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With telehealth growing as an option to connect doctors and patients when in-person consultations aren’t feasible, Samsung Mobile will now offer Honeywell HomeMed’s new remote-care platform on its 7-inch Samsung Galaxy tablet.
Telehealth provider Honeywell HomeMed, a division of Honeywell International, has announced that by using its Genesis Touch software, patients and caregivers will be able to hold telehealth sessions using the touch-screen capabilities of the Android tablet.
“The touch-screen platform is both efficient and familiar, while the integrated video adds a personal touch to patient interactions with their health care providers,” Terry Duesterhoeft, president of Honeywell HomMed, said in a statement. “And the anywhere-communication aspect addresses the need to have increased mobility in data management, a key offering in today’s health care marketplace.”
Announced on Feb. 22, Genesis Touch allows the Galaxy tablet to connect to medical device peripherals that measure data such as blood glucose levels, clotting time, temperature, weight and blood oxygen levels. The application receives the data from the medical device peripherals without patients having to enter it. The application then sends the data to Honeywell’s Web-based LifeStream Management Suite, where doctors can retrieve it and monitor a patient’s condition.
By connecting with LifeStream, Genesis Touch allows patients to view a dashboard to their health information all in one location. Nurses can also use the application to triage patients.
In addition, the application incorporates Fuze Meeting, a cloud telepresence tool that allows doctors and patients to hold video conferences as well as share medical documents and X-rays during a live session.
Genesis Touch meets FDA guidelines on personal health devices and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements on securing patient data, according to Honeywell HomMed, which has incorporated an interface that guards against tampering.
Both the Galaxy Tab and Genesis Touch conform to FDA regulations because they provide the patient data directly to a doctor or caregiver, according to Samsung.
“We believe the premium hardware of the Android-powered Galaxy Tab addresses previous challenges with mobile technology adoption and positively impacts the ability to treat patients,” Tim Wagner, vice president and general manager of B2B sales for Samsung Mobile, said in a statement. “The ability of our device to embody an FDA-cleared health care solution speaks to its efficiency, reliability and versatility.”
The Galaxy Tab operates on Verizon Wireless’ 3G network. Prior to Genesis Touch, Honeywell HomMed’s telehealth platforms lacked full support for mobile products and were hard-wired without graphics, said Samsung. Genesis Touch currently works only on the original Galaxy Tab.
Another telehealth provider, Consult A Doctor, plans to extend its service to mobile devices in the first quarter of 2012. At the HIMSS conference, the company announced customized cloud-based telehealth access for hospitals and clinics.
Alcatel-Lucent’s ng (next-generation) Connect Program demonstrated a TeleConsult video conferencing concept for tablets and other mobile devices at January’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). TeleConsult connects doctors and patients using Bluetooth medical devices from Boston Life Labs.
In another telehealth development, American Well announced on Feb. 22 that it will collaborate with Harvard Medical School’s Joslin Diabetes Center to focus telehealth services on diabetes care.
“Joslin is enlisting telehealth in one of its most powerful formsas a conduit for delivering tailor-made clinical programs to patients who might not otherwise have access to them,” Dr. Ido Schoenberg, chairman and CEO of American Well, said in a statement.
American Well’s Online Care Suite connects doctors and patients over the phone and on the Web through video or secure text chat.