Validic has gotten an additional $5 million for its business of aggregating health data from various sources, including wearables and personal medical records.
http://medcitynews.com/2014/08/validation-validic-investors-put-5m-behind/?utm_source=MedCity+News+Subscribers&utm_campaign=a5277035f8-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c05cce483a-a5277035f8-67648197Acupera, whose product mines data from EHRs and other sources to help guide physician care, has raised $4 million.
http://medcitynews.com/2014/08/acupera-pulls-4m-help-health-providers-better-understand-patients/?utm_source=MedCity+News+Subscribers&utm_campaign=a5277035f8-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c05cce483a-a5277035f8-67648197In another example of guideline overreach, the New England Journal of Medicine carries studies suggesting that keeping dietary salt levels too low has adverse health effects.
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In a very important development for telemedicine, the Federation of State Medical Boards is working on a multi-state licensure compact for doctors that would avoid the current hassles for physicians who see patients remotely in multiple states.
http://www.fsmb.org/Media/Default/PDF/Publications/07%2025%202014%20FSMB%20statement%20on%20draft%20compact_FINAL.pdfThis is not, I repeat, not a joke. A company called Beam Technologies has raised $5 million for its "smart" toothbrush, which apparently has an IQ higher than the people making this investment. The toothbrush can help users track their dental hygienie.
http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/blog/2014/08/louisville-based-beam-technologies-moving.html?page=allCareDox, which offers cloud-based storage solutions for health documents, has raised $3.1 million.
http://medcitynews.com/2014/08/new-york-digital-health-startup-caredox-raising-3-1m/?utm_source=MedCity+News+Subscribers&utm_campaign=02a2f0fc77-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c05cce483a-02a2f0fc77-67677117According to a Parks Associates survey, in the last year 38% of consumers looked up health information online, 27% used a doctor's or insurer's website, and 26% used a website to make an appointment or check on lab results.
http://www.parksassociates.com/events/connected-health/media/pr-july2014-telehealthTowersWatson projects that greater use of telemedicine could save employers $6 billion a year. Growth of benefits specifically encouraging telemedicine visits is growing among employers, with 37% saying they plan to offer them in 2015.
http://www.towerswatson.com/en/Press/2014/08/current-telemedicine-technology-could-mean-big-savingsThe latest National Business Group on Health survey finds that most large employers are still expecting large health cost increases next year.
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About this Blog
The Healthy Skeptic is a website about the health care system, and is written by Kevin Roche, who has many years of experience working in the health industry. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements through Roche Consulting, LLC and may be reached at khroche@healthy-skeptic.com.