AT&T Moving Into Wireless Mobile Healthcare with eCardio Diagnostics For Cardiology and WellDoc For Diabetes

Perhaps the news on the horizon of an IPhone at Verizon soon has sparked some interest with AT&T with more healthcare connectivity? There are a couple stories n the news today and we are covering cardiology and diabetes. Back in August of 2010 WellDoc received FDA approval for their device.

FDA Approves WellDoc Smartphone Mobile Diabetes Tool/Software Using Bluetooth And Automated Algorithmic Analysis Processes

eCardio Diagnostics Introduces Exclusive Extended Monitoring Device

They both use an algorithmic reporting system and AT&T appears to be offering WellDoc to their employees soon. As mentioned, AT&T is a self insured employer thus they are looking at keeping costs down. It will be interesting to see what survives in mobile applications as we sure have many today. I still think he best bet are those that communicate with a PHR.

With doing this blog I see so many devices and of course they need to be doctor friendly as an MD will go nuts, and rightly so with too many systems to use, kind of like the EHR dilemma we have with way to many software applications. BD

AT&T has announced plans to carry eCardio Diagnostics' cardiac arrhythmia–monitoring mobile devices on its wireless network to allow physicians to monitor patients' heartbeats in real time.

The eCardio M2M (machine-to-machine) monitor allows heart patients to recuperate at home from arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeats, rather than endure a long stay in the hospital.

ATandT to Provide Wireless Service for eCardio Heart Monitors - Health Care IT from eWeek

This is big: AT&T announced plans to offer WellDoc’s FDA-approved mobile phone-based diabetes management solution to a select group of AT&T employees sometime in 2011. (AT&T’s benefits program covers some 1.2 million employees, retirees and dependents so the company has a vested interest in improving employees’ health while keeping costs low). AT&T potentially plans to offer additional mobile health services developed by WellDoc in the areas of heart disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and oncology, assuming those programs also receive FDA approval. WellDoc CEO Ryan Sysko told MobiHealthNews that each of these programs are in various stages of commercialization, from prototyping to clinical testing.