Heart disease is one of the trio of chronic diseases that the Affordable Care Act aims to improve. Although a portable defibrillator won’t reduce readmissions for heart disease patients and those who have had heart surgery, it can save lives.
I am picking ZOLL Medical’s Life Vest over First Warning’s smart bra for a few reasons. It adds a safety net for vulnerable patients when they’re discharged from the hospital. The patients who would be prescribed this device tend to be waiting for a heart transplant, recently suffered a myocardial infarction or recently had a procedure such as cardiac bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty.
Although the device was cleared by the FDA several years ago, the company is still seeking indications that would make it more routinely prescribed. It also speaks to wider need for accessible defibrillators to respond to sudden heart attacks.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
Readers saw things differently. The smart bra captured 61 percent of the vote and the Life Vest only received 39 percent.
One of the things that I like about First Warning’s smart bra technology is that it can passively alert people to possible problems and poses some interesting ways to reduce breast cancer. It’s also designed to reduce the number of false positives that can lead to unnecessary biopsies. Its CEO sees it fulfilling a need, particularly in women under 40 who have dense breast tissue. It has planned a clinical validation trial in the second half of the year. But ZOLL’s device has the potential to save more people.
Winner: ZOLL Medical
A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
