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Apple has its HealthKit, Google its Google Fit; and now Salesforce and Philips are getting into the game as well with a cloud-based platform could help doctors track data from a multitude of devices.
The two companies want to extend the Salesforce1 platform so that developers can write new apps that take data from different sources — MRI scanners or heart monitors, for example — and integrate it in a secure way while complying with privacy laws. Philips has already used the new platform to build its first two apps, Jeroen Tas, head of Philips Healthcare Informatic Solutions group, said today in a press conference.
Healthcare is one of the most promising fields for wearable computing and the Internet of Things. Today activity monitors like the Fitbit are mostly marketed to fitness nuts, but soon these types of devices could chronicling ill patients keep tabs on their health and gather vital data. And connecting these devices to the web could enable healthcare providers to respond to issues more quickly.
But making this work will require more than just a new breed of medical devices. Doctors and patients will also need ways to collect and analyze all of this new data.
The new apps are a data management hub for patients, called Philips eCareCoordinator, and eCareCompanion, a tool that lets healthcare providers view data from hundreds or even thousands of patients from a single dashboard.
Using eCareCoordinator, patients will collect data from connected devices, such as weight scale that sends information to the cloud, or pill sorters that track whether a patients has actually taken their pills. Patients can keep track of their own progress in the app, and even grant access to their family members. Doctors and nurses can check-up on their patients from eCareCompanion. If something goes wrong, for example a patient stops taking their pills, the provider will be alerted in the eCareCompanion dashboard.
The apps will be released later this summer, and will be piloted by Banner Health, a chain of hospitals and specialized healthcare facilities.
Although Philips is the first company to build software using the new platform, Tas says that it will be open to any company or developer. The business model for the apps, and the platform, is still unclear but Tas indicated that the apps would likely be paid for by patients, not insurance companies. But believes that the software will lower overall costs of healthcare, ultimately saving patients money.
Ultimately this is about building platforms for the world of the Internet of Things and wearables. It’s better business to build platforms than products, and we’re starting to major technology companies try to find ways to become the gatekeepers for the Internet of Things. Salesforce already rolled out a developer kit for building wearable applications that connect to the Salesforce cloud. And earlier this week Google announced an API for Nest, which will allow developers to connect their own devices and applications to the company’s line of home automation products.
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