ConnectedHealth is taking a variation of its mobile health monitoring platform Down Under.
The Singapore-based developer of mHealth connectivity solutions has announced a partnership with HealthStrong to deploy its eFitness Management Platform in Australia. The FMP is a variation of the eHealth Platform, which ConnectedHealth has been deploying in the United States and elsewhere as a telehealth solution.
The FMP is a more wellness-oriented solution targeted at a continent known for its remote locations and potential for telehealth.
ConnectedHealth's FMP is a cloud-based service that ties together Bluetooth fitness devices in the home with an electronic fitness record that can be shared with healthcare providers, nutritionists, trainers and other specialists. The online portal is designed to enable users to log and update their personal information, while providers can chart that data and make recommendations.
"With the medical costs associated with obesity ranging into hundreds of billions of dollars, addressing fitness issues is a key concern for health care providers and insurance companies all over the world," said Mike Holt, ConnectedHealth's founder and CEO, in a press release. "By deploying ConnectedHealth's FMP, HealthStrong is placing itself in a position to do something about this. ConnectedHealth provides the technology foundation for healthcare providers to monitor real-time information on consumers' health and fitness – without having to physically see them. The global potential to dramatically reduce costs – and improve health outcomes – is limitless."
In an e-mail interview with mHealthNews, Holt said the Australian healthcare market is similar to that of the United States, where remote healthcare and reduced costs are at the top of the agenda. In addition, he noted that Australia's population is dispersed across a large land mass that's difficult to traverse, making healthcare support expensive and telehealth a viable solution.
HealthStrong, launched a decade ago, has established itself as one of the leading providers of telehealth services in Australia, serving hundreds of aged care facilities in several parts of the continent.
"ConnectedHealth has provided an excellent, seamless solution that connects users trying to manage their weight to the professionals at HealthStrong – who can help them reach their fitness goals effectively and efficiently," said Stanley Sack, the company's CEO, in the press release. "Using this technology, we can help more people lead fit and healthy lives."
ConnectedHealth signalled its interest in the fitness field in March when it partnered with FitBug, a London-based developer of consumer health monitoring devices and services, to plug personal health data from FitBug devices into the eHealth Platform. At the time, Holt said the healthcare and health and wellness markets are converging rapidly, and companies that can pull fitness data into the medical record are the front-runners.
"This is a huge opportunity to take this to the next step," he said. "It's all about getting all that data into the healthcare system."
Photo used with permission from Thinkstock.com.
