Health 2.0 – Consumer Tech and Wearables: Powering Healthy Lifestyles

Indu Subaiya (CEO of Health 2.0), Rick Valencia (SVP + General Manager, Qualcomm Life), Adam Pellegrini (VP Digital Health, Walgreens), David Ziegler (Mobile Product Management, WebMD)

Here’s a brief update on how these giant companies are focusing on consumer health, at a very personal level.

Rick Valencia (Qualcomm Life)

Qualcomm Life is on a mission to ”Move from synchronous care (a 1:1 relationship) to asynchronous care (especially for patients living with chronic conditions). Today it is a nurse on a phone with a patient. What we are trying to do is give those nurses patient data on a regular basis and have them act on the important data without waiting for the patient to call in,” says Rick. “We are making medical devices interoperable. Letting data flow without having patients register. A kit will show up at a patients home and the data can start flowing. We want to make it as simple as humanly possible.”

Through the acquisition of Healthy Circles, information from the 2net Platform is now managed on a platform/web based app that elegantly and reliably captures and delivers data designed for security and interoperability.

Adam Pellegrini (Walgreens)

Walgreens recently launched a program called Healthy Choices where members can earn Balance Rewards for making healthy decisions. The decisions range from getting an immunization and refilling a prescription to tracking weight changes and linking fitness trackers. Adam describes the program as, ”Omni-channel digital health – we process prescription refills through the app, give points through the app, and are able to reward those online interactions in-store. The app provides and supports simple habits online and offline.” 110 devices are currently integrated into the rewards program, and Walgreens just launched their nationwide marketing campaign this month.

Walgreens is also partnering with Aisle411 to test Google’s 3-D Tango technology to make in-store shopping a more immersive mobile experience. The system can overlay navigation and rewards on a map of the store from the point-of-view of the shopper.

David Ziegler (WebMD)

WebMD updated its app this week. Called Healthy Target, it gives users contextually relevant content by integrating biometric data from activity trackers and monitors. The app was released this past June and has already seen rapid uptake. David says, ”Once this data is inside our app, we are helping people create healthy habits and letting them know what this data means. A lot of apps are focused on fitness enthusiasts, but Healthy Target was designed specifically for people with chronic conditions.” Healthy Target hosts 150 unique habits, educational videos, and content in addition to sending out weekly reviews of progress and tips.