The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awarded Philips a ten-year contract to build out their remote intensive care (ICU) service infrastructure to make it accessible to veterans from any location in the US. The VA currently manages 1,800 ICU beds nationwide in its approximately 1,700 sites. Based on the release, the Philips engagement in VA Tele-Critical Care will expand the VA’s current capabilities to encompass telehealth, tele-critical care (eICU), diagnostic imaging, sleep solutions, and patient monitoring. The agreement may total $100 million over the 10-year contract duration.

Philips has about 20 percent of the adult eICU market. They claim that 1 in 8 adult ICU patients are monitored 24/7 by their eICU Program, which combines audio/visual technology, predictive analytics, data visualization, and advanced reporting capabilities. Their proprietary research points to shorter ICU visits by eICU patients plus better outcomes. Healthcare IT News, Philips release (Photo: Philips)

By this Editor’s calculation, VA remains the single largest user of telehealth in the US. In their FY 2019, the first year of the ‘Anywhere to Anywhere’ initiative [TTA 24 May 2018], VA delivered more than 2.6 million telehealth episodes to 900,000 veterans. During the early part of the pandemic, they grew virtual home visits from an average of 10,000 to 120,000 per week. By the end of FY 2020, their goal is to deliver all primary care and mental health provider services, both in-person and via a mobile or web-based device. The VA release from November 2019 does not break out the different types of VA telehealth and usage.

Philips and BioIntelliSense have also inked a partnership deal to integrate BioIntelliSense’s BioSticker sensors into their post-acute remote patient monitoring (RPM) systems. The BioSticker is a wearable FDA-cleared 510(k) Class II sensor that transmits passive monitoring of key vital signs, physiological biometrics, and symptomatic events up to 30 days. The first announced user of the RPM+BioSticker systems will be Healthcare Highways of Frisco, Texas, a provider of health plans, employer self-funded health plans,  pharmacy benefit management, population health management, and benefit plan administration. Healthcare Highways is participating in seven patient monitoring programs to assess patient health status with providers: COVID-19, CHF, hypertension, diabetes, total joint replacement, cancer, and asthma. Release (Photo: Philips)