Short takes 2: Humana’s CEO changeover; Owlet Dream Sock CE Mark, UK approval; TytoCare goes to school; LG enters home health with Primefocus; Samsung $92M buys Sonio (FR); raises by Blackwell in health cybersec, Watershed Health

May 16, 2024 | by

Keeping it short and sweet for the end of the week.

Payer Humana changing out CEOs. The wrap for current CEO Bruce Broussard is coming a little earlier than anticipated, with the planned changeover to Jim Rechtin on 1 July. Mr. Broussard will depart the board of directors but stay on as a ‘strategic advisor’ until 2026, which is a typical arrangement for CEOs usually tied to compensation. Mr. Rechtin’s experience prior to joining Humana as president/COO in January was as Envision Healthcare’s CEO and with OptumCare and DaVita. Last year, Humana and Cigna failed to merge after shareholders disapproved and the evident conflict in PBMs [TTA 13 Dec 23]. 2024 earnings were revised downwards in April due to ongoing losses in Medicare Advantage plans. Release, FierceHealthcare

Owlet’s Dream Sock now has EU CE Mark, UK medical device approvals. The European medical device clearance by the EU notified body was announced on 2 May, with the UK certification following on 14 May. As certified for the EU and UK, the Dream Sock is intended for use with healthy infants between 0-18 months and 2.5-13.6 kg. The Dream Sock measures oxygen saturation and pulse rate which are reported on a smartphone app and on a base station to provide baby sleep insights. In the US, it was FDA cleared under de novo last November. It is sold without prescription through retailers and directly through Owlet. Owlet plans to debut it in Germany, France, and the UK later this year. CE Mark, UK releases. Mobihealthnews

TytoCare expands a logical market–school RPM. Their school health initiative that started before the pandemic has added or expanded in five healthcare systems. This brings primary and urgent care services to over 2,500 schools in 31 states. Three of the five systems are Cone Health (North Carolina), Sentara Health (Virginia), and A Plus Family HealthCare (Kentucky). TytoCare works with school nurses and adminstrators for remote diagnostics, not only for children presenting with illness but also for monitoring children with chronic conditions. Blog, Mobihealthnews

LG NOVA launches Primefocus Health in North America. LG, well known for monitors and TVs in healthcare settings, is introducing a “provider-focused, patient-centric healthcare platform” to connect patients in home care with their providers. It will use “innovative non-invasive technology for tracking patient progress for multiple medical conditions, which can be integrated with the provider’s electronic health record system, artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities for ease of use.” No demos or further specifics are provided.  LG NOVA is LG Electronics North America Innovation Center and demonstrates an interest in additional healthcare expansion. Release, Mobihealthnews

LG’s rival Samsung buying France’s Sonio for $92 million. The fetal AI ultrasound company originally partnered with Samsung Healthcare France in 2021 in order to confirm the efficacy of its AI for pregnancy/prenatal monitoring. It raised a $14 million Series A last year for a US commercial launch of their AI FDA 510(k) cleared Sonio Detect, a machine-agnostic AI assistant software for reporting and imaging. Samsung Medison, the ultrasound division of Samsung, must await French regulatory approvals, including the French Ministry of the Economy and Finance. Release, MedTech Dive

And in latest fundings:

Healthcare focused Blackwell Security now has a $13 million Series A, led by co-creators General Catalyst and Rally Ventures. The funding will expand their Managed Healthcare Extended Detection and Response (MHXDR) offering. They are also acquiring their first CEO, Geyer Jones, from cybersecurity/IoT companies Cylera and RSA.  Release, Mobihealthnews

New Orleans-headquartered Watershed Health completed a $13.6 million venture round funding. This was led by First Trust Capital Partners with participation from FCA Venture Partners, Create Health Ventures, Impact Engine, 450 Ventures, LDH Ventures II/Launchpad Digital Health, and others that adds to a 2022 $9.8 million venture round. The new funding will be to expand their SaaS platform plus grow the engineering, development, customer success and sales teams. Watershed is a care coordination platform with a community focus that connects clinical and non-clinical providers such as SDOH resources. Release

Thursday short takes: Fold Health VBC $6M round, Vivalink’s RPM in Burma rural health, Vytalize adds two to board, layoffs at TytoCare, IntelyCare

July 13, 2023 | by

Fold Health celebrated its first birthday by securing a $6 million round. Investors were Iron Pillar and global angel investors for total funding of $12 million. Fold’s platform is for primary care providers transitioning to value-based care and outcome-based payment models and need to manage workflow, care management, and patient data. Their claim is that it is the first end-to-end platform of this type that seamlessly integrates with EHRs. The founders originally came from athenahealth via their Praxify acquisition. Athenahealth provided the initial $6 million seed funding round. Fold release, TTA 21 July 2022

Vivalink, an RPM developer with a suite of medical wearables including a multi-function ECG patch, is part of a rural healthcare initiative on the border of Thailand and Burma. They have donated multiple sets of the rechargable ECG monitor which pairs with a real-time patient monitoring mobile app that can operate ‘off the grid’ in what appears to be a store and forward mode. It is lightweight and small at 7.5 grams in weight and 3.5 inches in length. In this remote area, clinicians can use the ECG patch to monitor patients in the preoperative assessment area, during the surgical procedure under sedation, and during the recovery period. The company promotes both conventional RPM monitoring and decentralized clinical trials. Vivalink release

Vytalize Health, a management services organization (MSO) that organizes independent primary care practices into Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs) that enjoyed one of the few mega-fundings in H1 at $100 million, added two board members with substantial payer, quality reporting, and provider experience: David Wichmann, the former CEO of UnitedHealth Group from 2017 to 2021; and Amy Compton-Phillips, MD, currently the chief medical officer at Press Ganey and former Providence Health executive. Vytalize is in a highly competitive Medicare ACO/MSO segment with competitors such as Aledade, Privia Health, Evolent Health, CVS Health, Optum, and Collaborative Health Systems (Centene). FierceHealthcare, Vytalize release

Layoffs continue to affect healthcare both in the US and overseas.

  • New York/Tel Aviv-based TytoCare has laid off 20 employees, 10% of its 200-person workforce. 10 are in Israel, where it employs 135 people. TytoCare, which TTA has covered since 2016 as it’s diversified from home-based telehealth + device diagnostics primarily for child home care into providers and health plans and most recently for respiratory wheeze detection, had a last round of $50 million in March 2021. CTech/Calcalist (Israel), Becker’s, Jewish Business News
  • Boston-based IntelyCare, which helps providers organize nursing shifts, manage workflow, and staffing, has laid off staff after a reorganization. The number was not disclosed but was estimated at about 30. Most information is paywalled, but its last funding was a Series C at $115 million. Boston Business Journal

 

Mid-week roundup: TytoCare’s Wheeze Detection clears FDA, OpenLoop telehealth’s $15M Series A, PointClickCare buys PatientPattern EHR, last info session for Health Wildcatters’ 2023 accelerator

March 16, 2023 | by

TytoCare receives FDA clearance for its lung sound monitoring algorithm. Wheeze Detection, which analyzes lung sound data for adults and children aged two and above, will be added to Tyto Insights for the remote diagnosis of developing lung conditions. The AI algorithm in Tyto’s decision support software analyzes their database of lung sounds against the patient’s, recorded by TytoCare’s stethoscope device, to determine if wheezing or other abnormal sounds are detected. Wheeze Detection was previously CE-marked for Europe. It’s an important addition as respiratory conditions account for 40% of their diagnoses over time through the TytoCare home-based telehealth + device diagnostic kit. Tyto Insights is part of TytoCare’s Home Smart Clinic, released last November, for at-home remote care targeted to providers and health plans. It includes Tyto Engagement Labs configured for each specific program and cohort that delivers on expected ROI and improved health outcomes. Tyto release

A substantial Series A round to OpenLoop. OpenLoop is a turnkey white-label telehealth with staff platform that targets two interesting segments: providers and digital health companies. Their $15 million Series A was led by Nava Ventures, with participation from new investors UnityPoint Health Ventures and PrimeTime Ventures, and existing investors SpringTide Ventures and ManchesterStory, adding to their existing $25 million in funding. Their network has 6,000+ certified clinicians across all 50 states, offers 30+ digital health specialties, and has capabilities in 15 languages. Also announced was the addition of a nationwide insurance payer network that allows clients to offer reimbursable services to patients instead of cash pay-only options, plus a payer coverage and revenue cycle management (RCM) service. Release

Senior/home care coordination platform PointClickCare acquires EHR Patient Pattern. Patient Pattern adds to PointClickCare’s position with long‐term and post‐acute care providers as well as with other high-needs populations with its EHR and care management platform that serves Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans, ACO REACH participants, and PACE programs. Terms, timing, and management transitions were not disclosed. Release

And down in Dallas, Health Wildcatters is rounding up the dogies for its 2023 Accelerator. Their last info session on the application process is on 4 April from 2-3pm CDT. Their Accelerator is a three-month program, September-November, that includes only 8 to 12 startups. There’s intensive training, introductions to their 200-strong mentor and investor network (hopefully none from SVB or Signature Bank!), plus investment from Health Wildcatters. More information on the Accelerator here, registration for the application info session here, and 2023 application here. Final applications are due by 31 May.

News roundup: cybersecurity benchmarking study, Tyto Care’s Home Smart Clinic, Long Island’s $2.6B life sciences hub, Singapore’s Speedoc raises $28M, NantHealth’s sinking feeling, Hims & Hers revenue up 95%

November 10, 2022 | by

Censinet, the American Hospital Association (AHA), and KLAS Research announced at industry confab CHIME22 Fall Forum a benchmarking study on health system cybersecurity. The study, currently enrolling hospital and health system participants, according to the release will enable a comparison of cybersecurity investments, resources, performance, and maturity to peer organizations across key operational cyber metrics. It will also cover NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) and Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices (HICP). Censinet provides healthcare risk management solutions, consolidating enterprise risk management and operations capabilities. Hat tip to HISTalk 9 Nov.

TytoCare’s latest is the rollout of the Home Smart Clinic, a platform that combines TytoCare’s FDA-cleared handheld for remote physical exams; Tyto Insights, their AI-powered diagnostic support that aids diagnosis in remote physical exams; Tyto Engagement Labs, a suite of user engagement services including behavioral science-backed blueprints, consulting services, and marketing tailored to each specific program and cohort; and support for multiple provider models and different patient populations. The new platform is targeted to health plans and providers. Release (Yahoo)

Long Island NY’s proposed Midway Crossing project, creating a life sciences hub in quaintly named Ronkonkoma, would cost about $2.55 billion, but create an estimated 4,300 science, technology, engineering, and healthcare positions. They’d also be lucrative, with salaries mostly well over $100,000 a year. The proposal was authored (sic) by Michael Dowling, president of Northwell Health, and James Hayward, PhD, president and CEO of Applied DNA Sciences, and appeared in Newsday (paywalled). Its 179 acres would include a STEM educational center, research labs, biotech manufacturing facilities, health care offices, a hotel and convention center plus connect to the LIRR and Long Island-MacArthur airport. While approved by local authorities, it now needs funding. Becker’s

Traveling to the far Pacific…Speedoc, a home health company based in Singapore, raised $28 million. Speedoc offers app-based video consults and home visits, non-emergency ambulance transport, and remote monitoring for several chronic conditions. It is available in nine cities in Singapore and Malaysia. According to Mobihealthnews, it is also one of the technology partners for the two-year pilot of the Mobile Inpatient Care@Home initiative by the Ministry of Health’s Office for Healthcare Transformation. The pre-Series B funding round was led by its new investors Bertelsmann Investments, Shinhan Venture investment, and Mars Growth. Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India, which led its $5 million Series A funding round in 2020, also participated. 

Our Readers with very long memories will remember that transformative health darling, NantHealth. This Patrick Soon-Shiong NantWorks company, originally in genetic sequencing for cancer research, was caught en flagrante in a ‘pay to play’ scheme with the University of Utah funding NantHealth and providing data that would prove useful to other Soon-Shiong companies [TTA 18 April 2017]. It’s long since pivoted to payer/provider data solutions (NaviNet). What’s not improved is their bottom line. It lost $13.7 million, or $0.12 cents per share, increasing loss by 26% from 3Q 2021. Shares on NasdaqGS are trading at $0.31. Yahoo!Finance/SimplyWallSt. Another tip of the cap to HISTalk 9 Nov.

And who said all of telehealth is suffering? Online direct-to-consumer marketer Hims & Hers posted a third consecutive $100 million+ quarter in revenue. Their Q3 revenue was up 95% versus Q3 last year, reaching $144.8 million. They also gained 70,000 new online subscribers for a total of 991,000, up 80% year over year. Q4 guidance is up to $159 million to $162 million, with a full-year revenue forecast of $519 million to $522 million. And yes–they’re profitable. Their embarrassing TV spots notwithstanding, they seem to have found The Magic Formula. FierceHealthcare

Friday short takes: ElliQ companion robot launches, Tunstall pilots chronic condition support in Ireland, Walmart Better(s)Up, TytoCare surveys virtual primary care, Microsoft closes $19B buy of Nuance

March 18, 2022 | by

ElliQ, a small size companion robot, was officially launched this week by its developer, Intuition Robotics. From the release, it’s a national launch but concentrated in senior-rich south Florida. ElliQ responds and ‘learns’ by voice commands and through a connected tablet. It has gained some notice for its unusual shape (like a small lamp), animation in place, and initiating conversation that resembles chit-chat. Behind this is interactivity–the companion part–checking in to say “good morning,” pointing towards sleep, but also informing family or friends that you’re OK and helping track appointments and medications. We noted at the end of January that Michael Cantor, MD, JD is their chief medical officer, as well as CMO of Uber Health. Intuition release, Fast Company profile of an ElliQ beta tester, aged 81.

It’s a day late for St. Patrick’s Day, but Tunstall Healthcare piloted with several agencies in County Wexford, Ireland, in a 12-week proof of concept test of remote monitoring support of 50 patients with three chronic conditions: heart failure, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The 2021 telehealth intervention measured the impact on the patient’s clinical condition and wellbeing; in-person use of health services; ascertaining patient and clinician perceptions of the intervention and technology; and an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of the intervention. The trial used the myMobile patient app and the triageManager clinical management software platform. Participating in the pilot: Age Friendly Ireland, Integrated Care Programme in the HSE, Wexford General Hospital, Tunstall Emergency Response and Wexford County Council-Age Friendly Programme. THIIS. Also in the same publication is a Tunstall take by Gavin Bashar, Tunstall UK & Ireland managing director, on aging in place with technology support.

In another expansion of Walmart into healthcare, they’re partnering with behavioral health-coaching platform BetterUp in a program dubbed ‘BetterUp for Caregivers’. The app will be offered exclusively through Walmart’s Wellness Hub. Caregivers can access support via BetterUp’s live group coaching circles hosted by a BetterUp coach. Release, Mobihealthnews

TytoCare’s quick survey found that their 300 users via a major insurer preferred more access to virtual primary care, which isn’t much of a surprise. Going through the numbers:

  • 67% felt they would be more likely to stay with their health insurer long-term as a result of being offered remote physical examinations (always catnip to insurers!)
  • 66% of users would consider a digital-first plan
  • 87% of respondents indicated they are pleased by health insurers who offer technology for remote visits
  • Much of this is a reaction to delayed in-person primary care: 90% of members wait an average of six days to see their primary care physician. Over 45% wait between 1-2 hours or more. 

And in the It’s About Time Department, Microsoft’s $19 billion purchase of Nuance Communications closed after the UK cleared the acquisition. It was our Really Big Deal of 21 April 2021. Nuance is a cloud and AI-based speech recognition company with well-known brands Dragon and PowerScribe. Becker’s. 

News roundup: Grand Rounds rebrands as Included Health, HealthEdge buys Wellframe, TytoCare rings Google Chime

October 20, 2021 | by

Grand Rounds Health rebranding to Included Health. Virtual care and navigation telehealth company Grand Rounds, which merged with Doctor On Demand back in May, is adopting the new and inclusive name, Included Health. Aside from the full rebranding as a company that is “turning the existing model on its head” for those who “feel marginalized by today’s healthcare, and it’s all about subtraction, taking things away from us,” as Owen Tripp, CEO stated in the announcement at HLTH21, it’s also a convenient name. Around the time the merger was being finalized, this Editor noted that Grand Rounds had acquired a small care concierge/health navigation targeting the LGBTQ+ community called…Included Health [TTA 28 May]. Release, FierceHealthcare

HealthEdge acquires Wellframe. HealthEdge, which specializes in payer administrative and clinical systems connectivity and automation software, announced their intent to acquire digital health and care management company Wellframe. Terms were not disclosed. Wellframe currently serves more than 33 million members. HealthEdge stated that they would be integrating their GuidingCare and HealthRules Payor with Wellframe’s systems, along with Wellframe co-founder and CEO Jake Sattelmair, his leadership team, and approximately 150 employees. While there’s some overlap, the two companies greatly complement each other in integrating payer systems to work more efficiently end-to-end in member and care management.  Release

TytoCare Chimes In. Telehealth diagnostic TytoCare upgraded its two-way video capabilities using the Amazon Chime platform. Its new video features include enhanced video quality, multi-party calls, and the ability for clinicians to conduct remote visits on any tablet, including iPads. TytoCare enables users to perform remote physical exams of the heart, skin, ears, throat, abdomen, and lungs, plus measure blood oxygen levels, heart rate, and body temperature. Release

News roundup: Buddi’s £500M LSE float, Accolade to buy PlushCare for $450M, Teladoc adds chief innovation officer, Tyto Care’s Italy expansion

April 28, 2021 | by

Buddi going public later this year. Something we missed and found (quite by accident) was that the Buddi personal alert wearable will be floated on the London Stock Exchange later this year. According to the report in SkyNews, CEO and founder Sara Murray has appointed Zeus Capital to manage it. The value is rumored to be up to £500 million and will be a great reward for Ms. Murray and her other early investors. The bands, which connect to smartphones or a wireless-connected clip, then to pre-set connections or their 24/7 support, retail for up to £248. Buddi is reported to be used by more than 80 percent of local authorities in the UK, UK police forces for domestic violence cases and witness protection, lone worker situations, plus government customers internationally. Buddi also designs and assembles their Buddi units in the UK. Also City A.M. 

Accolade, a health benefits navigation provider, announced a definitive agreement to purchase one of the smaller telehealth players, PlushCare, for a plush price of $450 million, composed of $40 million in cash, $340 million in Accolade common stock, and up to (the usual) additional $70 million of value payable upon the achievement of defined revenue milestones following the closing, expected in June. Accolade, which itself went public on NASDAQ in July, raising $220 million, then in October floated additional shares to raise $221 million, has been on a telehealth acquisition tear of late. In March, they closed their acquisition of virtual second medical opinion provider 2nd.MD for $460 million. PlushCare will enable Accolade to directly offer primary and mental health care telehealth to its members. According to Steve Barnes, chief financial officer at Accolade, their addressable market will increase nearly five-fold to more than $200 billion. One wonders whether their existing relationships with Teladoc and Livongo will continue.  Release.  Also HealthcareDive and FierceHealthcare.

Teladoc adds a chief innovation officer. Claus Jensen, PhD comes from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he served as chief digital officer and head of technology. His purview will include product innovation, information systems, health informatics, and data products. Previously, he was with Danske Bank, IBM, and chief technology officer of CVS Health-Aetna. Release, Becker’s Hospital Review

TytoCare advances further into Italy in a partnership with Multimed srl, a local medical device company. The partnership will develop the market there with local providers, hospitals, elder care facilities, independent physicians, and pharmacies, as well as at-home monitoring. Multimed is a multi-line distributor of surgical devices for robotic surgery, endoscopy, laparoscopy, orthopedics, sanitization/sterilization, and similar. Tyto earlier explored the Italian market in a partnership with the ASL of Vercelli hospital group, where physicians monitored and treated elderly and pediatric COVID-19 patients, performing pulmonary, cardiological, and dermatological telehealth visits. Release. 

News roundup: Walgreens Boots-Microsoft, TytoCare, CVS-Aetna moves along, Care Innovations exits Louisville

January 17, 2019 | by

Walgreens Boots finally does something. Their teaming with Microsoft to migrate their IT infrastructure to the Azure platform will eventually lead to “more personalized care experiences from preventative self-care to chronic disease management. WBA will leverage the cloud for wellness and lifestyle management programs.” It was important enough to both companies to have a photo op with twin CEOs: Walgreens Boots’ Stefano Pessina and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella. The ‘consumerization of healthcare’ and ‘transforming healthcare delivery’ phrases liberally sprinkled throughout the article and the press release are today’s prevalent clichés, as ‘synergy’ was the buzzword of say, 1999. Healthcare IT News, CNBC  In the long run, this IT overhaul may actually mean more to their customers than, say, the Amazon-JP Morgan-Berkshire Hathaway hydra.

A vote of confidence in diagnostic telehealth pioneered by young Israeli company TytoCare. They added $9 million to their Series C from investors including Sanford Health, Itochu and Shenzhen Capital Group (and its affiliates). This adds to last year’s round led by Ping An Global Voyager Fund for a total Series C of $33.5 million. TechCrunch. TytoCare also was named one of Wired’s Best of CES (CBS TV video, at 1:35) and earlier this month announced the integration of Health Navigator’s symptom checker into their system.

The judge says ‘No Delay For You’! In the CVS-Aetna hearing, Federal Judge Richard Leon refused to give the Department of Justice any more time to submit comments in the CVS Health and Aetna merger case. The deadline remains 15 February despite the government shutdown furloughing much of the antitrust division. Judge Leon is reviewing the decree under the Tunney Act requirement that the merger meet the public interest. Healthcare Finance

Care Innovations ankles Louisville. A modest and mainly paywalled item in Louisville Business First may point to something larger at Care Innovations. After two years of operation and a much-touted expansion to one of Louisville’s better addresses, the telehealth/RPM company has quietly vacated its 7,200 square foot space at Brown & Williamson Tower and pulled its operations from the city. Reporters from the publication were unable to obtain a statement from Care Innovations, which is now in Folsom, California, closer to majority owner Intel. At the time of their Louisville expansion in April 2017 (still on their website), Care Innovations received a $500,000 KBI tax incentive to create 24 high-paying jobs, which now are departed. It is ironic as Louisville is a health hub dominated by insurer Humana but has successfully campaigned for health tech. Last July [TTA 17 July], CI sold its Validation Institute and their VA win disappeared from their website. Of late, there has been no news from the one-time Intel-GE partnership.

News roundup: Partners HealthCare Pivot Labs, TytoCare’s CE Mark, ISfTeH’s 2019 conference calls for presentations, three Smart Ageing Prizes awarded

October 17, 2018 | by
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Lasso.jpg” thumb_width=”120″ /]Partners HealthCare Pivot Labs announced before the Connected Health Conference. The 20-year-old Partners Connected Health Innovation is partnering (sic) with Pune, India-based Persistent Systems. Their joint project will create a center of excellence to develop patient-centered care delivery using digital tools. Release.

TytoCare gains CE Mark. TytoCare, a remote monitoring telehealth/video consult platform which integrates peripherals for a virtual physical exam, announced it received CE Mark approval and will be rolling out in the EU. In August, they gained Health Canada approval. For our European readers heading to MEDICA 12-15 November, they will be exhibiting and speaking (link here). This Editor also noted that Jeff Cutler, their US chief revenue officer for the past three years, has moved on to be chief commercial officer for Ada Health, an AI-powered health navigation platform and symptom checker.

The 24th ISfTeH International Conference will be 19-20 March 2019 in Lisbon, Portugal in conjunction with and hosted by the Portugal eHealth Summit. The International Society for Telemedicine & eHealth has extended its call for presentation proposals to 31 October–apply here. Multiple proposals are permitted. Submitters will be notified of acceptance 5-16 November.

Also in Portugal, €50,000 in Smart Ageing Prizes awarded at AAL Forum in Bilbao. This award recognizes companies that develop solutions that address social isolation and loneliness among older adults and facilitate real world interactions to improve quality of life. The lead winner was KOMP, a one-button computer for family communication. Other winners were PlaceCal, a partnership of community organizations, charities, social housing providers, government services, health providers, and citizens, plus Refresh by How Do I? to aid those with memory loss. The annual award is a collaboration between the Active and Assistive Living (AAL) Programme based in Belgium and Nesta’s Challenge Prize Centre. Nesta website, Release (PDF). Hat tip to Dimitra Gkivalou of OPUS for the notification.

Rounding up what’s news: LindaCare, TytoCare funding; Medicare telehealth parity, Norway’s big cyberhack, Virta reversing diabetes, DARPA’s 60th birthday

February 9, 2018 | by
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Lasso.jpg” thumb_width=”100″ /]Your Editor’s been away and then largely out of pocket over the past two weeks. Here’s our roundup/catchup beyond the bombshells:

In remote patient monitoring for chronic disease, Philips, PMV, and other investors invested €7 million ($8.6 million) in Belgium’s/Hartford CT’s LindaCare. The Series B funding will accelerate its US expansion of OnePulse for remote monitoring of chronic heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia patients with Cardiac Implanted Electronic Devices (CIED). It is in use in major European hospitals and in US trials, though there is no mention in the release or on their website on CE Marking or FDA clearance/clinical trials. Previously from its 2013 founding, it had €1.6 million in funding. Also Mobihealthnews.

TytoCare, a remote monitoring telehealth/video consult platform which integrates peripherals for a virtual physical exam, raised $25 million in a Series C round led by large Chinese insurer Ping An via their Global Voyager Fund plus Walgreens, Fosun Group, OrbiMed, LionBird, and Cambia Health Solutions. Release. Their total raise is $45.6 million since 2012 (Crunchbase). Their most current partnership is with Long Island-based Allied Physicians Group which is featuring at-home telehealth visits at its pediatric practice in Plainview.

More favorable Medicare reimbursement for telehealth is the subject of four US Congressional bills. The one furthest along is the ‘Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic Care Act of 2017’ (S.870), which aims to improve at-home care, increases Medicare Advantage flexibility, gives ACOs more options and expands telehealth capabilities for stroke and dialysis patients. It passed the Senate in September and now goes to the House Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The effect of all four is on Medicare payment parity with in-office visits, which does not currently exist and is not affected by the various state parity bills on insurance for those below 65. American Well touts a 10-fold growth in revenue, but the likelihood of any of these four bills being signed into law is small, particularly with a pending report from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. Becker’s Hospital Review

Norway released at end of January news on an “advanced and persistent” 8 January cyberattack on Health South East RHF. This has both a health breach and military twist.

(more…)

CES Unveiled’s preview of health tech at CES 2018

November 11, 2017 | by

CES Unveiled, Metropolitan Pavilion, NYC, Thursday 9 November

The Consumer Technology Association’s (CTA) press preview of the gargantuan CES 9-12 January 2018 Las Vegas event was the first of several international preview ‘road shows’. It’s a benchmark of the ebb and flow of health tech and related trends on the grand scale. Gone are the flashy wearables which would change colors based on our sweat patterns and heart rate, or track the health and movement of pets. Now it’s the Big Issues of 5G, AI, machine learning, AR/VR, and smart cities. Entertainment, especially sports, are now being reinvented by all of these.

The developments this Editor gleaned from the mountain of information CEA plies us keyboard tappers that are most relevant to healthcare are:

  • Wireless 5G. As this Editor has written previously from Ericsson and Qualcomm, 5G and 5G New Radio will enable amazingly fast mobile speeds and hard-to-believe fast connectivity by 2019. It will enable IoT, self-driving cars, cars that communicate with each other, reconstruction of industrial plants, electric distribution, multimodal transport, and perhaps the largest of all, smart cities. The automation of everything is the new mantra. Accenture estimates the impact will be 3 million new jobs (nothing about loss), annual GDP increased by $500bn, and drive a $275bn investment from telecom operators.
  • AI.  Society will be impacted by machine learning, neural networks and narrow (e.g. calorie counting, diagnostics) versus general AI (simulation of human intelligence). This affects voice-activated assistants like Echo, Alexa, and Google Home (now owned by 12 percent of the population, CES survey) as well as robotics to ‘read’ us better. These conversations with context may move to relationships with not only these assistants but home robots such as from Mayfield Robotics’ Kuri (which this Editor attempted to interact with on the show floor, to little effect and disappointment). Oddly not mentioned were uses of AI in ADL and vital signs tracking interpreted for predictive health.
  • Biometrics. This will affect security first in items like padlocks (the new Bio-Key Touchlock) using fingerprint recognition and smart wallets, then facial recognition usable in a wide variety of situations such as workplaces, buildings, and smartphones. Imagine their use in items like key safes, phones, home locks, and waypoints inside the home for activity monitoring.
  • AR and VR. Power presence now puts viewers in the middle of a story that is hard to distinguish from reality. The pricing for viewers is dropping to the $200-400 range with Oculus Go and Rift. At the Connected Health Conference, this Editor saw how VR experiences could ease anxiety and disconnectedness in older people with mobility difficulties or dementia (OneCaringTeam‘s Aloha VR) or pain reduction (Cedars-Sinai tests). The other is Glass for those hands-on workers [TTA 24 July] and heads-up displays in retail.

CES is also hosting the fourth Extreme Tech Challenge. Of the ten semi-finalists showing down on 11 January, three are in healthcare: Neurotrack to assess and improve memory; Tissue Analytics that uses smartphone cameras to assess wounds and healing; and (drum roll) the winner of TTA’s Insanely Cute Factor competition, the Owlet smart sock for baby monitoring [TTA’s backfile here]. One of the judges is Sir Richard Branson, who will host the finalists on 28 February on Necker Island (which hopefully will be rebuilt by that time).

After the nearly two-hour briefing, CEA hosted a mini-show on the ground floor of the Metropolitan. (more…)

The growth of telehealth, and the confusion of terminology (US)

December 24, 2016 | by

Becker’s Health IT and CIO Review has written up a US-centric review of recent advances in telehealth and telemedicine but kicks it off with the confusion level between the two terms. Internationally, and in these pages, they are separate terms; telehealth referring primarily to vital signs remote monitoring, and telemedicine the ‘virtual visit’ between doctor and patient, between two clinical sites, or ‘store and forward’ asynchronous exchange (e.g. teleradiology). Somehow, in US usage, they have been conflated or made interchangeable, with the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) admitting to same, and American Well simply ‘just doing it’ in relabeling what they provide. On top of it, the two are incorporating elements of each into the other. Examples: TytoCare vital signs measurement/recording into American Well’s video visit; Care Innovations Health Harmony also providing video capability.

Of particular interest to our international readers would be the high rate of US growth in telemedicine utilization from 7 to 22 percent (Rock Health survey). Teladoc, the largest and publicly traded provider, passed the milestone of 100,000 monthly visits in November and the ATA estimates 1.25 million from all providers for 2016 (Teladoc release). Other US competitors include the aforementioned American Well, MDLive, and Doctor on Demand, the latter two also selling direct to consumer. They also compete against doctor-on-house call services like Pager and Heal. Reimbursement remains an issue both privately and publicly (Medicare and Medicaid) on a state-by-state level, with telehealth experiencing significant difficulties, as well as internet access, speed, and usage by older adults.

The Theranos Story, vol. 23: Walgreens drops the $140 million contract breach hammer

November 9, 2016 | by

[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/upside-down-duck.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]Walgreens Boots Alliance has finally sued Theranos in Delaware Federal Court in for breach of contract.  Walgreens is seeking $140 million, supposedly equivalent to their amount invested, according to sources cited in the Wall Street Journal article. Not many details are available, since Walgreens moved to seal the civil suit under their mutual non-disclosure agreement.

Allegations are flying, of course. Walgreens is officially mum, but according to the WSJ‘s ‘close to the matter’ sources, Walgreens claims that Theranos misled them about the state of their technology during their three-year partnership and even after the blood-draw centers were closed in June, which put their customers at risk. This sounds like the fraud and misrepresentation cited by Partner Fund Management, which moved in October to get its $96 million back like Lee Marvin as Walker in Point Blank. Earlier reports confirmed that patients did not learn for weeks or months, often not until forced to, that their Theranos test results were unreliable. There are reports that at least 10 patient lawsuits have been filed in Arizona and California.

(This Editor notes that their Theranos agita hasn’t soured Walgreens on funding health tech. They are a substantial investor in TytoCare, an all-in-one vital signs device with retail potential, and MedAvail, a kiosk dispenser for prescription and OTC medications)

Theranos has, no surprise, said a great deal, aggressively–the trademark of their legal supremo David Boies. They claim to be the aggrieved party: “Over the years, Walgreens consistently failed to meet its commitments to Theranos. Through its mishandling of our partnership and now this lawsuit, Walgreens has caused Theranos and its investors significant harm.” Theranos has exited the blood-testing business and is supposedly refocusing on developing technology to sell to outside labs. Also MedCityNews ‘coughs’, The Verge.  See here for the 22 previous TTA chapters.