both business and healthcare. This report on their 6 August meeting features diagnostic medicine company Grupo Fleury and Projeto Dom, an initiative supporting not-for profit healthcare organizations; Saútil, a online information site providing information on Brazil’s public healthcare system; healthy food company Natue; and Medicinia which is a secure website for physicians to follow-up with their patients. The face of the rising stars on the EmpreenderSaúde website
Now an accelerator for aging tech
Major Midwest non-profit aging services provider Ecumen and ‘innovation co-operative’ MoJo Minnesota are co-sponsoring The Age Power Tech Search, seeking young companies or subsidiaries of larger companies which have pioneered technology that improves the quality of life of older adults. To quote their announcement email, “AgePower differs from “incubators” or “accelerators” in that its focus is on transforming the future of aging and providing real-life test environments, along with access to business strategy experts in key areas necessary to fueling a successful new venture.” Advisory board includes many well-recognized leaders in aging services, thought and tech, refreshingly outside the usual Digital Health Hypester Horde (D3H). Four finalists gain a real-world test environment in Ecumen communities for six months. Both Ecumen and MoJo will take small equity stakes in the finalists as well. Applications are due on 31 October; a 90-minute information session will take place on 13 August in Minneapolis (register here). Age Power Tech information and specs here.
Note to developers: This may be Minneapolis, but Ecumen is not only #17 on the 2012 Ziegler/LeadingAge list of US largest non-profit senior living organizations, but also a quick Google or LeadingAge search will uncover their large ‘thought leader’ role in both care and tech implementation. There’s no restriction on origination, but since MoJo’s put is developing business in MN, if you are outside the state this Editor would expect a major factor would be a commitment to establishing a base there.
Angels to the rescue in health tech
Funding ‘angels’ in the health tech space are increasingly taking on roles that go beyond investing. Venture-Med Angels has funded 24 companies in seed and Series A rounds, generally at less than $500,000 along with larger syndications, in areas as diverse as Class 1 and 2 medical devices, including diagnostics, as well as mobile health, health IT, telehealth and remote diagnosis. A key problem is in this admission–so many companies have similar products or services. Common to accelerators, the Angels give their help to startups in pitches, achieving milestones and understanding the importance of their intellectual property. From company name to investment, Venture-Med Angels advise startups (Entrepreneurship.com’s eMed/MedCityNews)
Nurses using social media for health tech collaboration
Interesting article and longish (26:04) video on how nurses are using Google Hangout for collaboration, especially on using technology as part of their practice and getting involved in tech development. The four onscreen are located in Canada, Australia and Hawaii. The author is herself an RN and health care advisor for the US Strategic Perspective Institute, a think tank whose main job is advocating ‘saving jobs’, a Sisyphean task if there ever was one. (Don’t bother to look at the healthcare blog–the last entry there was 2010.) This is from ZDNet. Nurses use Google Hangouts to collaborate on technology
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