MedCity News Hangout: Moving digital health beyond the fittest people in the room

At a conference in San Diego this month, a keynote speaker asked how many people in the audience were wearing a fitness tracker. About a dozen people raised their hands.
“It’s always the healthiest people you know who are wearing a FitBit,” GreatCall CEO David Inns said. “That’s not going to do anything to cut healthcare costs.”

During our March hangout, we’re going to be talking with entrepreneurs working to bring digital health to the rest of us: doctors running their own practices, pharmacists working to improve adherence, people living with chronic conditions and companies trying to help employees develop healthy habits.

Two of our four panelists have always worked in healthcare and two are new to the industry. Here is who will be hanging out with us on March 26 at noon Eastern.

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.

Ryan Beckland is the co-founder and CEO of Validic and he is setting the vision, recruiting talent, and fundraising. Mark Cuban has invested in Validic and the company just raised an additional $1.25 million. It developed an API that offers a way for providers, pharmaceutical and wellness companies and insurers to retrieve data from 86 mobile health devices, wearables and apps. They can use that data to get a better read on their patients and members when they’re not in the doctor’s office. Before starting Validic, he worked in real estate investment and management.

Steven Elliott is using technology to preserve and strengthen existing doctor/patient relationships instead of fragmenting continuity of care as many other new services do. He is the co-founder and CEO of eClinicHealthcare. The platform makes it easier for doctors to incorporate email communication with patients and virtual visits into their regular routine. eClinicHealthcare also makes being on call easier and allows doctors to make additional revenue through remote care during the day with eClinic On-Call and eClinic Online. Steven was the director of clinical and financial intelligence at CredencHealth, Inc. and the director of market research at ACS Midas+ Solutions, a Xerox company.

Juliet Oberding is an entrepreneur and attorney who founded Predictably Well. The company helps people with chronic disease manage their health by using sensor data and Qualcomm Life’s 2net Platform. The company’s app, Good Days, is aimed at people living with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia and other chronic autoimmune conditions. The app combines a patient’s self-reported data, environmental data from outside sources and geographical data from the user’s device to make the forecast.
Juliet also advises companies on business and intellectual property issues and has worked with creative, tech and social entrepreneurs. She is also a seed and startup stage advisor for tech companies.

TJ Parker is the CEO and co-founder of PillPack, a replacement for the plastic, remember-it-all-yourself, S/M/T/W/R/F/S pill organizer. The company ships all of a customer’s prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines and vitamins in a 14-day supply of individual packets that come in a roll. Each packet is printed with the contents and instructions on when to take the pills. TJ’s family owns a pharmacy that serves long-term care facilities so he knows firsthand the challenge of taking five or more meds every day. He also has worked at Target pharmacy, a local community pharmacy, and Massive Health (acquired by Jawbone).