Last week (Oct. 24) Verizon announced Converged Health Management, a remote patient-monitoring medical platform designed to help clinicians and patients manage their health in between doctor visits with the goal of enhancing patient care and better patient outcomes through increased patient engagement.
About one third of physicians say patient non-compliance significantly impacts their ability to deliver effective care.* Couple this with an aging population, and fewer medical professionals and it’s evident that the U.S. healthcare system is ripe for a new model to deliver care - a model where patients need to take a more active role in their own health.
Verizon looks to enable better patient engagement in order to increase adherence to a clinician’s care plan, decrease emergency room visits and shorten hospital stays. Verizon’s Converged Health Management solution enables patients to use biometric devices to take health information such as blood pressure, oxygen saturation levels, glucose levels and weight from home or on the go, which is then automatically transmitted through a wireless connection to a secure server that resides in Verizon’s HIPAA-ready cloud.
The up-to-date patient health data is available for analysis and intervention by the patient’s clinician, including a reward system that incents patients to make healthier lifestyle choices. Patients can access this information and find personalized health-enhancing suggestions via the Converged Health Management smartphone app or Web portal. (See video demo.)
As part of their health program, patients can take advantage of the clinician-developed health information, including videos and webinars. In addition, patients can connect anonymously with other patients in a secure “social networking” environment, where they can ask questions and share ideas and experiences.
"Patient outcomes are often the result of what individuals do when they are away from their care providers," said Dr. Peter Tippett, chief medical officer and vice president, Verizon Innovation Incubator. "With Converged Health Management, Verizon is helping to transform how healthcare is delivered in the U.S. by increasing patient engagement and empowering patients to better manage their own health."
