Back in April, we reported on a new alliance between GE and Intel Corporation to accelerate the innovation and commercialization of next-generation home health technologies — especially those designed for seniors and patients with chronic conditions. Today, Mayo Clinic announced that it will conduct a year-long research study to determine if home monitoring of patients with chronic diseases, using Intel’s remote patient monitoring technology, will reduce hospitalizations and emergency department visits.
House calls: In the video above Steve Agritelley of Intel’s Digital Heath Group tells how his team is developing technologies that offer the potential for more effective management of chronic health conditions. Source: http://www.intel.com/pressroom
As Omar Ishrak, President and CEO of Healthcare Systems at GE Healthcare points out, “Nearly 80 million baby-boomers in the U.S. are approaching ’seniors’ status, and they expect the best possible care.” At the same time the current system that requires face-to-face clinic visits is not a sustainable model. “By joining together with two world-class partners in this research study –Mayo Clinic and Intel — GE expects to gain valuable insight on how we can better deliver technologies that improve the lives of seniors and people with chronic illness,” he says.
The research study will involve 200 high-risk Mayo Clinic patients over age 60 who receive care in Rochester, Minnesota. Patients will measure their vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse and weight, and respond to questions specific to their diseases on a daily basis — with all data reviewed by the clinical care team working with their primary care provider. The technology, which also includes videoconferencing capability, allows the team to assess the patient for signs and symptoms suggesting clinical deterioration. The hope is that early recognition and treatment of a change in status will reduce the need for emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
Driving technologies that increase access to care while simultaneously reducing costs and increasing quality — such as home healthcare technologies — is the fundamental goal of GE’s healthymagination initiative. As part of their alliance, GE & Intel plan to invest $250 million over the next five years in research and development of home-based health technologies. In addition, GE Healthcare is selling and marketing the Intel Health Guide in the United States and the United Kingdom.
“Transforming healthcare requires more than just healthcare reform. It requires innovative thinking and the use of technology to change how and where care is delivered,” says Louis Burns, vice president and general manager of the Intel Digital Health Group. “We need to go beyond just hospital-and-clinic visits when we are sick — to home and community-based care models that allow for prevention, early detection, behavior change and social support. This study is an example of how we are looking to address this.”
Read more in these GE Reports stories:
* “GE and Intel team-up on home health tech”
* “Remote healthcare tech: There’s no place like home”
* “Home health monitoring growth eyed in QuietCare buy”
* “London calling: Intel-GE health alliance expands to UK”
* Read today’s announcement
* Learn more about the Mayo Clinic
* Learn more about the Intel-GE alliance
* Learn more about the Intel Health Guide