Samsung Health Launches 'Ask an Expert' Telehealth Service, Entering Core Healthcare with IPO Filing

VCBeat has learned that the Samsung Galaxy S8 was officially launched yesterday. In addition to its eye-catching design and numerous new features such as Bixby, the device also sees an upgrade to the Samsung Health service. The upgrade primarily focuses on enhancing telemedicine, personal health coaching, social connectivity, and fitness assistance. However, the telemedicine feature is currently available only in select countries and regions and is compatible solely with Android 4.4 and later versions.

Samsung Health, commonly referred to as S Health, was officially launched in 2012 and first pre-installed on the Galaxy S3 smartphone. It has been dedicated to monitoring user health data, striving to deliver health data-driven medical services on mobile platforms.

As early as January this year, before the S8 was officially launched, various speculations about S Health were rife. For instance, Samsung might release an improved version of its fitness app, focusing on social features and even online consultations. Now, these speculations have largely been confirmed.

Currently, Samsung Health has over 60 million monthly active users and 11 million daily active users worldwide. After the upgrade, users can utilize fitness and diet trackers to manage their personal health goals. For instance, they can compete with friends on health leaderboards or in one-on-one step challenges, with top-ranked participants receiving Samsung Rewards.

However, the most interesting new feature in Samsung Health is the telemedicine service “Ask an Expert,” which allows users to connect with board-certified physicians at any time. For users not covered by insurance, each consultation will cost $59.

Of course, if corporate employers cover the cost through medical insurance, the fees may be lower. This service is currently available only to users in China, South Korea, and the United States. However, as it requires collaboration with insurance providers, pricing standards in different regions may be subject to future adjustments.

According to Samsung, Ask an Expert will leverage the American Well Exchange feature. As is well known, American Well, the first company in the United States to receive certification from the American Telemedicine Association, serves over 200 telehealth systems worldwide, enabling patients to more easily access high-quality medical care through telemedicine technology.

By partnering with American Well, Ask an Expert will provide access to more than 1,200 certified and licensed physicians on the AAE network platform, who have an average of 10–15 years of clinical experience and include both general practitioners and specialists across various medical fields.

“This is not just telemedicine, but a connected healthcare ecosystem that links more people through new technologies,” said Dr. Roy Schoenberg, CEO of American Well.

In addition to telemedicine capabilities, Samsung Health includes lifestyle, diet, and fitness trackers, leaderboards for competing with friends, health discovery features, integration with compatible health devices, and—through its rewards feature—provides health analysis and guidance to users registered for “Ask an Expert” or “Health Insights.”

In addition to “Ask an Expert,” Samsung unveiled its digital health platform, SAMI, for the first time in May 2014 and signed digital health partnership agreements with 24 institutions, including industry giants such as NIKE and CIGNA. The platform supports real-time data transmission between wearable devices (such as smartwatches) and mobile health applications, and provides API software interfaces for third-party developers, thereby fostering a digital health ecosystem for developers, healthcare institutions, and partners worldwide.

It is evident that Samsung Health’s future direction is to leverage third-party medical service providers to accumulate big data on users, with the ultimate goal of delivering personalized precision medicine tailored to individuals.