To complement its catalogue of connected hearing aids, New York City-based Lively has launched a telehealth service that will allow users to complete an online hearing assessment, conduct a virtual video consultation with an audiologist and have their device remotely tuned.
According to Lively’s website, device owners in need of an appointment can now request a virtual consultation and receive a scheduling response within 24 to 48 hours. The remote updates complement the other digital features of company’s hearing aides, all of which are connected via Bluetooth and controlled through an accompanying app.
Lively (not to be confused with the aging in place device company of the same name that's now a part of GreatCall) was founded out of New York-based venture studio Redesign Health. The company also took advantage of the online launch to announce the closure of a $16 million fundraising round led by Declaration Capital with participation from Tiger Management.
Why it matters
Lively’s service offers hearing aid users a more convenient way to order or adjust a device, and could increase access to these tools among those who might be unable or unwilling to leave their home to seek help.
“Lively is well positioned to help the large number of people suffering from untreated hearing loss,” Brett Shaheen, CEO of Redesign Health, said in a statement. “The ease and affordability they bring to the process of buying hearing aids, coupled with their commitment to work with audiologists throughout the hearing care process, represents a meaningful step in addressing hearing loss in this country,” Brett Shaheen, CEO of Redesign Health, said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Lively CEO and cofounder Adam Karp told MobiHealthNews that the company’s new backing would primarily support the expansion of its audiology, customer care and engineering staff.
“Together, those teams will accelerate our innovations in providing remote care for the 30-plus million Americans who suffer from hearing loss, and will focus on making sure that our growing client base receives the best combination of technology and personal care,” Karp wrote in an email.
What’s the trend
The growing number of aging baby boomers has brought hearing loss technologies into new focus for the healthcare industry, AARP Chief Medical Officer Dr. Charlotte Yeh recently told MobiHealthNews.
As such, a number of hearing devices have begun to be more digitally connected: Last September ReSound LiNX Quattro launched a connected hearing aid with remote adjustment features similar to Lively’s, while 2017 saw Cochlear Limited’s connected hearing implant receive the green light from the FDA.
