A Contrarian Approach To Telehealth - And Why It Is Beneficial For
Healthcare Providers And Patients
"Healthcare On The Edge" is a contrarian approach to telehealth that we applied in building our GALE platform. Organizations that adopt this approach enjoy benefits like faster deployments, better security, and so much more.
World renowned Stanford cardiologist and investor Dr. Peter Fitzgerald was intrigued by the concept and had a chat this week with Jerry Horel, 19Labs co-founder, to dive deeper into it.
The video recording can be found above, and we wanted to share key points with you below:
1. What is "Healthcare On The Edge"?
To understand "Healthcare On The Edge", one must first understand 'center' and 'edge' computing. Put simply, 'center computing' refers to critical data analysis and management on the cloud while 'edge computing' refers to the same but on end-user devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets).
In a telehealth context, 'center' usually relates to cloud platforms that manage data collected from end-user devices. On the other hand, 'edge' relates to these end-user devices (e.g. doctors' computers, digital stethoscopes, etc.) and the data they produce that isn't uploaded to the cloud.
Most telehealth platforms process, store, and secure data in the 'center' (i.e. cloud). In stark contrast, "Healthcare On The Edge" is an approach where data is processed, stored, and secured in the 'edge' instead (i.e. end-user devices). As seen in the graphic above, our GALE platform uses the latter approach and doesn't store or process any data in the cloud - everything is done on the edge. This isn't easy to do and we even developed significant, critical IP's in the process of implementing it, but it allows us to bring distinct and important benefits to our clients.
2. What are the benefits of "Healthcare On The Edge"?
Better Security And Privacy: There is no central database to hack since data processing and storage is done in clinicians' and patients' devices instead of a single cloud platform. An encryption protocol is placed in these end-user devices to ensure only authorized clinicians can access patient data.
Aggregating The Best Of Digital Health: The edge (i.e. the tablet used by patients) is where we bring together a seamless experience and integrate the best innovations from leading digital health companies. From innovative remote diagnostic devices (e.g. 12L ECG, ultrasound, hearing and vision exams) to the latest machine learning and AI apps, integrating those on the edge is possible - and much easier - than trying to do it in the cloud.
Easier Integration: Our unique software developers kit (SDK) allows healthcare providers to easily bring their own wellness, triage, or intake experience - and augment it with diagnostic devices and video call. The SDK is leveraging protected captive web pages with GALE Javascript APIs and development tools - and the result is a faster and simpler optional integration with their EMR and back end workflows.
3. What are the business implications of "Healthcare On The Edge"?
Healthcare On The Edge's decentralized approach means that we can't build a business around analyzing your patients' data. For most technology investors - that is a big "no" - but for us it is critical. We believe that our role should be protecting healthcare data and not monetizing it. We help patients and healthcare providers decide who has access to data, rather than building our own business around it.
Additionally, a growing number of countries are enacting data sovereignty laws that require its citizens' data to be stored within its borders. For instance, we believe that most American organizations would prefer to keep their data within the country instead of a server somewhere in Asia or Europe. Healthcare On The Edge allows us to do secure local data storage, so information will always be within a device's geographical location.
About 19Labs
19Labs is the creator of GALE, a Next Generation Point-of-Care platform for pharmacies, schools, workplaces, and rural communities. GALE brings together cutting-edge diagnostic technologies from industry leaders like Zoom, Elo, Amwell, Samsung Mobile, MIR, Omron, Viasat, EchoNous, PAP Link, and many others in one smart, efficient, and cost-effective platform. It was designed from the ground up to be operated by non-healthcare professionals in locations with limited infrastructure and optimized for low bandwidth and intermittent connectivity. To learn more about GALE, please visit www.19labs.com.