Qualcomm Taps Collaborators to Develop Next Gen of Health Care Tech

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), a global technology developer and investor, is tapping several health care industry players to collaborate on developing its next generation of tech solutions.

The company, through its subsidiary Qualcomm Life, Inc., is collaborating with ResMed (NYSE: RMD), King’s Daughters Medical Center and CareCentrix to build upon its tech solutions powered by Qualcomm Life’s 2net and HealthCircles platforms, the firm announced  Tuesday at its annual Connect 2014 conference in San Diego, Calif.

The 2net and HealthyCircles technologies aim to enable continuous care, informed interventions and better management of at-risk populations.

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By integrating with Qualcomm Life’s solutions, the companies will have access to one of the largest open and interoperable mHealth ecosystems of medical device, applications and service companies in the health care industry, the company stated in an announcement.

With more than 400 companies in the Qualcomm Life Ecosystem, the company believes it is positioned to reinvent health care by shifting connected health solutions from a novel technology to a standard of care, said Rick Valencia, senior vice president and general manager of Qualcomm Life.

“This is a very exciting time in the connected health space and we are pleased to have these innovative companies join our mission to mobilize health care to increase access to care and improve patient outcomes,” Valencia said in a written statement.

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ResMed, a provider of medical equipment for sleep-disordered breathing and other respiratory disorders, is using Qualcomm’s Life’s technology to streamline transitions of care from the hospital and into the home.

Specifically, ResMed is integrating the 2net Hub and Platform with its Astral 100 and Astral 150 life support ventilators to capture and transfer near real-time biometric data to the HealthyCircles care coordination platform, which allows care teams to monitor and manage patients by exception.

Additionally, the company is using Qualcomm’s HealthyCircles in combination with its continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to enable hospitals and care providers to closely monitor patients with the intent of preventing hospital readmissions.

“Working with Qualcomm Life extends our data solutions into the next-generation of remote patient monitoring solutions,” stated Jeremy Malecha, senior director of product management for ResMed-Americas. “The 2net and HealthyCircles Platforms infrastructure streamlines data collection and transmission, enabling continuous, quality respiratory care for patients beyond the hospital.”

King’s Daughter Medical Center, located in Ashland, Ky., is collaborating with Qualcomm Life to deploy and scale its health services to manage employer’s high-risk populations with complex care needs in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia.

Focused on patients with heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, KDMC intends its integrated care coordination and management services will increase “touch points” in the rural community and connect community-based providers through the 2net and HealthyCircles Platforms.

“The 2net and HealthyCircles Platforms will allow us to develop reliable and cost-effective complex care coordination and management solutions to closely monitor and care for our high-risk patients in rural communities,” stated KDMC Chief Strategy Officer Matt Ebaugh.

For CareCentrix, a company that helps health plans and providers lower costs and improve health outcomes for patients, believes collaborating with Qualcomm fits the company’s mission.

“Collaborating with Qualcomm Life will help us build our long track record of driving value for health plans and providers in the post-acute arena,” stated CareCentrix CEO John Driscoll. “Qualcomm Life’s unique and scalable solutions represent an improvement in delivering innovative care solutions to the home.”

Tuesday’s announcement arrives nearly two weeks after Qualcomm Incorporated, through its venture investment group Qualcomm Ventures, invested in Portea Medical, a home health provider in India.

Though Qualcomm declined to disclose the amount of capital it would invest in Portea Medical, the New Delhi-based home health provider said it is looking to raise $30 million to $40 million this year to expand its network from 18 cities to 50 Indian cities over the next two years.

Written by Jason Oliva

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