ATandT Adds MedApps Remote Monitoring to 3G for Health Platform

AT&T has announced that it will incorporate MedApps' remote-monitoring products into its ForHealth portfolio of health-care IT products.

In November, AT&T formed the ForHealth unit to combine the company's current health-care IT offerings in mobile health, telehealth and the cloud with other companies' products, such as MedApps' suite, to help patients monitor chronic conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

As part of the agreement made public on Jan. 5, MedApps will incorporate its CloudCare line into ForHealth, allowing users to access m-health services in the cloud.

"MedApps' focus on cloud computing and open-platform architecture--allowing connection of multiple clinical devices to a single plug-and-play hub--is highly aligned with AT&T's vision," Randall Porter, assistant vice president for AT&T ForHealth Solutions, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, AT&T will connect the MedApps suite to its 3G network and sell MedApps' remote-care monitoring hub and enterprise back-end products with AT&T's ForHealth applications.

"It will help AT&T offer m-health solutions that are user-agnostic and universally accessible, despite carrier, device type or operating system," Porter said.

When designing health-care IT applications that reach a diversity of demographics it is essential to get patients to comply with medical procedures, according to Kent Dicks, CEO of MedApps.

"In looking at health care and disease management, it is important to remember that different subsets of the population have much different rates of utilization of health-care resources," Dicks said in a statement. "This is an essential and highly attainable way to reduce health-care costs immediately."

MedApps' remote-monitoring portfolio also features HealthPal (a portable device that allows patients to transmit readings automatically from glucose meters), blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters and scales to their EHR (electronic health record) using embedded cellular and Bluetooth connectivity.

Weighing about 3 ounces, HealthPal incorporates GPS, features an OLED screen that displays medical readings, and sends programmable reminders to help patients remember to test themselves.

As 2011 progresses, companies will increasingly roll out m-health devices that connect patient data to their EHRs, in a doctor's office, or a PHR (personal health record), in cloud services such as Google Health or Microsoft HealthVault.