Devices, devices, everywhere. I guess I just don't get telehealth-related technology 'progress' -- it seems like two steps forward in one area and a few backward somewhere else. On the one hand, there will be 15 million mobile and wireless telehealth devices by 2012, says an ABI July 22 research report, devices that will be jabbering away with information about our chronic disease measurement readings.
The medication reminder world has had three tiers of product offerings -- telephone-based reminders, reminders linked to emergency response offerings, and electronic pillboxes. And medication errors, including those from incorrectly filling pillboxes, continue to be vexing.
It's always hard to tell whether something is observation or insight (or just plain wrong). But I've done 13 interviews in the past few months about home health technologies, with vendors ranging from A (Advanced Warning Systems) to Z (Zume Life). I am beginning to see a pattern about product offerings that seems to have three dimensions. These may be related to product success long term -- cost, capital, clinician involvement.
