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Quebec Pharmacists Launch #ECG Screening for the Prevention of Drug Induced Sudden Cardiac Death – CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:04 AM on Thursday, December 17th, 2020

HeartCheck™ CardiBeat and SMART Monitoring ECG Triaging to be used in Screening Services for detection of QT Prolongation in Community Pharmacies

  • Confirms the start of a pharmacy-based ECG monitoring service to screen for prolonged QT interval for the prevention of drug induced sudden cardiac death.
  • Under the Company’s Allied Health Professional Partner Program, the HeartCheck™ CardiBeat and GEMS™ Mobile Smartphone app will be used to collect ECGs recorded by patients under the direction of a pharmacist.
  • Recorded ECGs will be passed from the GEMS™ Mobile app to the Company’s SMART Monitoring ECG reading service to be triaged.
  • All findings will be sent directly to the pharmacist and any submitted ECG recordings that show a presence of prolonged QT interval or any other cardiac arrhythmia will be flagged so that the pharmacist may then follow up as needed with the patient’s treating physician.

TORONTO, ON / December 17, 2020 / CardioComm Solutions, Inc. (TSXV:EKG) (“CardioComm” or the “Company“), a global provider of consumer heart monitoring and electrocardiogram (“ECG“) device and software solutions, confirms the start of a pharmacy-based ECG monitoring service to screen for prolonged QT interval for the prevention of drug induced sudden cardiac death.

Under the Company’s Allied Health Professional Partner Program, the HeartCheck™ CardiBeat and GEMS™ Mobile Smartphone app will be used to collect ECGs recorded by patients under the direction of a pharmacist. Recorded ECGs will be passed from the GEMS™ Mobile app to the Company’s SMART Monitoring ECG reading service to be triaged. All findings will be sent directly to the pharmacist and any submitted ECG recordings that show a presence of prolonged QT interval or any other cardiac arrhythmia will be flagged so that the pharmacist may then follow up as needed with the patient’s treating physician.

Pharmacists plan to run ECG tests on patients when picking up a prescription. All QT and QTc interval findings will be kept on file with the goal of recording QT measurements for any patient with known cardiac issues and starting any new medication known to influence the QT interval. “As polypharmacy analysis becomes more prevalent in a pharmacist’s daily tasks, the use of the HeartCheck™ CardiBeat device will allow staff to quickly measure the patient’s QT/QTc and make a clinical judgment as per the safety of the prescriptions being dispensed”, states pharmacist K. Manoukian.

QT interval prolongation is a recognized adverse drug reaction and risk factor for torsades de pointes (TdP), a fatal arrhythmia that can result in sudden cardiac death. While rare, the severity of TdP makes QT prolongation a serious concern when prescribing medications.

Pharmacists have a legal and professional responsibility to evaluate/mitigate medication adverse and serious adverse event risk factors and are the final decision makers in dispensing or not dispensing medications. The surface ECG is the only way to confirm or rule out the presence of a prolonged QT interval. The HeartCheck™ CardiBeat provides a useful tool as QT prolongation can now be easily, quickly and cost effectively obtained in community pharmacies and be compared to well established normal duration ranges. Without an ECG sudden cardiac death due to a prolonged QT interval may be the first and only evidence of the disease. Prior to the release of CardioComm’s ECG screening technologies, QT interval prolongation ECG screening was not available outside of the hospital setting.

Listings of medications known to cause TdP through acquired QT syndrome prolongation in healthy people (crediblemeds.org, sads.org.uk and heartcentre.ca) contain more than 100 common medications, many of which are dispensed by pharmacists. These include common antibiotics, medications to treat yeast infections, diuretics, anti-arrhythmia heart medications, and antidepressant and antipsychotic medications. Additionally, COVID-19 infection, a history of cardiac arrest and cardiovascular disease, age and women on heart medications are also known to increase the risk for cause acquired QT interval prolongation.

Through the screening service CardioComm will earn revenue from a per ECG QT interval triaging service fee. With the program now launched in Quebec, the Company will next look to the introduction of the QT interval ECG screening services in pharmacies and physician practices in other provinces.

To learn more about CardioComm’s products and for further updates regarding HeartCheck™ ECG device integrations, please visit the Company’s websites at www.cardiocommsolutions.com and www.theheartcheck.com.

About CardioComm Solutions

CardioComm Solutions’ patented and proprietary technology is used in products for recording, viewing, analyzing and storing electrocardiograms for diagnosis and management of cardiac patients. Products are sold worldwide through a combination of an external distribution network and a North American-based sales team. CardioComm Solutions has earned the ISO 13485:2016 MDSAP certification, is HIPAA compliant and holds clearances from the European Union (CE Mark), the USA (FDA) and Canada (Health Canada).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Etienne Grima, Chief Executive Officer
1-877-977-9425 x227
[email protected]
[email protected]

Forward-looking statements

This release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of CardioComm Solutions and certain of the plans and objectives of CardioComm Solutions with respect to these items. Such statements and information reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. By their nature, forward-looking statements and forward-looking information involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements and forward-looking information.

In evaluating these statements, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements and forward-looking information contained in this release other than as required by applicable laws, including without limitation, Section 5.8(2) of National Instrument 51-102 (Continuous Disclosure Obligations).

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: CardioComm Solutions, Inc.

CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca to Bring #ECG Monitoring to Remote Patient and #COVID-19 Monitoring Platforms $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:38 PM on Tuesday, December 15th, 2020
  • Entered into a technology integration agreement with LiveCare Corp. and a Value-Added Reseller and Distribution Agreement with Alliance Tele-Med, to provide integrated ECG monitoring through the LiveCare Link+ device and telemedicine platform.
  • CardioComm confirms integration of their FDA and Health Canada cleared GEMS™ ECG management software, the wireless HeartCheck™ CardiBeat ECG monitor and access to the SMART Monitoring ECG reading service into the Link+ platform has been completed.
  • Under the agreement, the GEMS™ Mobile app technology was embedded into the Link+ gateway device allowing ECGs to be transferred through the Link+ platform to the CardioComm SMART Monitoring ECG reading service.
  • Once an ECG report is completed, the report findings are then securely transmitted to the Link+ platform and from there to the Link+ platform’s remote patient monitoring teams.

TORONTO, ON / December 15, 2020 / CardioComm Solutions, Inc. (TSXV:EKG) (“CardioComm” or the “Company“), a global provider of consumer heart monitoring and electrocardiogram (“ECG“) device and software solutions, is pleased to confirm it has entered into a technology integration agreement with LiveCare Corp. (“LiveCare“) and a Value-Added Reseller and Distribution Agreement with Alliance Tele-Med (“Alliance“), to provide integrated ECG monitoring through the LiveCare Link+ device and telemedicine platform.

CardioComm confirms integration of their FDA and Health Canada cleared GEMS™ ECG management software, the wireless HeartCheck™ CardiBeat ECG monitor and access to the SMART Monitoring ECG reading service into the Link+ platform has been completed. Under the agreement, the GEMS™ Mobile app technology was embedded into the Link+ gateway device allowing ECGs to be transferred through the Link+ platform to the CardioComm SMART Monitoring ECG reading service. Once an ECG report is completed, the report findings are then securely transmitted to the Link+ platform and from there to the Link+ platform’s remote patient monitoring teams.

Link+ is a patented smart home gateway that integrates multiple key medical bio-sign monitoring devices in a patient’s home through a proprietary, touch-free device which is always connected to the 4G network. There is no need for patients to connect to any specific Wi-Fi network for the Link+ to fully operate and, once activated, the Link+ transmits data directly to LiveCare’s HIPAA compliant cloud. The Link+ is fully reimbursable through Medicare, Medicaid and many commercial insurance plans using multiple CPT codes.

Through the addition of the GEMS™ technology into the Link+ gateway device, the Link+ device will be capable of recognizing multiple ECG devices with up to 12 leads of ECG recording and provide Link+ customers with more options in choosing a device of their preference. The HeartCheck™ CardiBeat will be the recommended device for remote ECG patient monitoring given its availability in Canada, the US and Europe. All recorded ECGs will be passed through CardioComm’s SMART Monitoring ECG triaging service. ECG reports confirming the presence or absence of an arrhythmia will be provided to Link+ users.

The Link+ platform with ECG monitoring sales and marketing will be undertaken exclusively by Alliance with a focus on monitoring patients with or suspected to have COVID-19. Sales into the US is where the primary marketing efforts are targeted for 2021. CardioComm will see revenue from the sales of the HeartCheck™ CardiBeat ECG devices as well as from ECG triaging service fees.

To learn more about CardioComm’s products and for further updates regarding HeartCheck™ ECG device integrations please visit the Company’s websites at www.cardiocommsolutions.com and www.theheartcheck.com.

About CardioComm Solutions

CardioComm Solutions’ patented and proprietary technology is used in products for recording, viewing, analyzing and storing electrocardiograms for diagnosis and management of cardiac patients. Products are sold worldwide through a combination of an external distribution network and a North American-based sales team. CardioComm Solutions has earned the ISO 13485:2016 MDSAP certification, is HIPAA compliant and holds clearances from the European Union (CE Mark), the USA (FDA) and Canada (Health Canada).

About LiveCare (www.livecareusa.com)

LiveCare’s mission is to improve patient outcomes, lower healthcare costs, and reduce hospital readmissions by developing technology to assist patients and providers during the critical transitional care period. LiveCare’s technology improves patient compliance with post-discharge medical protocols and enhances engagement between patients and providers. With a team of experienced professionals working in research and development, sales, and other capacities, LiveCare is putting the needs of patients and providers at the forefront as it moves the RPM market forward from its corporate headquarters in New York City.

About Alliance-Telemed, LLC

Alliance Tele-Med is a US-based Value-Added Wholesaler & Reseller of state-of-the-art remote patient monitoring (RPM) technology and care management services solutions for domestic and international healthcare delivery organizations and their patients. The company engages with healthcare and life sciences organizations such as Independent and Hospital-Owned Medical Practices, Independent Hospitals and Health Systems, Accountable Care Organizations (ACO’S), Independent Physician Associations (IPA’s), Provider Networks, large Employer Groups and Third Party Administrators, Clinics, FQHC and Regional Health Centers, Senior ‘Aging in Place’ Companies and Facilities such as Assisted Living Facilities, Nursing Homes, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Home Health Companies, pharmaceutical companies, and Clinical Research Organizations (CRO’s).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Etienne Grima, Chief Executive Officer
1-877-977-9425 x227
[email protected]
[email protected]

Forward-looking statements

This release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of CardioComm Solutions and certain of the plans and objectives of CardioComm Solutions with respect to these items. Such statements and information reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. By their nature, forward-looking statements and forward-looking information involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements and forward-looking information.

In evaluating these statements, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements and forward-looking information contained in this release other than as required by applicable laws, including without limitation, Section 5.8(2) of National Instrument 51-102 (Continuous Disclosure Obligations).

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

#Mhealth Market Sets the Table for Continued Growth – SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:38 PM on Monday, August 17th, 2020

SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions (EKG: TSX-V) – The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine. Patented systems enable medical professionals, patients, and other healthcare professionals, clinics, hospitals and call centres to access and manage patient information in a secure and reliable environment.

Mhealth Apps Market 2020 Sets the Table for Continued Growth

Global mHealth Applications Market — overview

The Global mHealth applications market is growing with a rapid pace. According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, the Global mHealth applications market is booming and expected to gain prominence over the forecast period and is projected to grow a sound pace. The market is projected to demonstrate a sound growth by 2023, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value with a sound CAGR during the anticipated period (2017–2023).

Global mHealth Applications Market — regional analysis

The global mHealth Apps Marketis segmented into four different regions namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), and Middle East and Africa (ME&A). High-income countries were reported highest adoption of mHealth and people from these countries are actively using mHealth services. The market form mHealth applications is growing rapidly in developing countries such as China and India. According to International Telecommunication Union, the number of mobile phone subscription is reached to about 5 billion throughout the world and about 70% of them are in low-middle income countries.

Technology is transforming the entire world and healthcare is not exception for it. Digital innovation and technological advancement is helping to put healthcare to the next level. After the evolution of the term called eHealth, now it is the era of mHealth. mHealth commonly known as mobile health. Use of mHealth devices and mobile devices is growing at tremendous rate throughout the globe and technology is changing dramatically. mHealth has potential to change the healthcare sector and can make is more accessible, affordable and faster. Technology is the major driving force behind the mHealth.

Technological advancement is providing better healthcare solution that changing the way of medical sector. Continuous innovation is most influencing force in this market. The demand for advanced and innovative products are increasing at rapid pace. Introduction of innovative product in the market gives first mover advantage to the solution provider. Options of better treatments, access to the solutions, improved affordability and convenience are changing the healthcare sector. Many times mHealth changes the traditional healthcare like, healthcare professionals can directly connect and assist patients from thousand miles away through mHealth technology. However, factors such as security and confidentiality threats along with resistance to change and market volatility are the major restraining factors for the market growth, during the forecast period.

Read More: https://medium.com/healthandhealthcareresearchreports/mhealth-apps-market-2020-sets-the-table-for-continued-growth-global-players-2e6bad48733f

Digital Health #Mhealth Funding Shatters Funding Records Despite #COVID Economy – SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:40 PM on Monday, July 6th, 2020

SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions (EKG: TSX-V) – The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine. Patented systems enable medical professionals, patients, and other healthcare professionals, clinics, hospitals and call centres to access and manage patient information in a secure and reliable environment.

Digital Health Funding Shatters Funding Records Despite COVID Economy

  • Despite COVID-19, digital health funding shattered all previous venture capital funding records for the sector by raising $6.3 billion in the first half of the year (1H), according to Mercom Capital Group.
  • The Austin, TX-based firm reported that the digital health funding in 1H was 24% higher than the $5.1 billion the space raised in the first half of 2019, despite the pandemic disrupting the economy

By: Amanda Pedersen

Despite COVID-19, digital health funding shattered all previous venture capital funding records for the sector by raising $6.3 billion in the first half of the year (1H), according to Mercom Capital Group.

The Austin, TX-based firm reported that the digital health funding in 1H was 24% higher than the $5.1 billion the space raised in the first half of 2019, despite the pandemic disrupting the economy. Mercom Capital Group is previewewed this data in advance of its upcoming 1H Digital Health Funding and M&A Report, which is expected to be published July 13.

Interestingly enough, venture funding reached $2.8 billion during the second quarter of 2020, an 11% decrease year-over-year compared to $3.1 billion raised in Q2 2019. Healthcare practice-centric digital health companies received 34% of the funding in Q2 2020, raising $947 million in 56 deals, and consumer-centric digital health companies accounted for 66% of the funding, raising $1.8 billion in 105 deals.

“Adoption of digital health technologies and products have accelerated since the COVID-19 outbreak, which is reflected in the funding spike in the first half of the year. Telehealth hype has been backed by $2 billion in venture funding with no signs of slowing down,” said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group.

This confirms what MD+DI has previously reported regarding telemedicine trends that emerged during the early days of the pandemic.

Other categories that received significant funding during the second quarter include mHealth apps, analytics, wellness, and medical imaging, Mercom reported.

The top-funded digital health categories in 1H 2020 were: telehealth with $1.9 billion, followed by analytics with $826 million, mHealth apps with $794 million, clinical decision support with $545 million, healthcare service booking with $326, and wearable sensors with $321 million.

The top telehealth VC deals in 1H 2020 included: $194 million raised by Amwell (formerly American Well), $155 million raised by KRY, $144 million raised by Zhiyun Health, $100 million raised by Mindstrong, and $93 million raised by Virta Health. Telehealth funding was distributed in 85 companies during 1H 2020.

The top overall digital health VC deals in 1H 2020 included: $285 million raised by ClassPass, $250 million raised by Alto Pharmacy, $194 million raised by Amwell, $155 million raised by KRY, and $150 million raised by Concerto HealthAI. Digital Health funding was distributed in 27 different countries in 1H 2020.

Mercom Capital Group is a global communications and consulting firm that produces funding and market intelligence reports covering a variety of “cleantech” sectors.

Source: https://www.mddionline.com/digital-health/digital-health-funding-shatters-funding-records-despite-covid-economy

#Covid19 Impact on #Mhealth Applications Market is Estimated to Reach USD 100.2 billion by 2023 – SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:42 PM on Thursday, June 25th, 2020

SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions (EKG: TSX-V) – The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine. Patented systems enable medical professionals, patients, and other healthcare professionals, clinics, hospitals and call centres to access and manage patient information in a secure and reliable environment.

Covid19 Impact on mHealth Applications Market is Estimated to Reach USD 100.2 billion by 2023

  • As per Market Research Future (MRFR), the global mHealth applications market is expected to reach USD 100.2 billion from 2017 to 2023
  • Global mHealth applications market is primarily driven by the increasing adoption of advanced technologies in healthcare sector and the need to reduce long waiting periods for specialists to access healthcare facilities

mHealth is one of the most advanced and disruptive trends in the healthcare sector that has been expanding at an exceptional rate over the last few years. mHealth changes the way traditional medical practices take place and creates a path for the future of healthcare. mHealth helps to track and manage health-related practices by using technologies such as Bluetooth, mobile network (GSM/ GPRS/3G/4 G), and Wi-Fi. Data collected by mHealth devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and tablets, help medical professionals, consumers, and other users.

mHealth Applications Market Dynamics

The global mHealth applications market is primarily driven by the increasing adoption of advanced technologies in healthcare sector and the need to reduce long waiting periods for specialists to access healthcare facilities. The availability of mobile applications for users is experiencing rapid growth, particularly in healthcare applications that help consumers manage their illnesses, well-being, and chronic conditions. This increased role of patients, coupled with the increasing importance of keeping up-to-date information about their own health decisions, has contributed to an increase in the global adoption of mHealth applications.

The healthcare industry has moved towards a value-based care model, with mHealth becoming a widespread trend due to the advent of technologies such as remote monitoring, electronic medical records, and other communication platforms. The rising prevalence of disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and obesity, as well as raising awareness of wellness and other preventive measures among patients, are expected to fuel the growth of the mHealth application industry.

The introduction of wearable devices from Fitbit, Apple, and Xiaomi have a positive impact on the market. Market growth appears to be positive, with increasing investment in wearable technology start-ups. These start-ups focus on categories of mHealth, such as personal safety, women’s health, and hydration monitoring, which promise exciting market prospects.

mHealth Applications Market Segmentation

The global market for mHealth applications has been segmented based on type, which includes monitoring applications, education & awareness, healthcare management, diagnosis & treatment, wellness & prevention, and others. The monitoring application segment had the largest market share of approximately 53.8% in 2016.

mHealth Applications Market Regional Analysis

Region-wise,the global mHealth applications market has been segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.

In 2016, Europe had the highest market share of 31.7% in the global market for mHealth applications, taking into account the regional market scenario.

The Asia Pacific is the second-largest and fastest-growing market in the global market for mHealth applications. APAC is forecast to rise at 33.7% CAGR in 2017-2023. Many Asian countries are adopting digital health strategies to manage healthcare delivery and deliver better outcomes. For example, the Digital India program aims to improve IT services to empower healthcare professionals. These initiatives are expected to make the Asia Pacific the fastest-growing segment in the forecast period.

North America is one of the leaders in the field of mhealth and is only behind the APAC. North America is estimated to cross USD 28762.1 million by 2023.

The Middle East and Africa were valued at USD 1334.9 in 2016 and is expected to rise at a steady pace over the forecast period.

Source: https://www.medgadget.com/2020/06/covid19-impact-on-mhealth-applications-market-is-estimated-to-reach-usd-100-2-billion-by-2023-size-share-clinical-health-data-stress-management-advance-technology-global-growth-factors-and-demand.html

Could #COVID19 be telehealth’s big moment? #Mhealth – SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca – $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:27 AM on Thursday, May 14th, 2020

SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions (EKG: TSX-V) – The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine. Patented systems enable medical professionals, patients, and other healthcare professionals, clinics, hospitals and call centres to access and manage patient information in a secure and reliable environment.

Could COVID-19 be telehealth’s big moment?

  • Over the five-year period that the analysis looks at, the U.S. telehealth market could see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38.2%
  • This year alone, the analysts expect the market to experience year-over-year growth of 64.3%

By Sean Whooley

Frost & Sullivan announced today that recent analysis finds that the demand for telehealth technology is expected to rise amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The analysis, titled “Telehealth — A Technology-Based Weapon in the War Against the Coronavirus, 2020,” revealed that, as COVID-19 continues to disrupt the practice of medicine and the delivery of healthcare, the U.S. telehealth market will experience seven-fold growth by 2025.

Over the five-year period that the analysis looks at, the U.S. telehealth market could see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38.2%. This year alone, the analysts expect the market to experience year-over-year growth of 64.3%.

“The critical need for social distancing among physicians and patients will drive unprecedented demand for telehealth, which involves the use of communication systems and networks to enable either a synchronous or asynchronous session between the patient and provider,” Frost & Sullivan healthcare principal analyst Victor Camlek said in a news release. “However, all stakeholders need to remember that many people use the terms ‘telehealth’ or ‘telemedicine’ without understanding the ecosystem that is involved. This study will clarify the many components that are needed in order to implement telehealth.”

Camlek said that virtual visits and remote patient monitoring will propel the telehealth market, then mHealth and personal emergency response systems will come into play as well.

The analysis hypothesizes that the opportunity for telehealth to become the standard of care is growing amid the pandemic and the main challenge for providers is the capabilities for scaling up during the increase in demand.

Frost & Sullivan expects growth to be sustained beyond the pandemic by vendors who deliver user-friendly sensors, practical applications of artificial intelligence, interactive virtual assistants and robotics, as well as use of big data analytics and adherence to cybersecurity, among other things.

Source: https://www.medicaldesignandoutsourcing.com/could-covid-19-be-telehealths-big-moment/

How is #COVID19 Impacting the #Mhealth Sector? – SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca – $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:00 PM on Monday, May 11th, 2020

SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions (EKG: TSX-V) – The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine. Patented systems enable medical professionals, patients, and other healthcare professionals, clinics, hospitals and call centres to access and manage patient information in a secure and reliable environment.

How is COVID-19 Impacting the mHealth Sector?

 

– COVID-19 is set to challenge the traditional working of the healthcare domain and push it towards an expedited adoption of digital health.

– The one thing that is certain amidst this time after the pandemic impact has ended, we all will be left with structural changes in ways healthcare works.

By Prateek Saxena

As you read, COVID-19 is shutting down one nation after another. Around the globe, the coronavirus pandemic is having an unprecedented effect on daily lives. The virus has contacted every single sector as part of its dire impact on the global economy.

But its impact on the healthcare sector has been seismic. 

COVID-19 is set to challenge the traditional working of the healthcare domain and push it towards an expedited adoption of digital health. 

The value of digital approaches which are designed to help health professionals and the public stay up to date about the disease, maintain communication, and allow better strategic planning are now being highlighted more than ever before. 

The one thing that is certain amidst this time after the pandemic impact has ended, we all will be left with structural changes in ways healthcare works. Although these changes were happening, they were piecemeal. COVID-19 is everything that is needed to expedite the process and bring upon the digital transformation. 

Here’s a detailed read on the coronavirus impact on healthcare industry. 

How is mHealth changing?

Medical Distancing: To counter COVID-19 outbreak, key authorities like the WHO and CDC have been lobbying for ways to lower physical contact between the healthcare providers and patients, also known as medical distancing. 

Telehealth service is becoming a force in the efforts to lower healthcare-specific COVID-19 transmission. It’s effectiveness has been acting as a promising one for areas including dermatology, cardiology, and diabetic care, etc. which allows high-quality remote care, all the while saving the time and physical space. 

Even though telehealth has established itself as a great measure to back up medical distancing, there are certain barriers that have to be addressed. There are issues around patient characteristics like educational background and age, etc, uncertainties around the legal liabilities, in addition to issues of confidentiality and privacy. 

Healthcare app development companies, however, have taken notes and are working on eradicating these issues. 

Crowdsourced disease monitoring: the high surge of coronavirus crisis are highlighting the need of timely tracking the infected and their contacts. Flexibility and timeliness are known to be the two common weaknesses in the surveillance systems.  

Digital health experts, through the mode of coronavirus tracing applications, make it possible to crowdsource disease monitoring. People from across the world put in their data – their travel routes, prospect of them having caught the virus, etc. for the healthcare agencies to track the hotspots and carriers. 

Health Information Exchange to boost interoperability: Because of the pandemic and the overcrowding of patients and health facilities, a strong health data exchange has become a key in the health infrastructure. It has also shown us that ‘health data’ shouldn’t just consist of patients’ medical data but also consist of a wide data type coming in from individual’s offline and online activity. 

We are going to see a lot more HIEs becoming open and un-localized. There will be many portals coming into existence for the patients and health systems to access the files. 

“With the coronavirus exploding in communities and overwhelming hospitals nationwide, we need to help doctors and nurses on the front lines get the information they need now to stop the spread of this virus and save lives,’’ Allen Byington, co-founder of HIE Networks said. “There has never been a greater need for easy, seamless communications in health care.”

Surging demand for health gadgets: The coronavirus impact on healthcare sector has been a seismic wave of wellbeing awareness and anxiety. The fear of infection has expedited the adoption of applications and wearable as a mode of making people feel protected. Wearables are giving people accurate feedback on their blood pressure, body temperature, and health signals which are restoring the sense of control in people in addition to helping them track their health. 

In addition to the rising demand and usage of wearable for preventive measures, the users are also adopting them for being fit and keeping up with their fitness goals that they have set for themselves. 

Companies using technology to track, test, and treat COVID-19

  1. Apple & Google announced their plan to launch APIs which would enable interoperability between Android and iOS products. The two companies are also committed to developing bluetooth-based contact training features in their underlying operating systems. They believe that it would provide deeper data integration with the governments’ public health initiatives and health apps. 
  2. Walgreens has expanded its telehealth program in a way that it includes COVID-19 risk assessment, information on the clinical trials, etc. The platform also includes a website and mobile health application to help patients navigate telehealth providers and health systems so that they can connect with nurses and doctors. 
  3. The Kingdom of Bahrain has developed a COVID-19 tracking system which depends on the GPS tracking electronic bracelets and coronavirus contact tracing application. The system then alerts the government monitoring station when the infected individual leaves isolation. 
  4. Acute care and SCP Health declared their partnership for providing scalable emergency service and hospital medicine through telemedicine 
  5. Jefferson Health system laid a partnership with LifeLink for launching former’s chatbot across LifeLink’s 14 Philadelphia locations. The chabot would make use of AI for aiding pre-screen of coronavirus outbreak. The patients can also make use of the bot for figuring out the right approach of their treatment. 

In conclusion: The post-coronavirus digital health

The after-COVID world is going to be remembered as when medical interactions such as a provision to primary care or management of several non-communicable diseases transferred to digital mode, by default, as opposed to exceptions. While we had very little impact on how coronavirus impacts the global digital health industry, the post-COVID19 world will see us accepting digital health as the new normal. 

The new age will also likely enable other technologies like 5G, AI, IoT, etc. to help us all converge in a completely new variety of approaches. In this global pandemic, we are witnessing this happening in real-time and in a never-imaginable pace. 

In England, primary care has now started finally embracing telehealth and has been delivering a digital first approach as a mode to manage streaming care to the appropriate places. 

However, there’s plenty left to be done. There is a need for incorporation of a robust governance in deployment of these approaches. There should also be a robust clinic decision support within our deployments as a rule in place of exceptions. 

The next important alteration which can be seen accelerating is an adoption of precision health: both in personalised and predictive health setup. We will see the utilization of digital technology in empowering the people to self-manage themselves in case of non-communicable disease. 

Additionally, we have to understand that this new world of medical infrastructure will be very different from the health and care world we are used to. It would require us to remain open and adaptive. There is one thing guaranteed – the digital health world is going to change for the good.

Source: https://appinventiv.com/blog/coronavirus-impact-on-mhealth/

#Mhealth Study to Test Cardiac Effects of Potential COVID-19 Treatment – SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca – $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:35 AM on Friday, April 24th, 2020

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mHealth Study to Test Cardiac Effects of Potential COVID-19 Treatment

A French study will use a smartwatch and mHealth platform to monitor ECG data from COVID-19 patients being treated with hydroxychloroquine, a potential therapy for the Coronavirus but one that may have serious side effects.

  • An mHealth study being launched in France will use an mHealth wearable to monitor cardiac activity in COVID-19 patients being treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, a drug therapy eyes as a potential treatment for the Coronavirus.

Source: ThinkStock

By Eric Wicklund

April 22, 2020 – An mHealth study being launched in France will use an mHealth wearable to monitor cardiac activity in COVID-19 patients being treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, a drug therapy eyes as a potential treatment for the Coronavirus.

Researchers at the University Hospital of Marseille will be using a smartwatch develop by Withings and integrated with an AI-based mHealth platform developed by Boston-and-Paris-based Cardiologs. The platform is designed to remotely monitor a user’s ECG data for QT prolongation.

“A significant QT prolongation can lead to ventricular arrhythmia and potentially deadly consequences” Laurent Fiorina, a cardiologist at the Institut Cardiovasculaire Paris Sud (ICPS) and Cardiologs executive who helped launch the study, said in a press release. “It is thus important to closely monitor the QT interval during this treatment.”

“The objective of our study is to evaluate a new method for QT measurement using Cardiologs’ AI-based solution and ECG data collected via smartwatches,” added Professor Jean-Claude Deharo, head of the cardiac arrhythmia department at the University Hospital of Marseille and the principal investigator of the study. “Smartwatches are already used in the clinical setting but do not have validated QT analysis available. Combining these technologies will enable clinicians to overcome the practical limitations in the context of COVID-19 of the standard cardiac safety strategy that requires heavy patient interaction.”

Often used to prevent or treat malaria caused by mosquito bites, hydroxychloroquine has be held up by several people – including President Donald Trump – as a potential means of treating the Coronavirus. But many in the healthcare industry have pointed out the drug’s potentially dangerous side effect.

Researchers are hoping to determine whether the treatment does pose a threat to a patient’s health – and whether this platform can be used in other non-COVID-19 treatments.

“This study has implications for risk management of drug-induced cardiotoxicity, even beyond the current COVID-19 and hydroxychloroquine context,” Professor Jag Singh, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and scientific advisor to Cardiologs, said in the press release. “Personal ECG sensors could potentially find a role in the management of these patients, but also add value in other routine clinical care, since over 300 commonly used drugs may have similar QT-prolongation risks as hydroxychloroquine.”

Source: https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/mhealth-study-to-test-cardiac-effects-of-potential-covid-19-treatment

Using #Telehealth in a #Pandemic #Covid19: Focus on Flexibility, Scalability – SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca – $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:40 AM on Monday, April 6th, 2020

SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions (EKG: TSX-V) – The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine. Patented systems enable medical professionals, patients, and other healthcare professionals, clinics, hospitals and call centres to access and manage patient information in a secure and reliable environment.

Using Telehealth in a Pandemic: Focus on Flexibility, Scalability

Executives from three different health systems talk about how they’ve used telehealth to meet the demands created by the Coronavirus pandemic – and how those services are laying the groundwork for ‘the new normal.’

By Eric Wicklund

  • Healthcare providers are scrambling to keep up with the demand for telehealth services as the Coronavirus pandemic sweeps across the nation
  • Many are seeing unexpected benefits in the shift to connected health – and hoping the momentum continues after the emergency is over

‘Take Care of the Patients First’

“There’s been a lot of spontaneous action,” says Alexa Boer Kimball, CEO of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a network of roughly 2,900 physicians spread across eastern Massachusetts.

“The key is to take care of the patients first,” she says.

Kimball remembers using telemedicine as far back as 1998, though more recently the network had focused on urgent on-demand care. Now her physicians are seeing thousands more patients each week via telehealth than they had seen just a few weeks ago.

While the traditional barriers – reimbursement, patient and provider buy-in, technology – “have always been there,” Kimball says the accelerated pace of the nation’s response to the emergency has allowed providers to jump in and try things out.

“The first thing we realized was that you can do a lot of things just on the phone,” she says.

Actions by state and federal officials have loosened a lot of those barriers, allowing providers to test new platforms and see more reimbursement. Kimball says her providers have long clashed with payers over coverage, and she’s hoping the success they’re seeing now will convince payers to maintain these new guidelines after the pandemic has eased.

“Right now we’re pretty confident we’ll be reimbursed for that business, but we’re still not sure,” she says. “This (rapid uptake) is kind of proof in the pudding. We need to make sure we have the data to prove our point.”

Kimball advises providers to “pay attention to all the guidance” right now, identifying both state and federal guidelines that have a direct effect and positioning telehealth and mHealth services to take advantage of those new rules. This includes developing a compliance and payer-specific billing plan, and massaging that plan to cover not just Coronavirus cases, but all cases.

“We need to be ready for a new (environment),” she says. “There’s no going back.”

‘We … Jumped Forward 10 Years on the Adoption Curve’

Out in Renton, WA, the Providence St. Joseph Health system was caught in the middle of the first wave of Coronavirus cases. But Aaron Martin, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer for the six-state, 51-hospital health system, says leadership had recognized the value of virtual care six years ago and had the infrastructure in place to tackle the surge.

Still, he says, they were caught by surprise by a tenfold increase in telehealth visits and a sevenfold jump in care providers joining the platform.

“We had to move very quickly from feature-driven (virtual health offerings) to scale-driven,” he says. “We basically jumped forward 10 years on the adoption curve.”

Martin says PSJ has a large digital health innovation program, employing some 120 software engineers and producing more than a few tools and incubator spin-outs, like Xealth. The health system also partners with telehealth and mHealth companies to test out the latest in tools and services.

That helped the health system expand from its fast-growing ExpressCare Virtual telehealth platform to a stable of services that now includes remote patient monitoring for roughly 300 patients in the Seattle area. That program will soon be expanded throughout the enterprise to help other hospitals manage their populations at home. 

Martin says the health system realized very quickly that it had to have a plan in place for expanding and evolving its virtual care services. 

“Move fast, but make sure you’re being very, very diligent about things,” he says. “Understand all the processes in place, and make sure the technology is very fungible and easy to configure.” 

In addition, make sure all telehealth and mHealth services are tested and fine-tuned not only by IT, but by the clinicians who will use them. 

“And be prepared to learn,” he adds. “We will learn some things that work in virtual visits, and we will learn some things that absolutely don’t work.” 

That includes addressing three specific goals: Make sure all online content is from a trusted source, be prepared to adopt all-digital transactions, and focus on engagement, both to get patients through the digital door and to keep them there for future care. 

With regard to future care, Martin says “we’re already thinking of the new normal.” That means preparing to transition from Coronavirus triage and care to a platform that can take on elective procedures, chronic care management and specialty care. 

Martin expects the healthcare industry, pushed by consumer demand and the successes of using technology during the pandemic, to pressure state and federal regulators to keep guidelines in place that expand telehealth coverage and reimbursement. But he also expects the industry will see an increase in fraud and abuse, as some look to take advantage of that new normal. 

“There’s going to be some time to adjust,” he says. “Let’s just make sure we don’t back ourselves into a corner (with new legislation) that we can’t get out of.” 

‘We Know It’s a Marathon’ 

At Houston Methodist, the health system has weathered the likes of Hurricanes Allison and Harvey, not to mention the surge of people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Stephen Spielman, Senior Vice President of the Houston Methodist Physician Organization and President of the Methodist Primary Care Group, says the seven-hospital system has learned a lot from past disasters. 

“We’ve been through this – we know how this feels,” he says. “We know it’s a marathon.” 

Spielman says the health system has been expanding its platform since partnering with American Well some three years ago on its first virtual care service, and now has a broad network of services. 

The Coronavirus pandemic, however, pushed the health system into uncharted territory. 

He says Houston Methodist’s Virtual Urgent Care service worked well in the direct-to-consumer arena – handling the increase from 30-40 visits a day to 250-300 visits – but it didn’t mesh well with the network’s Epic electronic health record, giving providers fits as they tried to conduct telehealth visits with established patients. So the health system created a second telehealth network on the Epic MyChart platform, allowing providers to integrate primary and specialty care visits with each patient’s EMR. 

“This gave us better flexibility, and our physicians loved it,” Spielman says, adding that the shift to a virtual platform took only 10 days. It’s also giving network executives the confidence to push ahead with their third connected health platform: E-visits. 

Along the way, Spielman says he’s learned some interesting lessons. 

While federal authorities loosened the guidelines for video visits through consumer-friendly platforms like Skype and FaceTime, “it’s been a little bit cumbersome to do that operationally,” he says. Those tools might be great for quick, one-off visits demanded by the epidemic, but they don’t integrate will with the health system’s telemedicine infrastructure – and likely won’t be an option when the emergency passes and some of the old rules and regulations come back into play. 

On the other hand, Spielman says he’s had great success with the Press Gainey patient surveys sent out after every telehealth encounter, giving health system executives a good idea of what patients like and don’t like about virtual care. With so many people quarantined at home, more patients have time on their hand to complete those surveys. 

At present, Spielman says Houston Methodist is ramping up its telehealth platforms to not only deal with an expected surge in Coronavirus cases, but to give patients with other needs – treatment for issues not related to the pandemic – the same access to virtual care as those with the virus. The health system is also looking to expand its telemental health offerings to help staff dealing with the stress of the pandemic. 

Looking ahead, he says the health network will look to keep the momentum going after the emergency by expanding its telehealth services for chronic care management, health and wellness and other ancillary services that have been pushed to the side to tackle the virus. 

“What we’re learning here will change healthcare permanently,” he says. “The genie is out of the bottle. Telehealth is our passion now.”

Source: https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/using-telehealth-in-a-pandemic-focus-on-flexibility-scalability

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Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 12:40 PM on Friday, April 3rd, 2020

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CardioComm Solutions Partners with CareOS to Bring Consumer ECG Monitoring into the Connected Home

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