Connected Health Files IPO Prospectus Amid Expansion of Digital Healthcare Solutions
What Is Connected Health?
Connected Health is a service model that leverages scientific and technological advancements to deliver remote healthcare, aiming to maximize the utilization of medical resources, provide consumers with greater and more flexible opportunities to participate in clinical treatment, and enhance their awareness of self-management in health.
Connected health encompasses telemedicine, remote care (such as home care), and disease and lifestyle management. It frequently leverages existing technologies, such as cellular-connected devices, and is dedicated to improving the care of chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
The goal of Connected Health is:
1. Reduce medical costs for chronic diseases;
2. Strengthen international and regional public health surveillance;
3. Reduce the incidence of medical errors;
4. Provide consumers with more healthcare services;
5. Focus on disease prevention to reduce mortality;
6. Enhance consumers' awareness of self-health management;
7. Conduct clinical trials more safely and effectively.
The United States and the European Union are two leading markets in the use of connected health for home care, a outcome driven in part by higher telephone and internet accessibility in these regions compared to the rest of the world.
In the United States, more than 260 million people use wired connections, over 190 million are mobile phone users, and approximately 200 million are internet users. The European Union has a comparable number of wired connection users to the United States, but it has more mobile phone and internet users. Proponents of connected health argue that technology can transform healthcare service delivery models and address many inefficiencies, particularly in workflow management, chronic disease management, and patient engagement.
A Brief History of Connected Health
Connected health originated from telemedicine, with the first telemedicine projects primarily aimed at addressing issues of healthcare access and provider shortages. The main difference between connected health and telemedicine lies in:
1. Greater focus on healthcare costs, quality, and efficiency related to chronic diseases;
2. Promote healthcare consumption through patient-centered concepts, such as education and patient feedback;
3. Strive to achieve the integration of medical data through means such as electronic medical records;
In 1967, Dr. Kenneth Bird of Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States established the first telemedicine clinic. This clinic primarily provided basic occupational and emergency medical services to employees and travelers near Boston Logan International Airport. Records indicate that over 1,000 patients received remote treatment via a two-way audiovisual microwave circuit facilitated by physicians at the clinic. Other advanced telemedicine projects have largely focused on delivering healthcare services to individuals living in rural areas.
Major Types of Connected Health
Connected health emphasizes two “core platforms”: self-care and telemedicine. Its initiatives primarily focus on monitoring patients with chronic diseases, the elderly, and those in remote areas, while ensuring timely feedback from these populations. Programs designed to improve patient-provider communication (such as the use of email) also fall within the scope of connected health. Furthermore, lifestyle coaching programs—such as guiding individuals to modify daily habits to enhance overall health status and mitigate the negative health impacts of specific behaviors—are common components of connected health initiatives. Currently, the most prevalent connected health programs mainly include the following types:
1. Home care, remote monitoring of patients with chronic diseases, including monitoring connected devices or health parameters
2. Traditional telemedicine projects, in which care is provided by community health teams composed of clinicians in remote areas or specialists at medical centers
3. Monitoring programs, designed to ensure the life safety and quality of life for elderly individuals who live far from their children and relatives
4. Web-Based Patient Services for Healthcare Needs
5. Lifestyle and fitness coaches to help people maintain a healthy physique and reduce the risks associated with unhealthy lifestyles
Connected Health Centers are implementing a series of programs targeting high-risk, chronic disease, and remote populations. Connected Health employs flexible technological approaches to deliver medical services to patients. For instance, remote monitoring programs may utilize a combination of mobile phone and smartphone technologies, online communication platforms, or biosensors. The goal is to enhance communication between patients and physicians, thereby increasing patient engagement throughout the care process through regular feedback or improved health screening metrics. Technologies such as digital pens, Global Positioning System (GPS), video conferencing, and environmental sensors play a significant role in today’s Connected Health initiatives.
By Liu Nan; Edited by Mo Renying
VCBeat’s Chief Advisor for Analysis of Trending English Terms in Internet Healthcare: Zhao Xinyuan, current CEO of Beijing Yingtai Kelong Technology Co., Ltd., and member of the Technical Guidance Committee of HL7 China.
VCBeat is currently recruiting volunteers to analyze trending English terms in digital health. We welcome you to share your insights. Please follow the VCBeat WeChat official account and contact us!