Allina Health implements PatientWisdom's platform, Children's of Alabama employs Locus Health's remote care apps, and more digital health deals

Also: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center announces machine learning research program funded by AWS; OneDigital Health Benefits inks deal with Total Brain.
By Dave Muoio and Laura Lovett
03:07 pm
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Minneapolis-based Allina Health will be implementing PatientWisdom’s information and experience platform within its EHR system. The startup’s tool allows patients to upload information about their personal lives and healthcare expectations into the web portal, which is then surfaced for the provider during their normal workflow.

“We are delighted to be working with Allina Health – I’m a big fan of their vision for Whole Person Care,” Dr. Gregory Makoul, founder and CEO of PatientWisdom, said in a statement. “The interest in PatientWisdom at all of our partners reinforces the power of making it safe and easy to focus on what matters to patients.”

Children’s of Alabama will be providing Locus Health’s telehealth and remote monitoring app to new parents taking home infants with complex congenital heart disease, according to a release. A substitute for paper-based health tracking, the app will play a role in the hospital’s existing home care program for heart defect cases by transmitting babies’ vitals data in real time.

“With the launch of Locus Health at Children’s of Alabama, families will have a tool that strengthens the connection between their child and healthcare providers, all from the comfort and convenience of their home,” Sarah Blair, director of Hearts at Home at Children’s of Alabama, said in a statement. “Families will take an active role in their child’s care by electronically documenting vital data, such as heart rate, oxygen saturation and weight. Tools within the app empower them to recognize changes in their child before they become a life-threatening concern.”

Earlier this week Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center announced a new research program funded by Amazon Web Service grant that will study how machine learning can improve patient care. As part of the deal, the research hospital will be using a number of AWS tools. 

“Every minute spent on cumbersome clerical tasks and management adds up to millions in lost productivity and directly impacts patient care,” Dr. John Halamka, executive director of Health Technology Exploration Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said in a statement. “This machine learning research sponsorship will support our commitment to using new and emerging technologies in health care to drive projects that will transform care for patients at BIDMC and around the world.”

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Employee benefits and human resources firm OneDigital Health and Benefits has cut a deal Total Brain that will bring the latter’s app-based assessments to nearly 60,000 employees and clients. The tool can screen for common mental conditions with 70 percent to 80 percent accuracy, according to Total Brain, and recommends digital exercises, breathing and meditations that can improve users’ neuroplasticity.

"Partnering with OneDigital, a true leader in the HR benefits and wellness space, will provide tens of thousands of people with the opportunity to optimize themselves at home and work," Louis Gagnon, CEO of Total Brain, said in a statement. "It's an honor to collaborate with such a progressive partner that shares our vision of combining innovative tools and solutions to reduce risks and achieve optimal health for all."

Yesterday digital security company The Kudelski Group announced that it was teaming up with medical IoT company Medisanté on an effort to integrate security into remote patient monitoring systems. The companies are angling to create a connected care model. 

"The Internet of Things [IoT] is beginning to touch every part of our world, but medical IoT will have the biggest impact on our quality of life. By working with Medisanté to protect medical devices, we are guaranteeing authenticity and privacy of Patient-Generated Health Data,” Jean-Michel Puiatti, Kudelski Group's SVP for IoT Security, said in a statement. 

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