Leading Health And Technology Companies Form Alliance To Improve Personal Health Through Connected Devices

Leading Health And Technology Companies Form Alliance To Improve Personal Health Through Connected Devices

Given the rise of chronic conditions and the rapid aging of the population, the methods of managing health will need to shift from traditional institutional settings to peoples’ everyday environments, including the home. To enable this shift, a group of technology, healthcare and fitness companies have formed the Continua* Health Alliance, an open industry group that will establish an ecosystem of connected personal health and fitness products and services, making it possible for patients, caregivers and healthcare providers to more proactively address ongoing healthcare needs.

Founding members of the group include BodyMedia*, Cisco Systems*, GE Healthcare*, IBM*, Intel Corporation, Kaiser Permanente*, Medtronic*, Motorola*, Nonin*, Omron Healthcare*, Panasonic* (Matsushita Electric*), Partners HealthCare*, Polar Electro*, Royal Philips Electronics*, RMD Networks*, Samsung Electronics*, Sharp*, The Tunstall Group*, Welch Allyn* and Zensys*.

“First and foremost, this alliance is about helping to empower people with the information they need to better manage their health and the health of their loved ones,” said David Whitlinger, Chairman of the Continua Health Alliance and Director of Healthcare Device Standards in Intel’s Digital Health Group. “We are creating an organization where several seemingly disparate industries can work together to combine their products and services through connectivity standards and provide millions of people with the tools they need to better manage their health and the health of their families.”

The Continua Health Alliance efforts will be focused on three major categories: chronic disease management, monitoring the health and healthcare needs of aging people and proactive health and fitness. By enabling a network of readily connected health and medical devices, people with diabetes or other chronic diseases will be able to share glucose-levels and other vital sign information with their doctors. Adult children will be able to remotely watch over their aging parents and proactively help them manage safely in their own homes. Diet and fitness conscious individuals will also be able to seamlessly share their weight and exercise data with fitness consultants through the Internet.

Read the complete Press Release