Every Friday we recap the biggest news story of the week to make sure you don’t miss out on the latest trends, developments, moves and acquisitions in digital health. But in case you missed it (ICYMI) this round-up will catch you up on the top stories from the past month.
#1 Story: A Big Move for Big Tech as Amazon Positions Alexa for a Clinical Setting
The story: Amazon is collaborating with Vocera on a version of Alexa that is planned for hospitals and aged care facilities. The HIPAA-compliant solution will provide a way for patients to communicate directly with caregivers. Alexa will also be able to answer common non-clinical questions reducing unnecessary care team interruptions.
What you need to know:
- The potential of this technology to improve workflows and help to address nurse shortages is huge. However, the stakes are also very high. The technology will need to accurately triage and delegate patient requests that can be answered by the Alexa device vs. those that need immediate medical attention.
- Plans for the device include the ability to “establish urgency,” prioritize patient requests and notify the appropriate caregiver via their Vocera Badge, Smartbadge, or Vina smartphone application.
Industry Implications:
- Vocera’s communication and workflow optimization solutions are already used by nearly 1,900 hospitals and healthcare facilities including Hackensack Meridian Health, groups within the NHS and Aged Care Plus, a division of the Salvation Army.
- Expansion into health and senior care has been a recent focus of Amazon’s. This past September they launched “Alexa Together”, an elder care subscription service. The service is an expansion of their “Alexa Care Hub” and now includes access to urgent and emergency response.
- Other giants forging their way into the healthcare remote patient monitoring space include Best Buy who back in October acquired Current Health and their care-at-home technology.
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In other news…
#2 Story Snapshot: What Will Happen to Telehealth After the Pandemic
The story: The use of virtual care and telehealth accelerated during the pandemic. However, as people begin to resume pre-pandemic activities, questions of willingness to continue to use virtual care as well as discussions of safety, quality, and payment have arised. A recent study published on JAMA Network Open showed an openness to continued telehealth visits but a preference for in-person care.
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#3 Story Snapshot: Pharma Giants Partner with DiMe on digital endpoints initiative
The story: Abbvie, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB team up with the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) to make nocturnal scratch a digital endpoint for atopic dermatitis (AD). AD, an inflammatory skin condition, is often very itchy, resulting in disturbed sleep from nighttime scratching. Digital sensors are starting to play a role in the tracking of these symptoms of AD.
Get the full story here
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