News announced at the mHealth Summit will be percolating through the industry over the next few weeks. One not-surprising-at-all trend is ‘connecting up’–wireless providers with telehealth devices, providers with insurers, devices with telecom platforms, platforms with funding, already integrated health providers with platforms…whew. Two examples are:
- Verizon Wireless [TA 22 Nov] announcing a digital care management platform with software providers Calgary Scientific and IQMax to link telehealth devices via Verizon’s HTC Thunderbolt Android phone; another partnership with insurer WellPoint for physician ‘virtual care’ to patients in rural areas (via smartphones, tablets and laptops); and platforming Zipnosis, an online web portal for (again) virtual visits. eWeek
- Even bigger news: Qualcomm’s now official venture into mHealth with Qualcomm Life, unveiling what may be a significant breakthrough in hardware plus system (2Net) and an engineering group to solve the problem of what they termed ‘the wireless mess in the middle.’ They are about to announce 40 partnerships in mHealth companies and device manufacturers in the next few months. However, they put their money where their (never mind the cliche). Their $100 million mHealth fund is certainly a generous one too, currently funding AliveCor, Air Strip Technologies, Cambridge Temperature Concepts, Telcare and WorkSmart Labs. Qualcomm unveils Qualcomm Life and the 2Net hub
- Updated 12 Dec: more on the 2Net system via a well-done YouTube video. Interoperable, flexible gateways (a home-based hub, M2M mobile, mobile phone or from other servers).‘Interoperable’ and ‘Technology agnostic’ are terms bandied about before by others, but Ed. Donna doesn’t believe that Qualcomm Life would hang itself off that limb without beaucoup support. Perhaps the breakthrough? Well, the FCC already has approved it (according to the interestingly named Wireless Goodness blog), and ‘that ain’t hay’. More on this: iMedical Apps, Continua Alliance release on MarketWatch.