We talked this week on MedHeads about the enormous growth we’re seeing in the digital health landscape – but the market’s divided between smaller players seeking clinical validation and mass market activity trackers like Fitbit and Jawbone.
Are the lines for clinical and consumer wellness being blurred, as physicians look to this activity tracking data as important metrics for health?
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.
Reporters Stephanie Baum and Neil Versel were joined this week on MedHeads by Shahid Shah, author of the Healthcare IT Guy blog, co-founder and CEO of Netspective Communications, and a MedCity News contributor.
Also, here are five noteworthy MedCity News stories from the past week:
1. Large Series A financings are a worrying digital health investment trend
The recent large Series A financings in digital health caught my attention. Clover grabbed $100 million in equity and debt financing, Color Genomics raised $15 million, Cure Forward raised $15 million,Honor raised $20 million and Lyra Health raised a whopping $35 million.
One could argue that a data-driven insurance company like Clover will absolutely need every penny of the $100 million, but handing $35 million to a brand new company targeting behavioral health solutions, like Lyra, doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
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.
2. Telepsychiatry startup 1DocWay sold to pharmacy firm Genoa
Telepsychiatry startup 1DocWay has been acquired by specialty pharmacy operator Genoa, a QoL Healthcare Company, for an undisclosed sum. With the deal, the purchaser has launched a new telemedicine division, Genoa Telepsychiatry.
Tukwilia, Washington-based Genoa, which got its clunky corporate name from a 2014 merger with QoL Meds, provides behavioral health and long-term care pharmacy services at 280 locations nationwide. The company said the 1DocWay acquisition is meant to address growing demand for mental health services.
3. Cohero Health lays groundwork for 2016 commercial launch
As digital health company Cohero Health gears up for the commercial launch of its FDA-cleared medical device to do remote monitoring for lung functions, CEO Melissa Manice took a few minutes to give an update on its progress in a phone interview.
Manice served in a number of roles at Mount Sinai Hospital, such as director of operations and as a post-doctoral fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai before co-founding Cohero Health. Mount Sinai Hospital is also one of its strategic partners.
4. Health app developers: This is what’s turning your users off
A survey by researchers at New York University School of Medicine’s Population Health department commissioned a survey of more than 1,600 smartphone users, mainly around Los Angeles and New York City assessing their experience downloading health apps. Their findings show that mobile health app developers still have a lot to learn about their target users’ needs.
5. Crowdfunding rule has been finalized: What do you need to know?
The SEC has finally finalized its crowdfunding rule (presser) under the JOBS Act. The health innovation crowdfunding crowd has been waiting for these rules for quite some time, as has the rest of the crowdfunding fan club. (It’s only taken three and a half years.)
So, was it worth the wait?
[Image courtesy of Flickr user General Physics Laboratory]
